CHAPTER 36 - Bryan Trevor
All I can do is say
That these arms were made to hold you
I wanna love like you made me feel
When we were eighteen
18 – One Direction
One week later…
“I'm gonna flyyyyyyyyyy.” I can't help but laugh at my daughter's little squeal as she climbs the aircraft steps.
“Aren't you scared, sweetheart?” Noah asks, following right behind her.
“I'm a big girl now. I'm not scared of anything,” she responds, stepping into the jet with all the confidence of a kid her age. “Only snakes, but don't tell anyone,” she whispers quickly.
“Don't worry, you won't see any snakes except at a zoo,” I chime in.
“What's that? Zolobic? Zo what?” She stops on the last step and turns around, looking for me.
“It's a place where we go to see lots of animals.”
“Does it have butterflies?” she asks excitedly, and I nod. “Can we go now?”
“We'll go later,” Noah answers before I can say yes.
She knows me well enough to know I'd easily make a detour just so our girl could see butterflies.
We're about to take off for Vegas after a painful, intense week. Brittany's funeral was held in town, and we all attended—including the men Luke and Travis brought to help me take care of the Redoubt.
The ceremony was somber, marked by silence and bitter memories. After we said our goodbyes, Travis simply turned and disappeared. I know he's devastated and needs time alone, but I can't stop thinking about what he might do with all that guilt eating away at him.
My people, Lauren, and Luke returned to Vegas the day after the funeral, leaving just me, my girls, and Greta at the house.
In the days that followed, we dealt with all the inheritance paperwork.
The Redoubt fire dominated every news channel, and soon the bodies were identified.
Noah had to go to the local police station to decide what to do with her parents' remains and give statements about everything she'd experienced with them, but there wasn't any suspicion about our involvement in the fire.
Palms were greased and contacts called in to make sure my woman never has to set foot in a police station again.
The case is now in the hands of the justice system, and soon the entire Primordial House will crumble.
It won't be long before the authorities arrest every one of the leaders and everyone involved in this disgusting scheme.
The mansion was raided and thoroughly searched.
The basement was like a laboratory.
Inside, they found various types of medication samples. The drugs the Primordial House men mentioned when Travis and I went to the mansion were the exact ones Gavin had. They also found photos and videos of child pornography on that vermin's computer.
Our lawyers filed the paperwork to claim the inheritance, and once everything is in Noah's name, we'll transfer it to charity, just like she asked.
Things are moving along as they should, and soon we'll be home.
Noah and Sadie settle in next to each other, and I take the seat facing them. The jet picks up speed on the runway, and I feel the relief of finally putting this nightmare behind us.
I look at my daughter and see her eyes shining as she gazes out the window at the horizon.
“We're flying for real,” she babbles, her curls falling across the side of her face.
“Yes, sweetheart, and now we're going far away from this place,” Noah responds, equally enchanted.
I watch the two of them, knowing that from now on, our story truly begins.
That my new mission is to show them the whole damn world.
“Tessa's already at the airport waiting for me,” Greta announces from the seat beside me.
“Enjoy your time with your daughter, and when you want to come back, just let me know,” I say, and she smiles. “You'll always have a place with us. Always!”
“Stop, or you'll make me cry,” she says, already wiping away tears. “I'm so happy you're finally going to be able to live together.”
“You helped make this happen,” my girl says. “And don't take too long to come back—we miss you already.”
“I promise, once I've had my fill of time with my girl, I'll come back to you,” she says, kissing two fingers like an oath.
The hours pass, and Sadie loses interest in the window.
We make up games to pass the time, and she soon falls asleep.
When we land, she's still asleep, but the moment we get into the car Luke left waiting for us at the hangar, she wakes up.
Her little hands rub her eyes, trying to wake up.
“I fell asleep. I was tired,” she murmurs, still in Noah's lap. “Are we there?”
“We've still got a few more minutes in the car, so you can keep resting,” I tell her, and she snuggles in a little more.
I pull out of the hangar, and we're soon swallowed by the wide avenues, the sky tinged gold and purple by the sunset. The signs begin lighting up, competing for space with the horizon, and each light that flickers on seems to announce a new world before us.
Sadie, who just moments ago was still rubbing her sleepy eyes, is now glued to the window, enchanted by the neon-lit buildings and the palm trees lining the streets.
Noah looks just as dazzled as she is.
“What is that huuuge thing?” she exclaims, pointing to an enormous building in the distance, lit up with red lights.
“It’s a casino,” I reply, trying to focus on the traffic even though I want to capture both their reactions as they take in the city. “When you’re thirty, I’ll take you.”
“That long? But that’s sooo far away,” she whines, and I hear Noah’s laughter fill the car.
“Casinos are for grown-ups, but there are other places I can take you.”
“Where?”
“There’s a chocolate factory thirty minutes from my building,” I reply, glancing sideways to see her mouth drop open. “I’ll pick a day to take you.”
“I never want to leave here,” she says, clapping her little hands together excitedly.
“We’re not leaving,” Noah replies, and Sadie hugs her. “My God, it’s even more beautiful than I imagined,” she says as we pass by the Strip.
I slow down to watch their reactions as they take in the towering hotels, flashing billboards, and the flood of tourists crossing the busy streets.
The contrast with everything they knew is stark and almost cruel.
Just a few hours ago, they were surrounded by emptiness, and now there’s so much life, so much color, so much noise.
“Welcome to Las Vegas. Our city!” I say, and our eyes meet. “I love you!” I mouth silently.
“Me too,” she mouths back, her smile so beautiful I want to pull over just to kiss her.
“I promise to bring you both back to experience this place up close, but first we need to rest,” I say, and she nods.
I turn my attention back to the road, taking the quieter avenue that leads to where I live. My apartment is twenty minutes from all the downtown chaos because I’ve always preferred staying away from the mayhem.
There was no point living in Vegas without Noah.
The sunset gives way to twilight, and the first stars begin to appear. As we leave downtown behind, the tall buildings and glaring lights fade, replaced by wide, quiet avenues lined with elegant, well-lit condominiums. In the distance, the silhouette of the mountains rises against the sky.
“We’re here,” I announce as I pull through the entrance gate of the complex.
The car glides through the garage to my reserved spot. The building rises immense above us, lit up against the sky, its windows reflecting the shifting colors of the night.
“Are we going to live here?” It’s Sadie who asks, her eyes wide, her voice barely above a whisper.
“For now, yes,” I reply, turning off the car. “But soon we’ll have a house, with plenty of space for you to play,” I continue, getting out and opening the back door for them.
I’ll grab the suitcases later. We walk side by side toward the private elevator. Noah takes it all in silently, absorbing every detail of the building, and for a moment I feel guilty remembering that I was living well while she was suffering.
I shake my head, pushing the thoughts away, focusing only on what matters: I got them out of hell and I’m bringing them to paradise.
When I said I would give them the world, I wasn’t kidding. I’ll need some time to focus on the company since I was away longer than planned, but as soon as everything settles down, I want to start planning trips to show them both the best places in the world.
I can’t stop working, and nothing changes about my duties at the company, especially when it comes to eliminating enemies.
The difference is that now I need to adapt my exhausting routine to give them both the attention they deserve.
Greta didn’t come to Vegas—we had to make a stop in Minnesota to drop her off with her daughter—but she’s only spending a few days with Tessa before coming to stay with us.
The elevator doors are already open when we stop in front of it. Sadie grabs both our hands as we step inside, and the doors close as we begin to rise.
“Are we going really high?” she asks, watching the numbers light up.
“To the top floor,” I reply with a half smile. “The highest of all.”
“And it won’t fall?” she asks, biting her lip, innocence mixed with fear.
“I would never let you fall.”
“I believe you, because you finished off the monster and the witch.” She smiles, and I see my girl’s eyes shining.
“Are you okay?” I ask, worried about her silence, and she nods.
“I’m just trying to process that we’re together in Vegas.” I understand exactly what she means.
It’s our dream finally coming true.
It’s the plan that was interrupted years ago.
It’s our second chance.
“It’s real. It’s happening,” I say, and she bites her lip, trying to hold back tears. “And it’s going to be forever!” I add, and she wipes away a stubborn tear that escapes.
When the doors open, the fresh air and welcoming silence of the penthouse greet us. The space is expansive, the ceilings high, and the floor-to-ceiling windows reveal a view that kept me company during countless nights while I thought of her.
“Noah… look!” Sadie calls out, pointing with both hands at the lights twinkling in the distance.
Noah approaches slowly, almost afraid it might be a mirage. The city's reflection stretches out before us, and I watch her in silence, feeling how much it means to bring them here. This place is my refuge, and now I want it to be theirs too.
Tomorrow I'll start looking for a house, but it'll be somewhere around here—I really like this area. We're close enough to the Strip to enjoy the nightlife whenever we want, but far enough away to escape the constant chaos that defines Las Vegas twenty-four hours a day.
“This… is beautiful,” she whispers, her voice barely there, her fingers brushing the glass as if she could touch the distant glow.
I move to her side, sliding my hand around her waist and pulling her close.
“This is just the beginning, Butterfly. A beautiful new beginning for you two,” I say, and she settles Sadie in her lap.
The three of us stand there, taking in the view.
“Can I pick my bed?” my little one blurts out suddenly, pressing her lips together—the same gesture her mother makes when she's anxious.
Identical.
They're identical in every way!
“You can pick the whole room, little lady,” I reply, gently squeezing the tip of her nose, then running my hand down the side of her face.
The moment my finger touches the scarred skin, she pulls away.
“No,” she murmurs, crossing her arms.
Damn!
I think I crossed a line.
“Sweetheart…” Noah says, seeing my startled expression. “He's not going to think you're ugly because of the scar.”
Then her words make it click.
Sadie isn't scared. She's ashamed!
“But…” she starts, looking back at me with her head bowed.
“Little one, look at me,” I say, and even though she's embarrassed, she does what I ask. “You're the most beautiful girl on this planet, you hear me? Your scar only makes you more beautiful.”
“They sayed it was ugly…”
“Who are they?” I ask, pretending not to know who she means. “There's only me, Noah, Greta, Uncle Luke, and all our good friends you met. Can you think of anyone who doesn't think this little girl is the most beautiful in the world?” I pretend to think hard.
“I can't think of anyone.” Noah laughs, and I notice a little smile tugging at our daughter's lips. “We all think you're beautiful and perfect.”
“Promise? Pinky promise?” she asks, still uncertain.
“We promise!” We say it together, and Noah's mouth falls open in surprise. “I don't want you hiding because of this, okay?” I continue, running my finger over the skin again. This time, she lets me.
“You know, Bryan, she loves braids, but she hardly ever lets me do them because she'd rather hide her face behind her hair.”
“That's ridiculous.” I feign shock to hide the rage I feel thinking about what those bastards did to my daughter's self-image. “We need to change that.”
“Friend does braidy-braids on me!!” Sadie shouts, catching me off guard. I'm about to shake my head no—after all, I have no idea how to braid hair—but the joy lighting up her face stops me.
“I'll do it. I'll do the braids,” I agree, remembering what Luke told me a few days ago.
If my clients and enemies see me with these two, my reputation is toast.
Fuck it!
I'll never stop being the feared Shadow, just like I'll never stop being whatever they need me to be.
“So what now?” Noah asks, spinning on her heels and looking around.
“Now I give you the grand tour, and then we end the night with pizza,” I reply, stepping back.
“I want cheese with chocolate!” Sadie shouts, and I can't help but laugh.
“Then cheese and chocolate it is!” I agree, looking at the two girls in my life.
My woman.
My daughter.
Damn, I'm one lucky bastard!