25. Twenty-Five
TWENTY-FIVE
THEO
W renly and I settled into a routine rather quickly. I helped her move some of her things into the manor, and I felt less guilty balancing Brotherhood obligations while simultaneously keeping an eye on her. She kept to herself, mostly sleeping and working. Meanwhile, Kai had been staying at the hospital with Haven while she recovered.
Wrenly was asleep, so I took the opportunity to approach the topic of Wrenly with Archer. It’s not that I was hiding her, but between the typical Brotherhood tasks, cleaning up messes for Kai, providing intel on Haven’s family, prepping for the big fight, and doing my best to find what the fuck Igor was up to, I’d barely had time to breathe, let alone have a discussion with my brothers about the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. And selfishly, I knew once I introduced her to everyone, she would no longer be hidden in my room, away from the obligations of The Brotherhood, which meant introducing her to my parents, and the Ceremony.
“Archer, do you have a minute?” I asked, catching him alone in his study.
He looked up from the papers he was reading, eyebrows raised. He set down his papers and leaned back in his chair, giving me his full attention. “I’m all ears, brother. What’s on your mind? ”
I hesitated, trying to find the right words. “Things have been hectic lately, and I haven’t had a chance to talk to you or Kai, but I’m seeing someone.”
Archer nodded, a knowing smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Ah yes. The mysterious girl you’ve been spending so much time with. I’ve been wondering when you’d bring her up.”
I felt a slight flush creep up my neck. “How’d you know?”
“You’ve been glued to your phone, barely looking up. Did you think you could move her into the manor without me knowing?”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “Was it that obvious?”
He laughed, his deep baritone filling the study. “To me, it was. I keep tabs on everything that goes on around here. I knew the night of the quarry that you brought a girl home, probably before she stepped inside. Have you spoken to your father?”
“Not yet. I need to introduce her to him, to all of them. I know they will require some form of a Ceremony, I’m just not sure how to broach the topic.”
“I mean, I think your father is the more lenient of our fathers, and perhaps you and he can discuss a better way of completing the Ceremony and satisfying the tradition.”
“You’re right.”
“Does her brother know?” he asked.
Fuck . I’d forgotten all about Gage. That was a conversation I had been inadvertently putting off under the ruse of waiting for the right time. “Wait. How did you know who she was?”
Archer smiled. “It’s kind of my job to keep an eye on everyone and everything. I’ve noticed you’ve been distant, and I needed to make sure it wasn’t anything I needed to worry about or support you in.”
I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. “Gage doesn’t know yet. With everything going on—Haven in the hospital, training for my fights, the shit with Igor, and all the spying and infiltrating I’ve been doing for everyone—I haven’t found the right moment to talk to him about it.”
Archer leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “I get it, man. I do. I know you’ve been spread thin, and believe me when I tell you, the sacrifices you’ve been making haven’t gone unnoticed. That said, Gage deserves to know, and the longer you wait, the harder it will be on the both of you.”
I nodded. I knew he was right. But while Gage had been loyal to us and The Brotherhood for years, I knew how he felt about us, especially with women. He knew about the Hunt and how we’d all fucked our way through New York every week. I doubt he’d be thrilled to find out that I had claimed and fucked his sister six ways to Sunday.
“I’ll break the news to him soon, I promise.”
Archer gave me a sympathetic look. “Sooner rather than later, brother. You don’t want this hanging over your head any longer than necessary. And speaking of your mystery girl, when do we get to officially meet her?”
I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of introducing her to my brothers. “Soon. I want to make sure she’s settled in and comfortable first. It’s a big adjustment, living here at the manor, especially since she’s so goddamn independent . . . and stubborn. You know, I remember her mother. Stubborn as a mule. My father spoke about how she kept Thomas in line and often helped steer him into decisions that were best for The Brotherhood and the legacy they were creating and leaving for their children.”
“Sounds like Wrenly takes after Margaret then.” Archer chuckled. “That’s good for you. It’s about time you found someone to share your life with.” He gave me a wry smile, then looked like he disappeared into his mind. I watched him for a moment before he blinked and returned his gaze to me. “You know, that night, I remember coming up to the wreck. The flames were so fucking hot.”
My thoughts drifted back to that night as he spoke.
The flames licked at the night sky, casting an eerie orange glow across the twisted metal and shattered glass covering the road. As we approached the wreckage, a sense of dread settled into the pit of my stomach. I knew even before I saw the bodies that this was no ordinary crash. The stench of burning rubber and scorched flesh assaulted my nostrils, making my eyes water, prompting us to put our masks on.
Archer placed a steadying hand on my shoulder as we surveyed the carnage. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered under his breath. “What the hell happened here? ”
“Fuck,” Kai’s voice cut through the crackling of the flames. “Is that . . .?”
I hadn’t thought there was any way anyone could still be alive until I heard screaming and crying. And then we saw them . . . The Morgans were trapped in the wreckage.
Without thinking, I rushed to the car, coughing and choking on the thick black smoke billowing from the chaos. The heat was intense, singeing my hair and skin as I drew closer. Through the shattered windshield, I saw Margaret and Thomas, their bodies unnaturally still, blood trickling from their mouths and noses. But in the back seat, I could hear the cries of a woman—Wrenly.
“Hold on!” I shouted, my throat burning from the smoke. “I’m coming!”
I pulled at the twisted door, the hot metal scorching my hands, but it wouldn’t give way. Kai appeared beside me, his expression grim. Quickly removing my jacket, I wrapped it around my hand and reached in to find Wrenly. She was covered in blood and soot, her eyes full of fear, trembling uncontrollably. The seatbelt held her captive. I tried to pull it loose, but it was stuck fast. Taking my knife from my waistband, I cut through the strap, freeing her. I held her close, cradling her against my chest as I stumbled away from the burning car. She clung to me, her sobs muffled against my shirt as I carried her to safety.
Archer and Kai were already dragging Gage’s limp form from the twisted metal. Blood matted his hair and ran down his face, but I could see the faint rise and fall of his chest. He was alive, but barely. After they pulled Thomas and Margaret out, the car exploded, sending a shockwave of heat that threw us backward.
When Wrenly looked up at me, her eyes were filled with fear, grief, and something else I couldn’t place. The chaos swirled around us, and the flames continued to rage. The image of her terrified eyes and the sound of her anguished screams—they were seared into my mind, leaving a deep ache in my chest.
Sirens wailed in the distance as emergency vehicles raced to the scene. The paramedics gently pried her from my grasp to assess her injuries. I watched as they loaded her into the ambulance, an inexplicable sense of loss washing over me as the doors closed and the rig sped away.
Archer’s hand on my shoulder returned me to the smoky scene around me. “Fuck,” he breathed, his eyes fixed on the smoldering remains of the car. “Thomas and Margaret . . . ”
I swallowed hard, the reality of the situation sinking in like a lead weight in my gut. The Morgans were gone, leaving behind a shattered family and a gaping hole in The Brotherhood’s leadership.
“This was no accident,” I said, my voice hoarse from the smoke.
Kai nodded grimly, his eyes looking up the road. “I think you’re right, brother.”
I followed his gaze, seeing the back of the black security vehicle riddled with bullet holes sticking out of a ditch. This had been a coordinated attack, an assassination designed to take out Thomas Morgan and his family and destabilize The Brotherhood. And I knew who was brazen enough to orchestrate the murder of the top leader of the most powerful organization in New York.
Nikolai Petrov.
The events of that night had changed the course of my life and led me straight into Igor’s hands, leaving me with more than just physical scars.
I cleared my throat, pushing the memories back into the recesses of my mind. “I’ll talk to Gage,” I said, my voice rough with emotion. “He deserves to hear it from me.”
Archer nodded, his expression somber. “He does. And you deserve to be happy, Theo. Don’t let the ghosts of the past haunt you forever.”
I managed a tight smile. “Thanks, brother. I’ll make things right with Gage and bring Wrenly to officially meet everyone.”
“What better time than during our rehearsal dinner?” Archer asked tentatively.
I raised an eyebrow in his direction. “Rehearsal dinner?”
“While you’ve been keeping The Brotherhood afloat, Mila and I have settled on a date, and we’d love for you to bring Wrenly.”
I felt a genuine smile spread across my face at the thought of revealing the woman I was in love with. The woman I would make my queen. The woman who would stand by my side for whatever the future held. To finally introduce her to the world she had been born to—the world her father had kept from her before her parents had been murdered. She had become my anchor in the storm, the one bright spot in this world of darkness and danger, and it was time that I showed her where she belonged.