Chapter 34 #2
That was enough to shift the energy. Nik steepled his fingers beneath his chin and heaved. Alek’s eyes narrowed.
“Clarify that statement, please,” Alek commanded, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable edge.
I felt her inhale, steady herself. Then, without hesitation, she slid off my lap and stood before us. My arms instantly felt empty, but I didn’t stop her. She needed to do this.
“I would be happy to, Sir. I’d like to propose my plan family meeting style. To put it up for a vote. Andy said it’s the only way.”
She straightened her shoulders and met their eyes one by one.
I smiled, feeling floored by her strength.
She stood before us trembling, but her eyes were clear and full of determination.
We’d talked extensively about her plan, and I knew what she was going to propose.
I also knew where each member’s vote would land category wise.
This was her moment. She practiced it several times earlier in the bathroom mirror. I smiled, thinking how cute she was in nervousness. But aside from all that, this was a big moment.
“Very well. It’s officially a family meeting. Now what’s on your mind?” Alek asked, taking a sip of his drink.
“The entire family, please,” Victoria said, practically yelling it.
It was her cue. Kinsley and Isabella magically appeared in the doorway. Well, technically, Kinsley appeared. She was dragging Isabella, who was making it as impossible for her as she could. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stifle the roar of laughter wanting to break free.
Seemed Bellaruso had either changed her mind or was reluctant on some level. She and I had talked at length during our recent sessions about coming clean and letting the entire family know the connection the girls had.
“Ms. Taylor, I suggest you let—” I started.
A grunt sounded from the doorway, and long brown hair whipped around as the little pixie grumbled, “Not going to happen. This is Death Squad business, and the Artist is joining us, come hell or high water.”
“The Artist?” Ivan burst out laughing.
“Yes, we have nicknames now, too. Isabella is dedicating next week to designing our tats. I swear, young lady.”
Kinsley continued to tug Bella into the room. Isabella had not only dug in her heels but had braced her hands on the doorjambs.
Alek stood abruptly; Victoria shimmed away. His hand snaked out, and he smacked Kinsley on the ass hard, getting her attention. She gave up her attempt to get Isabella through the doorway. He smacked her once more for good measure, and she gasped.
“Hey, what was that for? I didn’t even use the word fuck,” she lamented, rubbing her backside.
“No, but you’re being a bully. Leave Bellaruso alone. Clearly, she’s changed her mind about whatever it is the three of you have cooked up. To me, it looks as if you’ve coerced her and we don’t do that in this house. You know the rules.”
“I did no such thing.” Kinsley put her hands on her hips, unafraid. Victoria looked shocked at the display of defiance. Her little finger poked him in the chest. “I’ll have you know, old man, she was all on board. And she’s not changed her mind. She’s just being stubborn.”
He raised an eyebrow in her direction, and she immediately corrected her attitude, mumbling an apology.
She moved to stand on the right side of Victoria, linking pinkies.
Her left hand shot out, and she wiggled her other pinkie at Isabella, whose breathing hitched.
I observed her for signs of panic, but she only displayed mild trepidation, at least for the moment.
“So if she’s the Artist, what are your nicknames?” Bash asked with a crooked grin. “Let me guess? The Mama and The Brat?”
“Ha. You’d be wrong." She whipped her head around and glared at Pasha. "So as to not be confused with the Dancer/Russian/Scarface or whatever you’re going by these days. I hate the scar just so you know. Not that you care what I think. You do know every time Izzy B does your ‘fake tattoo’, I wonder when the real one is coming.”
Anger radiated in waves from her. Looked like she still hadn’t worked out his being a crew member after all. Alek cleared his throat and gave her a warning look.
“Anyway, Torturer, the girls and I agreed to be known for what brought us together when we were little girls. I am the Swan, and this beauty is the Pianist.” Her gaze lovingly landed on Victoria.
“Artist, I swear my pinkie is getting tired over here.” Victoria stifled her laughter, and Isabella huffed but stomped over.
Kinsley’s words hung in the air. But the moment she fell silent, I felt the room change.
The slow, creeping understanding that something significant had just been dropped.
From the look on the little shit’s face, she was clueless.
I knew it was coming, had prepared for it, but watching it unfold in real time, with them—hit hard.
The room was dead silent. Alek’s posture was the first to shift, a slight straightening of his spine, his fingers curling against his biceps where his arms were crossed. Nik let out a long breath and grabbed his drink. His hand shook as he brought it up.
Ivan tilted his head, and his gaze darted between Kinsley, Isabella, and Tori. Pasha’s face filled with curiosity. Sebastian inhaled sharply through his nose, still staring in disbelief. All the color drained from his face as his gaze locked onto Bella, unblinking. His hands formed fists.
Fuck, this wasn’t going to end well.
His voice was quiet, but it carried. “Sissy?”
Isabella didn’t move. She stood stock still, her breathing controlled, her looped pinkie jerked Kinsley’s hand.
“Sissy,” Bash said again, a razor-thin edge slipping into his voice. It wasn’t a question. “Tell me you’re not saying what I think you’re saying.”
Isabella lifted her chin, but her throat worked as she swallowed. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said, “I lied.”
The words hit like a hammer. He stood and swayed, his breath uneven. He shook his head as if that alone could make it untrue.
A guttural sound emerged as he choked out, “You lied?”
“The woman—” She stopped, shaking her head. “Never existed.”
He flinched. “Never existed?” His breath left him in a sharp, pained exhale.
I didn’t need to be inside the man’s head to know the storm raging inside him.
The realization. The guilt. The horror of it.
Alek leaned forward as if to intervene, but I shot him a look.
Not now. This wasn’t ours to touch. This was between them.
A brother and a sister, standing in the wreckage of a truth long buried.
“Mum and Dad can never know. I met the Pianist first and I don’t know roughly—”
“Sixty days,” Victoria supplied as Isabella nodded.
“And sixty days later is when I first encountered the Swan. There’s still one of us missing. Her nickname is undetermined.” Isabella finished her statement and lowered her eyes, but not before I saw the pangs of sorrow fill them.
Kinsley momentarily let Victoria’s hand go and threw her arms around the shaking, dark-haired girl to her left. Soothing words washed over her, and I was astonished once more at the depth of their connection. Once she straightened back up and looped pinkies with the other two girls, Victoria spoke.
“Sebastian, a long time ago there were four little girls. I was Summer, Kinsley was Spring, and Isabella was Autumn. We are still missing one sister. Her name is unknown to us by anything other than Winter,” Tori shared.
The look on his face was haunted, and he once more shook his head.
Tori continued, her voice rising with emotion.
“I need to look Cameron in the eyes when he has no power left. As you know, he tortured me. What you don’t know is I journaled for years, detailed everything out with precision.
Things that happened to me, to Kinsley, to Winter, and even things about Isabella.
Cameron used everything I wrote and tortured me with not only my greatest fears, but theirs as well. ”
“Stop,” Sebastian commanded.
She shook her head. “No, I need you to hear this. Without their strength, I would never have made it through, so I’d like to put it to a vote. I want them with me when I confront Cameron.”
Sebastian glanced around the room, looking for support—backup.
“And I want in, for what he did to my season sister,” Kinsley growled. “It’s the closest Izzy and I will get to exacting revenge in our lifetime.”
Nik shook his head. “Baby girl, it’s too risky. If things go south—”
“They won’t,” she retorted confidently. “We vote. We’re a family and that is what we do.”
“I need to do this. We need to do this. It’s closure for me, for us. You can’t know what it will mean, Sir,” Victoria added.
“Counselor, how long have you known?” Alek asked, his cheek twitching.
“Not until I read her journals. So two weeks, tops. This one is the biggest secret keeper of all.” I notched my head in Kinsley’s direction. She at least had the sense to look down. “Followed by Bellaruso.”
“We are all ayes. Time to vote, gentlemen,” Kinsley said, once more confident and not reading the room in the slightest.
I knew where I stood, but I let everyone go before me.
Nik exhaled sharply, already shaking his head. “Nay.” His eyes flashed to Alek’s.
“I’m with Nik,” Alek said, and Kinsley’s face fell.
Sebastian’s fists clenched, his entire posture rigid with barely controlled anger. The intensity rolling off him filled the room. He wasn’t just going to vote—he was pissed that we were even discussing this. Alek called his name.
“It’s a hell fucking no for me,” Bash spat, his voice edged with frustration. “This is crew business, not a fucking beach holiday. The girls don’t belong in the middle of this shit. I know you’re hurting Tori and for that, I’m sorry.”
“I stand with the girls. I’m an aye. My little Swan is wicked talented with a knife. I’ll even let you have a single cut, just not the jugular or carotid artery this time,” Ivan said with a wink.
Sebastian shot to his feet, his jaw clenched as he glared at Ivan. “Are you serious? You vote yes? Are you out of your fucking mind?”
He didn’t wait for an answer, just stood and stormed from the room. I was torn on whether to stay or go. The voting was almost finished. Pasha hadn’t voted yet. I needed to know where he stood.
“Dancer?”
He hesitated for a second. His gaze flickered to the girls, his expression tight, almost pained. Then it settled on Kinsley. She was begging him with her eyes.
“It’s a nay for me, Mouse,” he said with reluctance. “The things we’ve got planned, it’s not a place for any of you. It’s too dangerous.”
Kinsley’s expression fell, as did her shoulders. Pasha’s jaw tightened as he turned to Tori. Sorrow filled his eyes. He turned away and caught Isabella’s gaze. Something passed between them, and something in it made his breath hitch.
Everything fell into place exactly as I predicted it would. I stood. “I’m an aye,” I announced, casting the tie-breaking vote. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.” I moved toward the door, deciding that Bash needed my attention more.
The look he shot me before storming out said it all. He was beating himself up. He was supposed to walk her to school that morning. The confession had transformed him into that teenager once more.
“Thank you,” Isabella said, grabbing my arm.
She understood. I kissed her on the forehead.
“I’m proud of you,” I murmured into her hair.
My girl needed this closure, and one of my jobs was to ensure, within reason, that she got it. Hell, I’d hand it to her on a silver platter. If it helped Kinsley or Isabella in any way, it was just an additional bonus.
“I suggest the three of you sit your asses down so we can go over details,” Alek growled as I walked out of the room.