by Alex Grayson
I stay silent. Fuck no, I won’t take his word. He may have integrity when it comes to women and children, but as far as he knows, I killed his son. Grieving an offspring can change a person’s principles. I trust his word about as far as I can throw a semi-truck.
“It’s all I have to offer,” he says in my silence. “No harm will come to you or yours. Take it or leave it.”
“See that it stays that way. I’ll have his body sent to you.” I grunt. Hanging up, I toss my phone on my desk and scrub a rough hand down my face.
“Think he’ll retaliate?” Judge asks, throwing an ankle over his knee.
“If he’s smart, he won’t, and Emiliano has never come across as stupid. I’ll still keep an eye on things for the time being.”
He nods. “How’s Eden?”
“Better. Trouble said the wound isn’t infected, so that’s a scare we don’t have to worry about.”
The knife Diego used on Eden was the same one he used on all of his victims in the video footage we found on the chip. Once Eden came to and I could think properly again, Emo showed me the knife and I recognized the handle. It appears that Diego at least kept the knife clean. Thank fuck for some miracles.
Judge pulls something from his coat pocket and tosses it on my desk. I reach up and grab the envelope, looking down and seeing Jenny’s name and address, but no return address.
“What’s this?”
His voice is gruff when he answers. “A letter that was delivered a couple of days before shit went down with Diego. It’s from Jenny’s parents.”
My eyes shoot to his, my brows lifting in disbelief.
“That’s not possible. Her parents are dead. They died just a few weeks before Sweet Haven was taken down.”
“Emo told me.” He jerks his chin to the envelope in my hand. “Read it.”
I flip the envelope over, pull out the two folded pieces of notebook paper and smooth it out.
Dear Jenny,
I’m sure you’ll find this as a big shock, and I wouldn’t blame you if you throw this letter straight into the trash without opening it, but it is my hope that you’ll read it.
Mick and I have fought with ourselves for years if we should write this letter or leave well enough alone. In the end, I knew in my heart I couldn’t pass onto another world without telling you the truth. I don’t expect it to change your view of your father and me, but you deserve to know everything.
When you were born, Mick and I were so very happy. You were the most precious little baby with your blonde hair and innocent beautiful blue eyes. The minute we saw you, we fell in love. You were simply perfect. We were also terrified because of where we lived and what would happen to you once you were old enough.
I’m extremely ashamed to admit, and no punishment will ever be enough for what we did, but up until you were born, Mick and I willingly participated in the monthly Gatherings. We were both young when you came along and all we had ever known was that it was okay for an adult to touch children during those nights, because it was their special way of showing love.
We don’t ask for, nor expect, forgiveness or understanding. There is no excuse for what happened those nights.
It wasn’t until you came along that we realized the wrongness of what we were all doing. The thought of us or someone else touching you in such a way made me violently ill. Mick felt the same way. You were our precious daughter. You were sent to us to protect and cherish. To love in the right way, with caring and compassion and protectiveness. Unfortunately, Mick and I both knew we couldn’t leave Sweet Haven. We had already witnessed other people being murdered because they tried. The children who were left behind were given to another couple in the community. We also couldn’t stop The Gathering from happening. We did the only thing we could do. We pretended. We pretended so we could keep you safe. We pretended because if we didn’t, they would take you away from us and the person they would give you to wouldn’t love you like we did. Really love you. Not the sick and twisted love like most adults did in Sweet Haven.
Jenny, I want you to know that Mick and I never ever wanted to hurt you. During every single Gathering, when we were forced to touch you, a part of us died. There are no words to express the pain or shame and guilt and complete disgust we felt for ourselves for doing what we did. I swear we tried so very hard to make it as painless as possible, but there was no way we could get around it. The Council, although they were there to participate as well, were always watching.
Once you reached five years old, the age a child is to finish their initiation, we knew we couldn’t continue. We knew there was no way we could convincingly go on with our deception. We knew you would more than likely go to your aunt and uncle, who were very much into The Gatherings, if something were to happen to us. We knew what they would do to you, but it was the only choice we had left. It was either spend the rest of your childhood being sexually abused or spend one night with the full effects of The Gathering. It was one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make.
A week after your fifth birthday, Mick and I died. Or that’s what The Council believes. To them, we were attacked by a wild animal, but in reality, it was Mr. and Mrs. Swanson’s bodies, who had died a couple of weeks before from smoke inhalation when their house caught fire. We dug up their graves, put our clothes on them, and left them out in the woods. We made sure several people in town knew we were going for a walk in the woods, so it wasn’t a surprise when the bodies were found. We waited two days out there for a wild animal to find Mr. and Mrs. Swanson. Once they did, and The Council believed it was our bodies, we left Sweet Haven. I cried every mile that separated me from you.
As soon as we hit San Antonio, we made an anonymous phone call to the police. We gave them as much information as we could about what was happening in Sweet Haven. We kept in contact with them by using different payphones and found out they would be moving into Sweet Haven soon. A couple of weeks later, Mick went back to Sweet Haven and left a note under Shane and Delia’s door, knowing they were against The Gatherings, and warned them of the imminent raid on the town.
Months later, after everything was over, we went back to Sweet Haven to find you. To make sure you were okay. We found you with Shane and Delia. We missed you so much and wanted to take you with us, but we knew you were better off with them. After everything you went through, after all the times we were forced to take you to The Gatherings, we didn’t deserve you. Our punishment was to let you go. We knew Shane and Delia would care for you the way you deserved. We knew they would make you happy. They didn’t have any children, and because of that, weren’t forced or volunteered to participate during those horrible nights. We left you because it was the safest place for you.
Every day since we left, we mourned your loss. Every minute of every day, we wished we could be with you. We watched over you from afar and were so proud to see the young woman you became. You always looked happy, and that’s all we ever wanted for you. You were our greatest and most treasured gift.
You’re getting this letter because your father and I are no longer of this world. I left instructions with someone that if anything ever happened to us, to deliver this letter. This is not me asking you to forgive us. There is nothing we could ever say or do to redeem ourselves for what we have done. I simply wanted to let you know the truth. And to say that we have always loved you, in the proper way. In the most beautiful way a parent can love a child.
It is my greatest wish that this letter finds you well. I hope with all my heart you have found true happiness, Jenny, and it continues to follow you for the rest of your life. You deserve it and so much more.
Love Always,
Deanna and Mick
Holy fucking hell. I drop the letter on my desk, shocked as shit at what it revealed. Leaning both elbows on my desk, I drop my head and rub the tense muscles on the back of my neck.
“Her parents died in a car accident three months ago,” Judge says. I lift my head and glance at him. “Head on collision w
ith a drunk driver. They lived just outside of Odessa.”
“There’s no return address. How did you find out where they lived?”
“Had a private investigator look into it. That’s why I waited to tell you about it. I wanted to find out what happened to them.”
I nod and scrub a hand over my jaw, still astonished about this new revelation. I pull open my drawer and grab out the whiskey I keep tucked inside.
Uncapping the top, I take a pull straight from the bottle. With the bottle still in hand, I wipe my mouth with my forearm, then pass it to Judge. He takes it and tips it to his lips.
“Guess that answers one of the mysteries of that night,” I muse out loud.
“Shane and Delia must have slipped the note under Mae and Dale’s door. They were close friends with them.”
There are several things that happened that night almost twenty-four years ago that we never had the answers to. One being the mysterious note that alerted Mae and Dale of the raid.
“Mae needs to know.”
“I’m heading there next,” he replies.
I look back down at the note. Although their excuse for what they did to Jenny matches the video clip Emo showed me—that they hated what they were doing—I’m not sure I could forgive them if I were in Jenny’s shoes. Especially since they willingly participated in Hell Night before she came along.
“It’s a shame she’ll never know,” I murmur.
His lips stiffen to form a straight tight line. “I think it’s better this way. She didn’t really remember her parents. There would be no point in bringing something up that would only hurt her.”
I dip my chin in agreement. He’s right. Jenny was young enough that she didn’t really remember much about Hell Night. In a sense, she was lucky.
I refold the letter and slip it inside the envelop before handing it to Judge.
“I’m headed over to Trouble’s office. Eden gets to come home today.”
We both get to our feet. “Is she staying in Malus?”
I pocket my phone and grab my keys from my desk. “I haven’t asked her yet.” I cut him off when he looks like he’s going to say something. “She knows everything, except for the Finishing. I plan to tell her today before I ask her to stay here.” I hold up my hand to warp him off. “She’s okay with everything else we do. She’ll be okay with that too.”
He looks doubtful, but wisely keeps quiet. He knows I would never put anyone in Malus in danger. Informing Eden of how we deal with abusive predators is a hurdle for sure, but one I know we’ll safely get to the other side. I trust Eden with my life, and that’s essentially what I’ll be giving her.
We both say goodbye to Rita as we pass by her. Once we’re outside standing beside our vehicles, Judge pulls another envelope from his pocket.
Reaching out, I grab it with my brows raised in question.
“It’s information and the address. Figured you’d want it now.”
I clutch the envelope in my hand with a tight fist. Anger begins to bubble up as I stare down at it.
“If you want someone with you, give me a call,” he says.
I give him a grim nod without looking away from the envelope. Without another word, Judge gets in his car and leaves.
Of course, I’m not leaving yet; I want to make sure Eden is fully recovered before I do. Not to mention, I don’t want to leave until I’m certain Emiliano doesn’t come after her. But as soon as she’s completely healed and I’m sure there’s no retaliation in store for her, I’ll be on the road.
Mother and brother dearest have no idea what’s coming for them.
WHEN I WALK INTO THE ROOM Eden has been using while she recovers, I find her sitting on one of the comfortable chairs, looking out of the window. She’s so deep in thought that she hasn’t noticed me yet. I lean against the doorframe and give myself a moment to take her in.
She’s in one of her usual gypsy skirts and tops. When she lifts her arm to push back some hair from her face the bangles on her wrists clink together. I’ve come to love that sound. She’s lost some weight since she was hurt. Not much, and it won’t take much for her to gain it back, but it’s still enough to notice. Eden is already slim, so she can’t afford to lose much weight. She’s done her long red hair in some type of quadruple style braid. She’s sectioned her hair off into three long braids then braided those three to make one thick rope.
I only have a profile view of her, but from what I can see, her naturally pale face is devoid of any make-up.
Beautiful is too simple a word to describe Eden, but that’s exactly what she is. Beautiful.
I push away from the doorframe and walk into the room. “What has you so deep in thought?”
She spins to face me and my chest tightens when she smiles.
“Just anxious to get out of here.”
She gingerly gets to her feet, but I’m already in front of her before she can take a step. I wind my arms around her waist and gently pull her to me, making sure to be careful of her wound. Her hands lay flat against my pecs.
“How are you feeling?” I ask after kissing her sweet lips.
“Better.”
“Are you all packed?”
She nods. “Yes.”
“Should I get a wheelchair for you?” I give her a mischievous smile. I’m joking, but I want to gauge her reaction to see if she really needs one. I’d carry her to my truck, but that might be more painful than her walking.
She scrunches her face in an adorable expression. “Uh, please don’t.”
I laugh and kiss the tip of her nose before pulling back.
“I was able to identify the woman you saw Diego murder the day you fled from his house.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “You did?”
“Yeah. Her name was Miranda Simone and she was twenty-two. She was a known prostitute who ran away from home when she was sixteen. Her family has been looking for her for years. Judge sent an anonymous letter to them, explaining what happened to her.”
Tears gather in her eyes, but she sniffs and blinks them away. “I can’t imagine what her family must be going through,” she says, her voice cracking.
I run my hand down her back soothingly. “At least they don’t have to wonder anymore.”
“Yeah.”
I let her go and grab her bag from the bed. Trouble, Remi, and Susan meet us in the hallway when we leave the room. Trouble hands her a small white prescription bag.
“Pain meds. Every four hours as needed. I have you down to come back in a couple of weeks to remove the stitches. Call me if you need me before then.”
“I will,” she says, taking the paper bag.
Susan steps forward and carefully hugs Eden. The two women have become close over the last few days as Susan’s helped care for her while she’s been staying in the office. Each night that Eden’s been here, I’ve stayed as well, reluctant to leave her side. After seeing her bleeding out on the floor of Benjamin’s house, I’ve been terrified to leave her. I swear I’ve aged twenty years since then. And those two days she was unconscious will forever be some of the worst days of my life.
Remi steps forward and gives her own hug to Eden. “Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be by tomorrow, regardless, to check on you.”
“Thank you, Remi. You’re a good friend.”
She smiles and steps back. The worry that’s been lining her face the last few days is no longer present. Between being knocked out and having her son in danger, her concern over Eden, and her worry on how to handle her brother over the Diego issue, she’s been under a lot of stress. Thankfully, Eden is on the mend, Elijah doesn’t seem to have any lasting effects from his frightening ordeal, and Kian believed the story we gave him about Diego’s death being self-defense. He left a couple days after the incident, believing Diego’s body would be delivered to San Antonio and an official report would be made. Of course, none of that happened.
We talk for a couple more minutes before we leave through the rear entrance.
I parked in the back because I wanted to avoid running into anyone who would ask Eden how she was. I want to get her home and settled as soon as possible.
A few minutes later, I’m helping Eden get comfortable on the couch with a pillow behind her and a blanket over her lap.
“I’m not an invalid, you know?” she complains good-naturedly.
“You’re right, you’re not.” I finish tucking the blanket around her waist and look up at her from my kneeled position beside her. “But you very easily could have died. Give me this, Gypsy. I need to take care of you.”
Her amusement drops from her face. She takes my hand and twines our fingers together.
“You’re a good man, JW, and I’m so lucky to have you.”
I hope she feels the same way after she hears what I need to say.
I ask if she’s hungry and she says no. I ask if she’s in pain and needs a pill, and she informs me she’s fine and took one a couple of hours ago. I ask if she’d rather take a nap in bed, and again, she declines. With nothing else to do, I grab us both a bottled water and bring them back with me to the living room. I take a seat on the couch, lift her feet to my lap, and work my fingers in the arch of her foot.
She closes her eyes and moans. “That feels really good.”
And of course, the sound has my dick picking the most inappropriate time to stand at attention. What a prick.
I know she feels the growing hardness behind my zipper because her other foot is positioned directly on top of it. She confirms this when her eyes slit open and she gives me a wicked smile. Her foot gently nudges my cock.
“Someone’s missed me,” she says with a giggle and then a wince.
“No giggling if it causes you pain,” I reprimand. She rolls her eyes, her lips twitching, and then nudges me again with her foot. “And none of that either.” I grab her foot. “At least not for a month. Maybe two.” It’s my turn to wince, because a month, let alone two, without sex with Eden is going to kill me.
