Chapter 3 #2
Hannah gasped and covered her open mouth as I continued.
“When he was old enough for his ‘debt’ to be paid,” I said, using air quotes to stress the absurdity of selling your son for a debt, “the man who had him was threatening someone Devlin cared very much for, and he . . . handled the man and took over his territory. And before you think he’s anything like Sergey, let me say this clearly.
Devlin has never done anything to anyone without a justified reason, and never to gain power. ”
“So, Sergey really was a monster?” she asked, and I didn’t respond, but I was sure my face said everything.
Hannah lifted her glass and swallowed the entire shot she’d poured before she looked back at me, waiting for the next bit of information.
“Through the years, Devlin took his money and power and built an amazing business that is revolutionary in its industry. Over the years, he’s used his business to help countless people, and when someone is in trouble, Devlin is the person you want helping. ”
“What’s the business?”
“Can I come back to that?” She nodded, so I kept going.
“For years, the mistrust Sergey fostered between your siblings reigned supreme, until about a year and a half ago. Stella, who had been keeping her head down, reappeared in hopes of reconnecting with her daughter, who was living with a member of the Death Hounds. Stella was misinformed about not only the kind of person Devlin was, but also who the Death Hounds were, and when she came back to the family, Lucian soon followed. The ins and outs of it all will take a long time to explain, but last year, Lucian decided to find Rylee and make amends. It was that connection, and the apparent reappearance of the Syndicate, that brings us to here.”
“So, it was this group of criminals who took me, Rylee, and Claire to . . . what? Restart their crime group?”
“That’s what we believe to be the truth, but from everything we’ve been looking into, there shouldn’t have been any members left to restart anything. For the last six months, Lucian, Devlin, and I have been looking into every aspect of the Syndicate, trying to find what we’ve missed.”
“And why did you decide today was the day I needed to know about this?”
“Do you remember when I asked to come back to Devlin’s business?” She nodded, so I explained. “Devlin and his partner, James, legally changed their names when they turned eighteen. They own Callahan Cyber Security, and we’ve been monitoring you to make sure you aren’t in any danger.”
Hannah lifted her eyes to the camera pointing directly at the dining room table before leveling her icy gaze back to mine. “So, you’ve been spying on me, is that what you’re saying?”
“Not spying, Hannah. Monitoring, and it’s only been to protect you,” I tried to reason.
She shook her head and scoffed as she spoke.
“If you wanted to protect me, you wouldn’t be spying on me.
And I’m assuming you’ve been monitoring my internet activity also.
” It was my turn to nod, and my admission made her shake her head.
“If I hadn’t been reading about Sergey, would you have ever told me?
Would my family have even let me know about them if I hadn’t been told already? ”
“Of course, they would have,” I replied, not knowing if that was the full truth or not. “They wanted to protect you from the family name and any potential problems Sergey could’ve caused from the grave, but they didn’t want to disrupt your life.”
She laughed out loud before unscrewing the cap to the bottle of cinnamon whiskey.
Taking a swallow directly from the bottle, she looked me in the eyes and asked, “Don’t you think being kidnapped and raped in a room full of people was enough of a disruption?
Or how about you knowing for God knows how long and just now deciding to tell me?
And how can we even be sure I am their sister? ”
I reached into the cargo pocket of my pants, sliding the gun to the side and pulling out the wrapped swab and small vial.
Placing them on the table, I pushed them to Hannah before explaining.
“They really warred with themselves on deciding if it was better to keep you hidden for your own protection or bring you into the fold to shelter you from potential backlash. And all I need is a cheek swab from you and I’ll know by tomorrow afternoon if everyone’s suspicions are correct. ”
Hannah opened the swab and rubbed it on the inside of her cheek for at least a minute before placing the cotton end into the vial and snapping off the stick. Closing it, she placed it back on the table and stood from her seat.
“Please tell them that no matter what, I don’t want anything from them.
I understand if they don’t want anything to do with me, but I demand to know if I’m in danger.
I refuse for some man I’ve never met, who just happened to knock up my bitch of a mother, to have any control or influence in my life.
And I swear to everything that is good and decent in this world, if anyone tries to come for me, I will end them before they have the chance to touch me. ”
She turned to walk out of the room, and I stood from my chair. “Where are you going?” I asked, and she glanced over her shoulder with the gun firmly held in her right hand.
“I’ve heard enough for today. I’ve got some work to do, and you’ve got a test to run.” Her blue eyes glanced at the vial on the table then back at me. “And do me a favor. Stop spying on me and unlock my damn internet.”
She walked into the bedroom and slammed the door behind her as I was left standing alone in the dining room. My phone chimed, and I looked up at the camera as I pulled it from my pocket. The message from James taunted me as I opened it.
James: It looks like she’s got their temper.
Me: Stop spying, you creepy bastard.
James: Not spying. Monitoring. Lol
I lifted my middle finger into the air, directing it at the camera as I picked up the vial and slipped it into my pocket. Raising my voice, I informed Hannah through the closed door, “I’m leaving, and you need to secure the door behind me.”
She snatched the door open and stomped back through the dining room and directly to the front door. Grasping the handle, she turned her head to watch as I approached her. When I was close, she opened the door and propped it behind her foot as she crossed her arms and waited for me to leave.
“Don’t be mad, Hannah. I know it’s a lot to take in, but I promise, you’re not alone anymore,” I remarked, and without thinking, I reached up and brushed the back of my hand down her soft cheek.
I’d been dying to see how soft her skin was for weeks, and it was better than I could have imagined.
She instinctively leaned into my touch as she lifted her bright blues eyes to me.
Her mouth opened slightly as I walked past her and out the door.
Hannah stood in the open doorway as I walked to my car, and before I opened the door, I looked back at her.
“Safety first, Hannah.”
She rolled her eyes before stepping inside, and I could hear the chain engage in the door.
After getting into my vehicle, I cranked it and turned the computer monitor to face me.
It took a moment to connect with the satellite link on the SUV, but when it did, I saw Hannah sitting silently at her dining room table, looking at my empty seat.
Maybe I should have sugar-coated some of what I told her, but she needed the truth. I’m glad Lucian suggested I be the one to tell her. If it had been him or Devlin, she may have felt threatened, and I just hoped I hadn’t made things worse by being honest.
As I pulled away from the house and got onto the interstate a few minutes later, I looked at the monitor as she took the liquor bottles back to the freezer.
She looked directly into the camera as I was merging into traffic, so I had to look away from her beauty, but I could hear her voice through the camera.
“Thank you for telling me everything, Rhys. I appreciate you telling me the truth, but I’m not your concern anymore.”
She had no idea how far I was willing to go to make sure she was safe and protected.
And how far, apparently, I was willing to go to stake a claim on a woman I wasn’t sure even noticed me.
I’d never break one of the rules I had in place for those I watched over, but Hannah was never one of those people, and it seemed she didn’t want to be.
That made her fair game, and if it took me starting a war with the madman and the lunatic, I was going to make Hannah mine, and rain hell down on those who even dreamt of hurting her.