Bitter Truths

by Sam Crescent

  I can do this.

  It’s just a file.

  She’s just a woman from the past.

  Opening up the file, she blew out the breath she’d been holding, and once again tears sprang to her eyes as she looked at the pictures. There were so many of her and Lionel, and her with the Dentons. There were memories that she had forgotten, and that she hated. The tears spilled down her cheeks.

  Finally, there were pictures of her family’s murder, and just seeing the evidence once again, she was struck by so much anger and rage. She didn’t throw the file away. She read the reports and the witness statements. She went through everything in the hope of finding something.

  It had to be the Dentons. There was no other explanation. Wiping away more of her tears, she tried to contain her sobs, hating everything that was being said to her, and explained.

  “You … have … to … go … Dentons…”

  “Go … to … them…”

  Could she have been so wrong in Lionel’s final words? She looked at the witness statements, and the detail of the guy’s tattoos on his arms and neck. The dagger with a C wrapped around it. She didn’t know what the hell was going on, and it was scaring her. For the past ten years she’d been convinced it was them, and yet all of this evidence said otherwise. What was more, she saw the details of the Dentons searching for her.

  What would Lionel want her to do? She didn’t know what to make of this. Her whole life had been dedicated to hurting those that hurt her brother, her family.

  She let the tears go. The pain that she had kept for so long consumed her.

  “Lionel? What do I do?”

  Chapter Three

  Oliver found it hard to walk away from Ruby. She was about to have her life bared, and it wasn’t all going to be what she remembered.

  “I didn’t like you sitting that close to her,” Maddox said.

  “She didn’t hurt me, and sometimes you have to show a little trust.”

  “Trust? She has to earn that damn trust. She tried to kill you, Oliver.” Maddox pointed at him, and he just leaned against the wall, trying to stay close in case she needed him. Damn, this need was taking over every part of his life, and it was already driving him crazy. He wanted to go to her, protect her.

  “Sometimes you just have to have a little faith. She hadn’t seen me, and I remember what she was like as a little girl. This isn’t about dealing with a child, Maddox. She’s hurting, and she’d acting on the wrong facts.” Charlotte sighed. “You’ve got to learn to listen to reason. We’ve got to make her see sense if Oliver hopes to have a future with her. Do you see him killing the woman destined for him?”

  Maddox shook his head. “Why couldn’t you fall for a normal woman?”

  “Hey, you’re the one that told us about that stupid fucking curse.”

  “It’s not a curse.”

  “It’s not a damn legacy. Look at Damian, he’s got a kid with a woman who doesn’t belong to him. He has to make a decision about what the fuck to do with that.” Oliver moved away from the wall. He wasn’t going to move too far away. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t. Ruby might need him.

  “She’s good at staying hidden,” Charlotte said.

  “Of course she is.”

  “It’s frustrating. We could have helped her. Do you see how bruised and thin she is?” Charlotte rubbed her arms and tried to warm herself up.

  Oliver went to go to his mother, but Maddox got there first, and pulled her in for a hug.

  “We’ve got her now.”

  “Only she thinks the worst of us.”

  Oliver moved away, and headed into the kitchen, putting together a sandwich. There wasn’t much he knew about food, but he could handle a sandwich. Spreading bread, he placed a square of cheese inside, and cut them into little triangles. He poured some water into a mug, and stirred in one of those tomato soup sachets.

  Put a person in front of him to torture, he was the right guy. Cooking, preparing food, he was a waste of space.

  Once he’d done enough to serve two, he made his way toward the room. No one was going to stop him.

  Entering the room, his heart started to pound when he saw she was crying. She tried to hide it, wiping the tears away, and he closed the door. “I thought you would like some food,” he said.

  “Is all of this true?”

  “It’s the official file. Mom tried to find you for well over a year. She never gave up on you.”

  He put the food down on the small table, and moved it by her. “Are you going to try to kill me?”

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said. “I know what I remember, but he was so hurt, and he was dying in my arms.”

  “Lionel?”

  “Yeah. They hadn’t killed him yet. He was still alive enough to talk.” She released a little sob. “I hate this.”

  He took a seat, and turned toward her. Never had he wanted to comfort someone. To him, comfort was something that was a luxury.

  Reaching out, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

  She whimpered, and he removed his hand.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Nothing.”

  He pulled her toward him, and pulled the strap of her dress down to see the damage to her back. The bruises had been covered by her dress, and he’d revealed it.

  “Who did this?”

  “I’ve been training. I did this.”

  “You train against men?”

  “Of course. I couldn’t train against women when my mission was to take out all of the Denton men.”

  “Was?”

  “I don’t know what to do anymore.” She covered her face, sniffling as she did. “All I’ve ever known is revenge, and that is all I ever wanted. What I thought Lionel would want.”

  “Why don’t you talk with Jacob? He knew Lionel the best.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Do you remember Landon? Irritating boy, got an issue with his temper?”

  “Yeah, I remember him. He’s younger than me.”

  “I know, honey.”

  He took her hand and linked their fingers together. The feeling was amazing just by being near her. Closing his eyes, he basked in the touch of her, loving every second of it.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, pulling her hand away. “That’s kind of creepy.”

  “Sorry.” He sat beside her and wondered what the hell he was he was supposed to say. “I got you some food.”

  The sound of her stomach growling filled the room.

  “No, thank you.”

  “You’ve got to eat, and I won’t see it as a weakness.”

  “I can’t eat.”

  “Yes, you can. You’re choosing not to, that’s the difference.” He picked up a triangle sandwich, dipped it into the soup, and took a bite. “It’s not much, but even enemies have to eat.”

  “Are you my enemy?” she asked.

  “I’m not the one that attacked you. I did everything I could to defend myself.” He held out a sandwich. “Are you my enemy?”

  She stared at the sandwich, and then at him. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, it’s time for you to find out.” He winked at her, finishing off his sandwich. She did the same, dipping the bread into the soup, and eating it. He wanted to pump the air at the victory. She was eating the food he’d provided her.

  “Thank you.”

  “So, another identity?” he asked.

  “My brother created one for me to use. He always said it was supposed to be used as a backup, and that is why I had it.” She wiped away her tears. “To me, it was an emergency.”

  “Did you ever get a good look at the men who entered your home?”

  “No. Lionel told me to hide in the closet. I didn’t hear much. I tried to drown it all out. Cover my ears. The usual stuff kids do.” She shrugged. “It sucked. I keep thinking that I can go back, and take them by surprise.”

  “Did you even know how to hold a gun then?”

 
“No. I do now. They wouldn’t get past me now.” She sniffled.

  “You fought well.”

  “Not that well. I didn’t win.”

  “It’s not all about winning, and I’ve been at this a lot longer than you. While most kids are learning to do normal shit like play with boys, and get girls, I was learning to take my place in the Denton household.” Oliver didn’t know where the truth was coming from, only that it was now affecting him.

  “This is all true?” She held up the file.

  “Yeah, as far as I know. There’s no reason to lie.” He took the file from her hands, and flicked through it. “It hurt Jacob when he found Lionel. He went crazy looking for you, trying to find you.”

  “I must have left. What actually happened?” she asked.

  “Senior Santos, your father, believed we had a mole in the group, and was feeding information to Coltons.”

  “Who are the Coltons?”

  “They’re our combined enemy.”

  “Oh, so there is an enemy.”

  “Yes. They’ve gone to ground for a long time, and my father believed they had learned their lesson.”

  “They didn’t?”

  “Your family died. We were on the way when everything went silent. Your father thought he’d found the backstabbing bastard. When we got there, your family and guards were all dead.”

  “And I was gone?”

  “Yeah. Lionel didn’t want you there when it was showdown time. He wanted you to stay with us, but your mother didn’t want you to miss something. I don’t know what.”

  “I can’t remember.” She rubbed at her temples. “My head is pounding.”

  “You’ve had a long night.”

  She dropped her head into her hands, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

  “All my life I’ve been trying to prepare for this moment.”

  “And now?” he asked.

  “I could have wrapped the chains around your neck. I’ve not done it. I really don’t know what to do. I’m … lost.”

  “You should get some rest. My mom always says everything will be better in the morning, and so I’m going to take her advice.”

  “You are?”

  “Yeah, and I’m going to let you know that everything is going to be all right in the morning.” He kissed her head and made his way out of her room. When he turned back toward her, he found her curled up on the bed, eyes closed. He had to protect her. No matter what, he had to make sure she survived this.

  ****

  The following morning, after a shower, and a change of clothes, Ruby felt a million time better. Her dreams had been consumed by her brother, recalling everything that happened.

  It was hard to believe the file, and yet she had no other evidence other than what she thought she heard. Her brother always said she always acted without all the facts, and this was clearly the case now.

  The door to the room opened, and she saw Jacob enter the room. She frowned. Oliver had been in the room, reasoning with her. The cuffs around her wrists had been removed, which she was thankful for. They had cut into her wrists all night.

  She was starving, and from the pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs, Charlotte was still here. She did remember Charlotte from her childhood. The memory wasn’t that strong, but she was there.

  “Hey,” he said. “Did you sleep well?”

  “No, not really. Had nightmares.” She pressed her lips together, hating how honest she was being.

  Jacob chuckled. “Nothing wrong with being completely honest.”

  “Not if you’re not used to it.” She looked at the man who had been on her hit list.

  Hit list?

  What the hell was she going to do?

  “I have something.” He held up a disk and a small compact DVD player.

  “What’s that?”

  “This is Lionel’s last message. He wanted you to be prepared for all possibilities, and this was one of them. I was going to toss this out when we couldn’t find you. I decided that there could be a chance you were alive, especially when we couldn’t find your body.”

  “His last message?”

  “One night, a week before he was murdered, he came across as morbid. He wanted the both of us to make a last message to a loved one.” Jacob sighed. “It was like he knew something bad was going to come. I wish I could have protected him, Ruby. Please believe me.”

  The Denton men were nothing like she thought they would be. She’d expected savages in the form of men.

  He put the disk in the DVD player and handed it to her. She saw a single title ready for her to play.

  “I’ll leave you alone.”

  She watched him leave, and then pressed play. Taking a deep breath, she watched as Lionel, her brother, took a seat. She didn’t recognize the surroundings.

  “Hey, buttercup. How are you doing? Still pretending you can keep up with those diets? You know you’ve got to keep me full up.” He patted his stomach, and it reminded her of all the time she’d spent in the kitchen baking and cooking.

  She used to drive her mother crazy because she preferred to go into kitchen shops than clothes shops. Her parents would argue all the time over her, her mother believing she’d never get a husband, and her father believing she would because she could cook.

  “Remember what I told you. Don’t let those other kids get to you. You’re beautiful, and perfect, and sweet.” He let out a breath. “I thought this was a good idea, but now, I don’t know. I guess, if you’re watching this, you now know it’s because I’m gone, I’m dead. You don’t know much about what we do as a family, or who we’re connected to. I hope I’ve got the chance to tell you the truth, but I feel like I’m not going to get that chance. We work with a wonderful family, the Dentons. You like them, sweetie, but in recent years we’ve not had the time to linger. I’m not going to go into detail, but just know if you need anything then reach out to Jacob, Maddox, or Charlotte Denton. They will protect you at all costs. I love you, buttercup. You’re my sister, and I wish I was there for whenever you need someone. I trust the Dentons with my life, and I know you’ll be taken care of. I hope you never have to see this.”

  Lionel winked, and the disk came to an end.

  She stared at the screen wondering what the hell to do. Never had she felt so lost in all of her life.

  “He loved you.”

  Ruby gasped, and turned to find Oliver in the doorway.

  “You startled me.”

  “I didn’t think it was possible to startle you.”

  She held onto the DVD player. “What do I do now?”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “I don’t know. Ten years I’ve had one plan in mind. Avenge my brother’s death. We were very close. He always protected me. I loved him so much.”

  “I can see that.” Oliver moved in, and took a seat in front of her. “What were you going to do before it all happened?”

  She licked her dry lips. “I was going to go to culinary school. I’d hoped to go. My parents, they just wanted me to find a husband, and to settle down with a bunch of kids. I was never the kind of person who could just look after kids waiting around all day. Lionel wanted me to follow my dream.”

  “You didn’t do that?”

  “No. My focus has been on doing the right thing. I was offered a place at a school, but it would take me away from my goal. I guess I can see if they’d let me back.” She found herself crying once again, which only served to annoy her. “I never cry. I mean it.”

  “You’ve had a shock. You’re granted some freak out time.”

  “Not usually. I don’t have time to freak out. Freaking out took precious time away from everything else.” She frowned. “I don’t know what to do anymore.” That’s all she kept thinking. It was like a broken record going off inside her head with no way of making it stop. “Are you going to kill me?”

  “Why would we kill you? We’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

  She’d been
so alone. Planning, living, and just living her life her way.

  “Do you remember anything about that night?” he asked. “The men?”

  “No. I was hiding in a closet.” He looked confused, so she explained it to him. “My brother opened up the wall, and whenever he had company that he didn’t trust, he’d pull down the panel, and I’d be hiding within the wall.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah, it was awful. There were spiders everywhere.” She shuddered remembering the times that they would crawl all over her. It was always hard for her to keep her screams in. “Do you know who did it?”

  “We have reason to believe they worked for the Coltons.”

  “The Coltons. I keep hearing that name come up. If you’re supposed to be the shit when it comes to family, why do you have one that can cause so much damage?”

  “We’re not the only family around. Our enemies are many and widespread, and when we make mistakes, we end up paying the ultimate price.”

  “That must suck.”

  “It does. Are you ready to come out and talk to us?”

  They hadn’t tied her up, and right now she didn’t feel the need to hurt anyone. It was frustrating because it was the life she’d always known. Fighting, exacting revenge.

  Pushing hair out of her face, she nodded. “Yeah, I think it’s time.”

  Oliver stood, and she followed his lead, making her way out toward the main room of the apartment.

  “Where am I?” she asked.

  “You’re at my place.”

  “Oh.”

  “It’s not much to look at, but you’re safe here.”

  She hadn’t been worried about her safety in a long time. Besides, she could always look after herself. It was something she’d been doing for years.

  Everyone in the room turned toward her. She’d never been surrounded by so many people in such a long time. Their feelings were so clear to see that it unnerved her.

  “Are you okay?” Oliver asked, whispering.

  “Yeah.”

  “How are you feeling?” Maddox asked, stepping away from Charlotte.

  “I’m okay. Confused … empty, but okay.”