FORTY
The appearanceof Katrina has me gasping, and it’s not because of the way Royal is clutching at my thigh. This woman and her husband have lived next door to my family—they’ve been Royal’s family. I close my eyes, trying to understand how she could be involved in this. “I prompted Davis more than once to tell Royal the truth about his part in the accident. Frankly, I was surprised when it finally happened. He’s more like your parents than you and Kara are.”
I frown, taking in what Katrina has said. From her account, I gather some Sin Keepers are simply in charge of those in need of monitoring. But why does it appear they’ve had eyes on my entire family? My head is ready to explode.
Eyeing Katrina carefully, Royal grits out, “They were your files on Rich’s computer, weren’t they?” He glances at Theo. “Why’d you tell me about them?”
“We wanted you to realize there was something bigger happening. And correct me if I’m wrong, I believe you saw the multitude of files—people—involved.”
“You can say that again,” I mumble.
Royal lets out a disturbed-sounding exhale. “Were we supposed to be able to look at them? Because those fuckers were locked up tight.”
Theo laughs. “No. And I almost had a heart attack when you and Wilder spoke with that Archer guy from Hawthorne Hall. From what I hear of him, he might have been capable of breaking into the files. He’s a genius. I made a mistake there. We never intended for you to inspect the contents. Not yet, anyway.”
Wilder leans forward, elbows braced on the table. His jaw twitches in subtle amusement. “I know some smart people, I guess. Sorry.”
“No harm done,” Theo chuckles. “We were monitoring the entire situation as it unfolded in the library. Our genius had a way of stopping you if you had gained access.” One of the still-hooded Sin Keepers in the back lifts a hand, giving us a little wave.
Biting back a laugh, I murmur, “I’m not sure I want to know how you’d have managed that.”
Theo winks at me. “Probably not, Speedy, probably not.”
With that, Professor Silverton gets our attention again. “What we need you to understand is that each of you is connected to a bigger, broader picture. Something larger than any of you comprehends at this point. But we’ll do our best to explain.”
I let out a ragged breath, then inhale deeply through my nose. I’m no idiot. While it’s comforting to know these people are on our side, there’s a reason they are here for us. And I don’t have a clear picture of how everything and everyone is connected. Beckham continues to hold my hand, only now it’s because he senses my discomfort, and he’s taken to running his thumb along the back of it.
Wilder leans close to Royal, and I faintly hear him whisper, “Is she holding up okay?”
I don’t say anything, but hold my hand out on the table, giving a brief thumbs-up. It’s now or never. I suck up all my doubts and misgivings and nervousness and let my curiosity rip. “I guess that’s why I’m confused. It seems like most of us who have one of you watching have either done something wrong or had something wrong done to them. And for that second group, you’ve aided them in seeking out some sort of retribution.”
Ireland shifts in her seat, and when I glance at her, I can tell I’ve struck a chord of some sort. Her gaze is firmly locked on her folded hands on the table.
“It might not be easy to understand, but what’s happening in this community is complex.” Professor Silverton clears her throat, her gaze moving over each of us before it comes back to me. “You, Echo, happen to be ensnared in the entire thing, simply by way of who you are.”
A sick feeling winds around in my stomach. My heart begins to thud insistently in my chest, like a warning. Am I finally going to get some answers?
“Let me try to explain.” Theo takes a deep breath. “The idea that Brent, Megan, and Brian concocted this plan that reached far and wide in scope was kinda mind-blowing at first. Diabolical, really. Royal, they were gunning for you because they thought you were responsible for Alicia’s death. After you were released, they must have studied you and everyone you came into contact with, and decided who was most important to you. Then, they dragged Smith and Freya into the fray, convincing them you deserved to pay for what you’d done.”
“Listening to their rationale during questioning at the station has been a trip to crazy town, lemme tell ya,” Officer Dubois grunts out, shaking his head.
“Let’s back up for a second and start with the true instigator in the plot against you, Royal.” Professor Silverton’s face shows strain. “As my TA, Brent works in my office. He gained access to some of my private files, which never should have happened. He’s a wily one.” She grimaces. “Brent’s relationship with his stepmother was an eye-opener, for sure.” She glances at Beckham. “Are you aware that after she married Brent’s father, she groomed him before she came to be your nanny?”
“No.” Beckham’s jaw locks up. “They’re both fucking crazy. They deserve each other.”
“Maybe so. But your connection to Royal must have made her even more attractive to him after she got out of prison. And being someone who is clearly not right in the head, she was willing to help him in his revenge plot.” Professor Silverton turns, focusing on Wilder. “Your brother-in-law being related to Alicia and Brent was also an unfortunate coincidence that worked in Brent’s favor. Brian was more than willing to strike out at you.”
“Yeah.” Wilder’s voice is gritty and raw. “Because he knew I was aware he was using my sister for a punching bag. He’s lucky I didn’t know the rest until recently.”
Wilder’s coach locks eyes with him from across the table. “You’ve done what you could for her.” He pauses, making sure we’re all paying attention. “You see what she means, though, right? Brent had people in his corner who were plenty happy to watch Royal and everyone around him suffer.”
“And of course, once they had convinced Freya and Smith to make life hell for Echo when she arrived at Kingston University, they thought that’d be a good way to really wreak havoc. Especially when Freya realized Royal and Echo were not on good terms.”
“From what Smith said,” Officer Dubois interjects, “his sister delighted in figuring out how to set you up for embarrassing situations, Echo. Bringing you to TZE, knowing you wouldn’t be able to resist because of the loss of your mother… and then twisting you up even worse once she realized the effect being near Royal had on you. She was watching you very carefully, even though it seemed like she was letting you flounder on your own. But while she was studying you, we had a Sin Keeper watching her.” He shakes his head. “When he was questioned, Smith seemed to think his sister, before her death, was finally ready to pull away from Brent and Brian’s hold. But it was already too late for her.”
At the back of the group, Katrina clears her throat, getting our attention. “Their plan was mostly about creating havoc for Royal and everyone surrounding him. They decided to up the stakes by dragging Kara into the mess… because they wanted to get at your child.”
From Ireland, there’s a murmured, “Oh, damn,” but she snaps her mouth shut after that. Who knew Ireland actually had a decent bone in her body.
Professor Silverton nods, folding her hands in front of her. “I’m glad to see the plan to use Royal’s hatred for you backfired.” She gives me and Royal a soft smile. “You never really hated each other. There were outside forces working against you. I’m glad to see you’re in a good place with each other. And Chase is safe, happy, and healthy.”
From behind her, Katrina nods. “I am, too.”
“Ditto,” Theo says with a wink.
“Should I tell her now, Amanda?” At Professor Silverton’s nod, Katrina draws in a breath. “Okay, changing gears here. I’ve been agonizing over how to tell you this, but your mother and father were not who they seemed to be. Echo, your mother, Madeline… she was a Sin Keeper.”
I blink hard, my mind racing. “She was a social worker,” I whisper. Maybe it makes sense that she’d be recruited by the Sin Keepers. But I frown, because clearly something must have gone very, very wrong.
“Yes, and—this is the ugly part—it gave her prime positioning to funnel young girls into a sex trafficking scheme that your father, Trey, was party to.” Katrina winces as my face falls.
My skin becomes hot and prickly, and the angry thud of my heart bruises my insides. I blink several times, trying to clear my blurry vision as Royal and Beckham move closer, and I feel their hands on me, but my head is a mess, and I don’t respond. My brain registers the scraping of a chair, and then Wilder’s hands on my shoulders as he stands behind me. I shake my head. “I’m sorry, what? Are you saying my mother and father helped send girls away to be—” My eyes crash shut. I can’t even say it. Abused. Tormented. Lost.
“Yes. I’m so sorry to be the one to tell you.” Katrina lets go of a heavy sigh. “I discovered your mother had gone rogue when she started helping your dad with the dirty side of his business. Unfortunately, I didn’t figure it out until your dad got my husband involved. Rich donated a large sum of money for investment purposes with Trey’s company. Unfortunately, it was all a front for the disgusting business Trey’d become involved in. The men who run the sex trafficking ring out of the country club—they’re slippery as snakes. They run half the town.”
I frown at first, but then, as if a light bulb has flicked on over my head, I realize she’s talking about the ones that are referred to as the OG Bastards. The fathers of the Bainbridge Hall brothers. No wonder Derek Pierce said the things he had to me. “When did this all happen?”
“Not long before the accident,” Theo mutters.
There’s a beat of complete silence in the room, then, slowly, Katrina nods with clenched teeth. “Echo, your parents didn’t want Royal to have anything to do with you after the accident, you knew that. They wanted to ensure he was sent away. Your dad blackmailed Rich.” She shifts her gaze to Royal. “Trey told him he’d make sure it was known what his money had been spent on if we didn’t withdraw our support from you, Royal.”
Shock reverberates through me at the absolute craziness coming out of Katrina’s mouth. Royal’s hand clenches my leg like a vice. “That’s why you abandoned me—” His voice breaks, misery swirling in his eyes when I turn to exchange a look with him.
“I’m so very sorry it came to that,” Katrina murmurs, her voice unsteady as her eyes crash shut. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
“Later.” Royal shakes his head. “I think we’d better fucking finish. I’m about at my limit.” I’m positive he’ll want to speak to her more in private later. It must be so embarrassing for her and Rich to have been tricked like that—thinking their friends and neighbors were good people. I suck in a breath. I must be in shock or something because I feel numb. But what about my parents? They’re dead. No one has gone there yet. And now I’m afraid to ask.
“I hear that, as I’m sure everyone else here does.” Officer Dubois rubs a hand over his chin. “I’ll try to be succinct, but there are a few more details we’d like to share. The men your mom and dad were working with, they ran a poker night a few times a month at the club. That’s partly how they were funneling girls in. Last night, we watched from a distance as the fraternity brothers from Hawthorne Hall and Bainbridge Hall worked together to take them down. They had a vested interest, according to some of the intel we had. And we made sure the correct personnel were in place to help.”
Wilder grimaces. “By that you mean no dirty cops?”
“Correct,” Officer Minnick nods with a careful smile. “Wouldn’t do much good to send in the bad seeds.”
“I’m sorry. I’m gonna be sick.” Savannah leaps up from her seat, spins around and heaves into a trash can near the door. One of the unnamed Sin Keepers goes to her, offering tissues and a bottle of water. Savannah takes a minute to calm herself, then as she comes back to her seat, she glances at us. “I was sexually assaulted after one of those poker games my senior year of high school.”
“I was there, too,” Ireland states, pulling no punches. “We waited for the place to clear of the rich fuckers that night. Fortunately, the asshole who raped her came out last. Sounds like a damn good thing I did what I did and we got away from there, or we’d have ended up like those other girls.” For a moment, she seems sad, but then her lips curve, and she lets out a snort. “Now, I totally don’t regret killing that motherfucker.” She folds her arms across her chest, shooting us a bold look. “I guess since we know your shit it’s okay if you know ours, too. I took off one of my heels and jammed the pointy end into his temple. We hid him.” She jerks a quick thumb toward the officers. “That’s when these two made sure we didn’t get caught. Apparently, we suck at the part about getting rid of the body.”
Savannah sniffles, leaning her head against Ireland’s shoulder.
My mind is officially blown.
She locks eyes with me. “By the way, we received a card that informed us it was our job to make sure not an ounce of that drink at the party passed your lips. Good thing we got that right, huh?”
I blink, overwhelmed by the kind, though sassy, smile she’s shooting at me. “Thank you.” I swallow hard. “I really mean that.” The idea that I could have died that night… never to see Chase, Royal, Beckham, and Wilder ever again flashes before my eyes. She shrugs like it’s no big deal, but I bite my lip, tears brimming in my eyes. “No really. Thank you.”
Savannah lets loose a sigh. “We want you to know we were only acting bitchy toward you because most of our tasks were designed to make you miserable so you wouldn’t stay at TZE. I think Cassie was going to kill us. Poor thing, she doesn’t have a clue what was really going on.” Her gaze flicks to Professor Silverton. “But it was all to get her away from Freya, right?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
There’s so much spinning around in my head right now I can hardly digest any of it. But now I have to know. I have to ask. I let go of Royal and Beckham, lifting my hands in front of me to set them on the table, but they’re shaking.
“Echo,” Professor Silverton gently asks, “are you okay?”
“I just—” I stop to rub my hands over my face. “Who killed my parents?”
She looks over her shoulder at Katrina, who presses her lips together. “A couple of the girls who we helped to escape from the nightmare they’d been thrown into… they somehow discovered your parents were instrumental in how they’d wound up in the hands of a sex trafficking ring. We believe they murdered them because of it.”
My heart feels like it’s being crushed. My parents were not good people. But?—
From behind me, Wilder quietly asks, “And the fact that Freya had photos from the crime scene?” His hands gently squeeze my shoulders.
“We were tracking the girls after we helped them to escape. We didn’t know what they intended until it was already done. Brent’s breach of my files is the reason why everything we have is now encrypted. Unfortunately, he must have read through my notes to understand what he had in his possession, then gave physical copies to Freya to taunt you with.”
“Jesus. Everything was connected. Fucking insanity,” Royal grits out, running a hand over his face.
Beckham eyes me. “Royal mentioned earlier that he was ready to be done with this meeting or mindfuck or whatever you intended it to be.” He clasps my hand. “I’m sure you’ll appreciate it when we say we take care of our own. And these two have been through enough for today.”
“Certainly.” After giving a quick bob of her head, Professor Silverton’s gaze meets each of ours in turn. “The reason we brought you in is because we wanted you to have answers. We also keep our eyes peeled for anyone we think would be a good fit within this organization. You have been selected to join us, if you so choose. Or if you can elect to walk away, that’s okay, too. You’re released from SIN. The choice is yours.”
The soundof Chase’s laughter is good for my soul. His eyes shine in the sunlight, and his smile spreads wide as Royal and Beckham take turns pushing him in the toddler swing. We’d asked our little guy what he wanted to do this morning after breakfast, so surprise, surprise, here we are at the park. I’m loving every second of it, though. My heart flutters in my chest. I don’t quite know how to handle the feeling of finally being at peace. I’m so happy I could burst.
Last night, before we left, the Sin Keepers had assured us there was no need for further worry. I trust them when they say Brian won’t be speaking out about Mr. Emory’s death, nor will Megan ever see the light of day again. And Brent? That fucker will be going down for Freya and Zane’s deaths, among about a million other things.
Smith? I just kinda feel sorry for him. He lost his girlfriend and now his twin. His involvement was minimal, and I can only imagine the pressure he felt from Brent and Brian. He’s faced too much loss. I hope he can find a way to be happy.
Katrina was very specific with Royal that he should think about Davis and decide what to do. I honestly don’t know what he’ll choose. Davis is my brother, but he made some horrific choices. I won’t blame Royal for any decision he makes.
Wilder stretches his arm out behind me on the back of the bench, and I scoot closer, tucking myself into his side, letting the comforting scent of him surround me. Tracing the letters on his Superman logo T-shirt, I tip my face up to his. “Do you think Savannah and Ireland knew they were part of the SIN house all along?”
One brow raises, and I feel the chuckle rumbling up from his chest before it erupts from him. He tilts his head, considering. “I’d imagine so. They sure as fuck had me fooled into thinking they were the meanest of the mean girls.”
“Is your ego bruised that Ireland demanded to be your cage girl so she could keep an eye on me and not because she was interested in you?”
He throws his head back, another laugh escaping. “Nah. Either way, I only had eyes for you.”
There’s a squeal from the swings, and Chase’s little toddler voice rings out. “No, Daddy! No, Becky! No tickle me! I hab Widah’s pancakes in my belly!”
I cover my mouth, my chest heaving with amusement. “I hope he doesn’t throw up. He’s not very good at warning about that.”
“I guess I’m glad to be over here, then.”
I bite my lip, resting my head on his shoulder. “I’m glad, too.”
“Echo, can I ask you a question?”
My stomach flutters. From his tone, I’m not worried. But I’m curious. “Yes.”
“First, more of an admission.” He clears his throat, pausing.
I frown. “An admission of what?”
“I hate that my nickname for you no longer has the best connotations, you know?”
My mouth drops into an O. “Legacy. Yeah. I guess it’s kinda awkward, huh?”
“Yeah.” He runs his fingers through my hair. “You have any thoughts as to what I could call you?”
I only wait a beat, patting his chest. “Can I be your Lois Lane?” I wrinkle my nose, immediately thinking it’s a dumb idea when he’s silent for way too long. Blowing out a breath, I look up at him.
His lip is caught between his teeth as he stares into my eyes. “I love that.”
I’m overcome with happiness flooding through me. “Good. Now, what was the question you wanted to ask me?”
He presses his lips to my forehead. “You know I love you, right? When I said it at the cabin—” He hesitates, and I straighten, turning on the bench so I can see him better. “It was rushed, I guess. But I didn’t know what was about to happen, and I couldn’t stand the idea that you might not know how I felt.”
I give him a slow smile. “Wilder. I know. I’ve known for quite a while now. Even before you said it, you showed me in so many ways. I love you, too.” Leaning in, I kiss his soft lips, ruffling my fingers through the hair at the back of his head. His hand cups the side of my neck, thumb brushing over my cheek as he takes us deeper, sliding his tongue into my mouth. It’s leisurely and sweet and everything I need today.
“Yook! Mama make kissy face wit Widah!”
At Chase’s shout and the sound of quick footsteps approaching, Wilder and I pull apart.
Royal picks up Chase, planting a kiss on his cheek. “That’s what people do when they love each other.”
Chase frowns. “Daddy, you yub Mama?”
As Wilder and I stand up, Royal smirks at me and reaches out with his free hand to pull me close, his lips a whisper away from mine. “I do.” He plants a kiss on them. “Love you, Mama.”
I grin, my heart beating fast. “I love you, too.”
For a moment, Chase seems content with that, but then he looks at Beckham and points to him. “Becky, you yub Mama, too?”
“I sure do, little guy.” Beckham shoots me a flirty grin, grabs for me, and dips me right there in the middle of the park. He lowers his lips to mine, delivering a smoldering kiss that results in a cheer of excitement from Chase. “Love you, gorgeous,” he whispers.
I nip at his lip before he brings me back to standing. “Love you, too.”
“And Chase”—Royal grins at him, poking his little tummy—“who do you love?”
We circle around our son, who is grinning broadly. “I yub Mama and Daddy.” He hides his face in Royal’s shoulder for a second, but just as quickly turns back around pointing to the two men who have claimed him as their own. “And Becky. And Widah.”
I lean in, pressing my lips to his chubby cheek, and the guys follow, peppering him with noisy kisses. “What do you want to do now, Chase?” His sweet giggles have my heart melting.
Chase throws his hands in the air and shouts, “Les go home, muthafuckas!”
Wilder covers his mouth, throwing an arm over Beckham’s shoulders that are already shaking from his silent chuckle. Royal clenches his teeth, shooting me a rueful grin, then mouths, “Sorry.”
I lift a playful brow as I scan the apologetic yet amused faces of these supposedly brutal boys of SIN—these men I love—and shake my head, trying desperately not to laugh. “Looks like this is our new normal.”
And after everything we’ve been through—the fear, loss of trust, threats, and near misses—that sounds fucking perfect to me.