Chapter 9
Seth
I watched her walk down the hallway to her bedroom, and when she turned the corner and disappeared from my sight, I spun on my heels and stomped down the hallway, hellbent on popping that motherfucker in the mouth.
The door to the war room was closed, so I pushed it open, drawing everyone’s attention.
James gave me a look and a subtle nod as I marched around the table and straight into Devlin’s face. “You selfish motherfucker. How could you leave her there?”
I went to push him when Lucian stood from his chair and stepped between us, trying to play referee, but I wasn’t having any of it. Bumping him out of the way, I stepped back into the madman’s personal space, and through gritted teeth, I demanded, “Explain yourself before I break your fucking jaw.”
“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to, little man?” Devlin barked as he tried and failed to tower over me. “I won’t let you or anyone speak to me that way, so you better explain yourself.” He paused then added for some kind of gangster effect, “And tread carefully.”
A laugh broke free from my lips as I shook my head.
“You act like the savior of everyone, promising to always watch over them, but when it came right down to it, to actually be a protector, you only thought about what was best for you and to hell with anyone else.” He had a look of rage, confusion, and regret on his face as I added, “As long as your lamb was safe, that’s all that mattered?
” To add insult to injury, I snapped, “Right?”
He pointed his finger in my face as he threatened through clenched teeth, “Watch your mouth when you’re speaking about my wife, motherfucker. I’ve killed for less.”
I turned and looked at a confused Booker and Caldwell, who had no idea what was going on but looked ready to back me up if things turned violent. I knew they would have my back, and I felt slightly bad about Lucian being stuck in the middle, but if he protected someone like that, then fuck him too.
Clapping my hands, I returned, “Do you want a medal, or you think your hollow threats scare me, asshole? I meant everything I said. You sacrificed an innocent girl to save your little lamb, so tell me why I should give you respect. As far as I’m concerned, you’re just as bad as Sergey.”
His fist swung fast, and he made contact with the edge of my jaw as he went to jump on me, only to be caught by Lucian and dragged back.
“Let me go. I’m going to kill him,” Devlin raged as James, Booker, Caldwell, and Rhys jumped from their chairs and stood between us.
“Let him go. You can try all you want, but I’m not scared of you, madman ,” I spat, feeling his hit in my face but pushing the throbbing aside.
“Calm the fuck down,” Lucian barked at Devlin as James walked up to me. He lowered his voice as he turned his back on his chosen brother.
“Are you sure about what she said? I only heard part of it, but I think I’m seeing what you’re saying. I need to know if you think it’s true.”
My nostrils flared as Devlin started shouting again and Lucian pushed him farther away from me.
“I’m sure. She was given back to her mother after prison, who moved her into a shithole in Tennessee.
Her words. There was a man named Steve, who seemed to be a trigger for her, and a little girl who disappeared that everyone called ‘cockroach’. ”
His eyes grew wide then narrowed to slits as he turned and looked at a somewhat calmer Devlin. Out loud so everyone could hear, he asked, “Did Regan tell you where the house she was kept in was located?”
Everyone in the room stopped moving as I locked eyes on Devlin, needing the words to pierce that cocky armor he wrapped around himself.
I gave James the answer, never taking my eyes off Devlin. “Six-four-eight-seven-one Avenue D.”
James walked straight up and flung Lucian to the side before he cold-cocked Devlin, causing him to collapse to the floor. From his spot on the floor, he grabbed his jaw and yelled, “What the fuck is going on? Why does he know the address where Elise was living when we rescued her?”
“Because Elise wasn’t the only little girl being abused in that house, you stupid asshole.
Regan and her mom had moved into the house and she was there when you kidnapped Elise.
She was there for another three years, and no one saved her because you had already saved the only person you gave a fuck about.
” The madman’s eyes grew wide as all the fight in him disappeared.
Lucian reached down and helped him from the floor as he gave him a concerned look.
“And she never told you because she was horrified about what she lived through.”
I stepped closer to him, and James and Lucian moved to the side as Booker, a pissed-off Rhys, and Caldwell watched from a few feet away.
“And once you saved your lamb, all that was left in that house of horrors was a silent little mouse who remained trapped.” I could see he was hurting from the information, but I needed him to understand what he’d truly done by overlooking her.
“And you never looked back. Some savior you are.”
Turning away from a shocked Devlin, I went to my spot at the end of the table and gathered my notes. Everyone was looking at me as I addressed the room. “Until the two of you let her know that you were the ones who left her to be mistreated, and possibly worse, I’ve got nothing else to say to you.”
Lucian walked up to me and lowered his voice as he asked, “How did you get her to talk so easily?”
“I just talked to her and kept her brain moving instead of settling on one thing,” I responded.
“Do . . . do you think she’s the same mouse that Kelly journaled about?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. It took a lot for me to get her to say what she did. I only pieced it together because I knew Devlin and Elise’s story. I . . . I can’t believe they were so close and didn’t do anything,” I muttered and glanced down the table to see a visibly upset Devlin.
“To be fair, they were twelve and thirteen years old, in a horribly abusive situation, and only had a limited understanding of what was happening in that house,” Lucian tried to reason, only for me to scoff.
“They didn’t bother to look. She’s got so much pain inside her and she’s terrified to tell anyone about it,” I explained. “How do I help her?”
He looked down the table at James and Devlin, who were speaking quietly and quickly as Rhys paced close to the desk, running his hands in his hair and looking up at the ceiling. Lucian then turned back to me.
“I’ll leave it up to you, but here’s my suggestions.
One, you don’t say a word and let this pass.
” I shook my head, so he pressed on. “Two, you tell her what you uncovered, let her be upset, and be there to comfort her pain. Three, tell her, let her get pissed, then use your interrogation techniques to pull more information out of her. That one could blow up in your face, though. She could shut down and then you’ve lost all connection.
” He cut his eyes to the three men who’ve been her shadows for years.
“Four, you keep building her trust in you, then you question her without making it obvious. Only drawback is once she realizes what you’ve done, it could cause her to turn away from you. ”
I shook my head at all his ideas. “She deserves to know, and I’m going to be the one to tell her, but I won’t use her to gain information.
Even if it’s the single piece of the puzzle we need to crack all this bullshit wide open.
Regan deserves better than being used for information.
She deserves a safe place, and I intend to be that since the three musketeers down there dropped the ball so epically. ”
Shoving the last items into my leather bag, Lucian slapped me on the shoulder before he walked away.
I looked up and saw Rhys walking toward me as Devlin and James sat at the end of the table with concerned looks on their faces.
Devlin looked a little broken, and maybe I shouldn’t have been so harsh with him, but damn it, how could they have overlooked her?
She was right there, and they somehow missed her.
I looked at Rhys, waiting for the typical big brother threat to kick my ass and was shocked when he started speaking.
“You seem to be the only person Regan relates to. And if she’s happy, then I’ve got no problem with you.
But I do have to ask, since she’s been so secretive about everything,” he paused and asked with what appeared to be true regret, “how did you manage to get her to tell you anything?”
“I treated her like she wasn’t broken and I listened when she spoke.
I watched her, looked for the subtle cues you somehow miss when she’s overwhelmed, sad, angry, and even hungry.
And I gave her my undivided attention.” He seemed to be baffled, so I explained, raising my voice so everyone could hear.
“Regan doesn’t want to be questioned. She wants to be understood.
She wants to be listened to. She wants someone to hear her, to see her.
” Slinging the bag over my shoulder. “I listened, asked questions she was comfortable answering, and never made her step back into the painful memories she keeps locked away. I reassured her she was safe with me, and I never pushed her beyond what she could handle.”
Walking closer to the slightly ajar door, I added, “And I didn’t ask about the nightmares she survived.
If she wants to say what they are, I’ll listen, but her past doesn’t dictate her future, so stop treating her like she’s broken because she’s not.
She’s perfect, and I’m sorry you couldn’t see it sooner.
So, to answer your question, I showed her love, like you should have. ”