Chapter 72 Sable
SABLE
My throat works on a lump as I read the letter for the fifth time.
The letter is the same—it doesn’t matter how many times I read it—but I can’t stop myself.
I need my father’s words more than I need air.
When my vision is so blurry that I can’t keep going, I toss it onto the bed and run to the bathroom.
They made me hate my father and be ashamed of our family.
It’s not just the tragedy that followed, but it hurts to know all this time I was disgusted by a man who was trying to stop it all.
I don’t appreciate him trying to kill me, but being angry about one huge transgression doesn’t mean he was a rapist and predator like I believed.
They told me he raped and killed children to cover for the people who truly did it.
Tears streaming down my face, I puke my guts out.
It all comes out of me as if it’s an exorcism, lies and pain hitting the toilet bowl.
“It’s okay,” Parker says as he comes in. He drops to his knees behind me and presses his warm hand to my back.
It won’t be okay, but I can’t find the words to disagree with him, so I just cry and let him soothe me.
The images of their crimes play in the back of my mind, the same way they played before when I thought those horrible things were my father’s doing, but now the rage is so much different.
It’s a movie I never wanted to watch, but my imagination drives me to madness with it.
The letter also confirms that Nina is really my half sister, but I can’t even think about that now.
I have family, something I thought would be a life-changing secret, but suddenly, having a sister is at the bottom of my priorities.
The four families destroyed so many lives.
The pictures of the girls they sold will never leave my mind.
My parents dedicated their lives to ending this and still ended up losing.
We lost everything to them. Knowing that my mother came from the fifth family makes me understand why she thought for even a second, she was powerful enough to go against them.
Only someone with the ego of a founding family member could think they would manage it.
No one cares about what’s happening to those innocent people. The police don’t care about the truth as long as someone is greasing their palm. The founding families are benefiting from the abuse.
Nothing matters. Nothing fucking matters.
“Come on, Sable.” Parker hooks his hand under my arms and carries me to the sink and offers me a chance to wash my face. I accept, but I barely feel my body as I perform the motions.
The impotence of my position numbs me, and when the tears stop, the pain in my chest doubles. Parker doesn’t know how much it hurts right now, so he just brings me back to the bedroom. Everyone’s face reflects shock and disgust, showing they’ve all read my father’s letter.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Lex says. “But I’m so fucking sorry we are here, anyway.”
“To think they wouldn’t be involved in something like this is actually laughable. Of course it is them.” Hadrian shakes his head.
It warms my heart that they believe in my dad so quickly, but it doesn’t solve our problems. The four families are guilty of so many things that it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are the ones responsible for this tragedy too.
“We have to leave,” Soren says at last, eye on the letter. “I won’t let this happen to us.”
“It’s different now. We are the heirs,” Lex reasons.
“It’s not different enough. Do you want to risk Sable?” Soren argues.
“No one is risking Sable,” Orion agrees with his twin. I’d be more proud of their healing relationship if my world wasn’t crumbling down.
“We need to leave Bellthorn. I want Sable away from this,” Soren’s tone is fierce, his words strike a chord with all of them. Soon they are nodding at each other, agreeing while forgetting that I’m here. But I’m the one who decides my fate now, and that’s never changing.
“We can’t walk away from this,” I say, my own path thoroughly decided.
They turn to me in shock, and I raise my palm when I see Soren opening his mouth to argue. Thankfully, he swallows his words and lets me talk.
“Do you understand that my father is not the victim? They pinned all these atrocities on him, yes, but those crimes happened to real people. So many people suffered so badly at their hands. It’s not right that they did what they did to all those people, destroyed my family and so many others, and then they get to walk away.
To enjoy their money and live their lives like they didn’t ruin so much? ”
“I don’t know if I give a crap about what is right.” Soren shakes his head. “They will do anything to make sure they don’t pay for their crimes. And I won’t do anything that will risk you.”
The story is written in front of us, and it doesn’t look good. My parents died for this, and I understand why they want me to run and hide, but I can’t. I can’t live my life hoping never to be caught. I can’t turn my back and accept that they will never meet justice.
“They will always come for us no matter where we run.” I look from Soren to the rest. “Maybe if I were alone, I’d have a chance, but with you all?”
“We are not giving you up!” Parker starts, indignation clear in his tone. I chuckle, reaching out and covering his cheek with my palm.
“Of course you’re not. You belong to me now, not to the four families. Wherever I go, you go.”
His shoulders sag, and he nods. “I’m glad you know it, baby.”
“I do.” I turn to the others. “Which means I can’t run away. They won’t let me run with you and the truth. It’s too much. We need to stay and fight.”
“No one fights the four families.” Hadrian sighs. “They have a network. They have too much money and too many people in their back pocket. Even if we find people ready to take them down, we are just risking their lives. There’s no bringing them to justice.”
“I don’t plan on bringing them to justice.
” I interrupt him. Hadrian furrows his brows, confused, and I continue.
“My parents were naive if they thought that was possible. It doesn’t matter how rich the Briarwicks and Colefaxes were.
It’ll never match the four families. We can’t outsmart them when they have the whole country in their back pocket. ”
“So what are you suggesting, Sable?” Lex narrows his eyes at me.
“We kill them,” I say, understanding just how heavy what I’m suggesting is. I sit down, watching their reaction to what I just said.
“Kill the four families?” Parker asks.
“Every last member until you five are the only ones left,” I say.
Silence follows my statement, and I knew it would.
It’s a huge thing to ask of your boyfriends.
I’m telling them to kill their own fathers, mothers, uncles, etc.
Spilling their own blood is a heavy ask, yet I’ve never been more sure of something.
Rich people always get away with everything.
Money buys silence and delays justice, but in death, we are all the same.
“That’s insanity.” Hadrian shakes his head.
Oh, it is insane.
“They might act like gods when they hide behind the money and connections, but they are made of flesh like the rest of us. The system is corrupt enough that once they are gone, and you five control the money, no one will do anything as long as the money is flowing in the right direction,” I say.
“Sable is right,” Parker says slowly, his eyes unfocused as he takes in my words. “Detective Askey was really easy to pay off. They are not loyal to the family. They are loyal to power. If the power is in our hands…”
“I know I’m asking you to kill your families, but this is where we set our fates. With them alive, there’s no future for us. They will never let us be as long as we live. This is the only way.”
“Shit,” Orion curses. “I’m in.”
I smile at him, and Parker comes to me, his hand on my shoulder. “Me too.”
Their loyalty warms my heart, and I sit down with them both by my side, knowing I need them all to be on board, but glad I have at least them. My eyes are expectantly on Soren as he curses under his breath and then kneels in front of me.
“Are you going to make a killer out of me, Sable Briarwick?”
He lowers his mouth and kisses me on my inner thigh. I smile as I brush his hair back. “I’ll give you the freedom you always wanted. It just comes with a price.”
He chuckles, and I’m so lost in that beautiful sound, I’m startled when Hadrian drops to his knees too.
His big body makes space between my legs, and his face is so damn close to my pussy.
“When I thought you couldn’t get any better, and now you’re asking me to end the four families.
I’ll bring their heads to you. I’ll take their teeth, and you can wear them as jewelry. ”
“I’ll buy you tasteful jewelry,” Orion whispers at my side.
I chuckle, but it turns into a moan when Hadrian uses his tongue on me, and I lose the train of thought. He’s hungry and demanding, and has me almost there so quickly.
Lex takes my chin in his hand, forcing me to look at him even as Hadrian makes a meal out of my pussy.
He’s the most rational of us all. I know he’s looking at this from every angle, and I want him to agree with me. My heart hammers as I silently beg for him to choose me.
He slowly smirks down at me. “Let’s kill them all.”