Chapter 10
Hannah
F inally admitting to someone my greatest shame from my attack was cathartic. If Rhys was going to walk out, it would have been after that, and when he pulled me into his warm chest, reassuring me with his whispered words, I fell a little harder for him.
When he released me, he retook his seat and scooted closer so he could hold my hand.
“I need to say a few things, and I need you to listen, okay?” I nodded, so he exhaled before he continued.
“I’ve been around quite a few women who survived what you did, and the first thing I want to say is you have nothing to be ashamed about.
The body reacts to different things in different ways, and that in no way indicates you somehow wanted it or were asking for it, so please, don’t blame yourself. ”
“How can I not?” I asked then took a swallow of my coffee.
“Because that would give power to the ugliness he was trying to resurrect into the world. He wanted to get into your head, and he used what your body did involuntarily against you. But he can’t hurt you anymore, either.
You did exactly what you had to do to survive, so don’t think you could’ve somehow stopped what happened. ”
“It was only because Rylee said not to fight, and something about the way she said it struck deep.”
“Rylee, unfortunately, had already been through it, and it was because Lucian had warned her that she survived too. I’m sad to say there are a few women in my life who survived the Syndicate, but I swear, no matter what, no one else will have to endure what you did.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’m going to get to the bottom of it, figure out who’s behind all this bullshit, and I’m going to kill them,” Rhys calmly explained, but I could see madness dancing behind his brown eyes. He paused then asked, “Do you feel up to talking about the days leading up to you being rescued?”
“Yes,” I replied before releasing his hand and picking up the barely touched joint from the table.
He offered a tight smile as I lit it and inhaled deeply, hoping to numb some of the pain I knew was about to be resurrected.
But if it meant stopping those horrible people and destroying the last of Sergey’s hold on me, I’d talk about whatever he wanted.
I’d never felt comfortable sharing details of my life, but something about Rhys was familiar, like we’d known each other forever, so telling him my darkest secrets wasn’t as hard as one would think.
For the next hour, we discussed what I saw, who I spoke with, what I heard, and how I was treated while I was with those people.
Periodically, Rhys would lean over and kiss me softly, resting his forehead against mine.
It was grounding me, and I think it was doing the same for him.
There were a few times I could see his anger rising, so I’d slow down and try to smooth the edges without leaving anything out.
“And the man with the black hair wasn’t at the dinner?” he asked, and I shook my head as I finished my third cup of coffee.
“I saw him the first day I was there, but I don’t remember seeing him that night. Is that important?” I asked, and he shrugged.
“Why don’t you make us another cup of coffee while I make a quick call.”
“Okay,” I replied and stood from my chair before grabbing our empty cups.
Rhys beckoned me with his finger, and I leaned forward until I was directly in front of him.
He pushed forward and kissed me, softly gripping the back of my neck as he held me, not allowing me to break the embrace.
He kept the kiss chaste, but it went on for at least a minute before he finally released me.
“I’ll be right back,” I said and licked my lips before turning and walking into the house.
I’m glad he suggested I come inside while he called whoever he needed to speak with. Going through everything was tougher than I expected, and while I was waiting for the coffee to finish, I propped my hands against the counter and leaned my head down, taking a minute to focus myself.
The biggest fear I had where Rhys was concerned was wiped away when he comforted me about my involuntary actions during the attack.
I felt better and knew it was all thanks to him.
I wanted to call Rylee and speak with her, but knowing she was with my brother made communication difficult.
There were things I believed she could help me deal with, but I didn’t know if she would keep my secrets from Lucian.
The last thing I wanted was my brother knowing all the gory details of what I’d survived.
Switching out the cups, I watched the second cup finish brewing before topping them with cream. I walked to the back door, and Rhys jumped from his seat to open it. He kissed me softly before taking his cup from me and returning to his seat.
I sat down and looked at him before asking, “Did you get your call made?”
He took a swallow and placed his cup on the table before he answered. “My cousin, James, will be here in about an hour, if that’s okay. He’s got some photos he wants you to look at, and he has some additional questions that may help us get to the bottom of all this.”
“Do I know James?” I asked, and he nodded.
“James was the quiet bastard who stood at the back of the room and took notes while your brothers . . . dealt with things,” Rhys explained, and I thought back, trying to remember him.
“And he’s on his way here?” I asked, thinking how bad I must look after my night of drinking.
When I woke, I found pain relievers and a bottle of water waiting for me, and I smiled as I took two tablets. After wiping the streaked makeup from under my eyes, I’d walked out to find Rhys, and I’d been here ever since.
“He’s going to see my sister but asked if he could stop by on his way to my house.”
“Your sister lives with you?”
Rhys sighed deeply before he responded. I could tell he was guarded by his posture. “Regan was born when I was twelve, but I didn’t know about her until she was almost eight years old.”
“And she and James are close?”
“James was the one who discovered my mother had another child after she’d abandoned me. The only thing I know about her is she died twelve years ago, when Regan was sixteen.”
“Your sister is older than me? Won’t she be upset about you and me?”
“My sister’s going to love you since you’re the first person I’ve shown any interest in, well, ever,” Rhys reasoned, and I smiled across at him. “Don’t be surprised if she talks your ear off.”
“I look forward to meeting her,” I said. “I’m going to take a quick shower before James gets here, if that’s okay.”
“Baby, you never have to ask my permission for anything. I don’t want to control you. I want to protect you as you learn to spread your wings.”
“You really know how to make a girl feel special,” I joked, and he leaned over and kissed me gently, making my toes curl.
“All I want to do is show you how amazing you are,” Rhys explained when he broke the embrace, and I couldn’t help but reach over and brush my hand down the five o’clock shadow he had growing.
“You’re going to spoil me.”
“Good. That’s the plan,” he replied, and I kissed him one more time before walking inside and going into my bathroom.
I showered, fixed my hair, put on simple makeup, and grabbed a pair of jeans and a nice shirt to wear before exiting my bedroom. Rhys was sitting on the couch in a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt, and I gave him a confused look.
“I always keep a change of clothes in my vehicle,” he replied to my unasked question, and I gave a nod of understanding. “James will be here in about ten minutes. He offered to grab some breakfast for us on his way.”
I sat next to Rhys and said, “He didn’t have to do that.”
“Of course, he did,” Rhys explained with smile. “He’s interrupting our time together, so the least he can do is feed us.”
“Are you close with him?” I inquired and saw hesitation in Rhys’s demeanor. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
He leaned over, wrapped his arm around my neck, and kissed my temple before responding.
“When I was five, my mom took off and my dad couldn’t cope, so I ended up in foster care.
A few years later, my aunt, James’s mother, gave me a place to stay, and James and I became like brothers.
When we were twelve, she . . . sold him to the same man Sergey sold Devlin to, and I was sent back into the system. ”
I lowered my voice when I said, “I’m so sorry that happened to all of you.”
He shrugged. “He and I are in a better place than a few years ago, but I don’t think any of us will be the same after some of the bullshit we’ve survived.”
I looked up and saw he was staring at the far wall as he spoke.
He was with me, but the look in his eyes said his mind was somewhere in the past, probably remembering something difficult.
Guilt began to creep up on me as I thought about how good my life had been in comparison to Rhys, James, and my newfound siblings.
Discreetly, I wiped a tear from my cheek. Rhys shifted next to me until he was able to look directly at me. I turned my head and offered a smile that didn’t reach my eyes, and he brushed his thumb down my damp cheek.
“Why are you crying?” he asked softly, and I flipped my hand at him, trying to get him to drop it. “Hannah, baby, please talk to me.”
“It’s just that you all had it so rough and my life was relatively quiet in comparison, yet you’re here, helping me, and I feel like a burden.”
“Sweetheart, you aren’t a burden. You’re a blessing. And I’m glad your childhood was normal,” he said using air quotes. “Being with your granny saved you from the worst of Sergey’s wrath, and for that, I’m thankful.”
“Did . . . did you know Sergey?” I inquired.
He shook his head. “I knew of him and I monitored everything he did, but I never had the displeasure of meeting him. Lucian was my connection to the Syndicate and Sergey, but we never crossed paths.”
“When I meet everyone, do you think they’ll be willing to talk about him? I don’t want to cause any pain, but I’m curious what he was like when he wasn’t being a monster.”
Rhys’s face wrinkled, and I felt like I had my answer. “Let’s see how everything plays out and I’m sure, at some point, they’ll speak about him. Just understand, they grew up with his abusive and manipulative ways, so they see him for the horrible person he was.”
“And it was my sister, Stella, who . . . took care of him?”
“Yeah. She was afraid Sergey was going to use her daughter, Hailey, as a bargaining chip with the Feds, so she found a way to take care of him before he dragged an innocent young woman into his madness.”
I sat back, stunned by his admission. “Wow.”
“I told you there’s a lot to unpack, and when you start factoring in all the unknown connections, secrets, and past enemies, there’s a tremendous amount of information to absorb.”
“And that’s why James wants to speak with me?” I asked.
The sound of a car door closing outside drew our attention, and Rhys stood from the couch and reached into the back of his jeans.
He pulled out a handgun, and my eyes grew wide as he slowly approached the door.
A knock echoed into the house, and he peeked through the hole before tucking his gun back into his waistband and covering it with his shirt.
Glancing over his shoulder, he offered me a tight smile before he opened the door. I stood, expecting to see his cousin waiting outside, and was shocked to see not only James but the two men who oversaw the raid to save me.
My brothers, Devlin and Lucian.