“They’re inside. Theo sent me the codes because I didn’t want to wake you until I had to.”
“And the others?”
“They’re en route. About an hour behind us. They dumped Sinner at his place first.”
“Is Diesel here yet?”
Galen shakes his head, holding my waist and helping me down from the truck. He slams the door shut, and I slide my arms around his neck. “Did tonight really happen, or did I dream Mom pulled a gun on Sinner in a crowded restaurant?”
“I wish it was a figment of our imagination too.” He winds his hands into my hair. “Sinner will go nuts, Lo. Your mom needs to get overseas ASAP.”
“I know. Why do you think I called Diesel? He’s the only one who can make her disappear fast.”
“Sinner won’t be happy with us either,” Galen adds.
“He can eat shit,” I snap. “He’s the reason for this, and I know he’s a psycho, but even he’s got to accept we would not let him harm my mother. We’ll just have to make sure he’s distracted taking down The Arrows and the commissioner. Hopefully, he’ll have cooled off a bit by then.”
Galen doesn’t look convinced, and neither am I. But we will worry about that another day.
“Come on.” I let my arms drop to my sides, linking his hand in mine. “Let’s get inside.”
Mom is asleep on the couch, draped in a blanket. Bry is in the kitchen, making coffee. “Nice place,” he says, looking over his shoulder as we enter the space.
“This cabin has been in my dad’s family for generations. The men used it for hunting weekends, and the past few years, I came here every month with my dad to meet my trainer.” I figure there’s not much point concealing the truth from him now.
“No one knows about this place,” Galen adds, coming up behind me. “We expect you to keep its whereabouts to yourself.”
“I won’t tell anyone,” Bry promises, handing me a mug of steaming hot coffee. He eyeballs Galen as he passes him a coffee. “You have my word.”
Galen nods. “Good.”
We sit at the table in silence, drinking coffee while waiting for the others to arrive.
Diesel shows up next with his brother Lincoln in tow. “Hey.” Diesel gives me a quick hug at the door.
“Thanks for coming so fast.”
“We’re worried about Giana,” Lincoln says, squeezing my hand as he goes past me.
“He’s pissed,” Diesel says, lowering his voice. “And he feels responsible, because he let her get away.”
“I didn’t pick my stubborn streak off the ground,” I admit. “She wanted to do this, and there’s nothing he could’ve done to stop it.”
“Thank fuck, you did.” Diesel closes the door and we walk inside.
“It was a team effort.”
“I’m aware. I’ve been speaking with Theo. You guys did good.” As we enter the kitchen, he squeezes my shoulders before coming to a dead stop. “Who the fuck are you?” His sharp tone is directed at Bry.
“This is Bryant Eccleston. He’s a friend and fellow initiate.” I drag Diesel over to the table. “Bry, this is my trainer and good friend, Diesel.”
Bry jerks his head in greeting, and the two men eye one another. Over Diesel’s shoulder, I spot Lincoln kneeling in front of Mom, checking her over for injuries. She’s still asleep, but she won’t be for much longer, because as soon as the guys get here, I’m waking her up and demanding answers.
CHAPTER 28
GALEN AND I stand in front of the house as Saint’s Land Rover comes toward us. “I hope we haven’t made a mistake trusting Bryant,” Galen says.
“It’s not like we had much choice,” I admit, folding my arms around myself to ward off the strong minty breeze blowing from the surrounding forest.
Saint pulls the car in behind Diesel’s Land Rover, killing the engine. “I’m changing my car,” Saint growls as he climbs out. He eyes Diesel’s almost identical Land Rover with an evil lens, as if he’d like to set fire to it.
“Same taste in wheels. Same taste in women,” Caz says, grinning as he shuts the car door. “I think you and Granddad were separated at birth.” He slaps Saint on the back, chuckling.
“Fuck off,” Saint snaps. “Unless you’d like to wear your insides on the outside.” He flashes him a manic grin.
“The truth hurts, bruh. You two have more in common, and you know it.” Caz grins right back, stopping to kiss my hair before he wanders into the house.
“Did anyone follow you?” Galen asks, earning a scathing look from Saint.
“Do we look like fucking amateurs to you?” His nostrils flare. “Of course, no one followed us! Sinner was still out for the count when we tossed his psychotic ass on his bed.”
“He’ll be thirsty for our blood tomorrow though,” Theo says, pressing a feather-soft kiss on my cheek before he walks inside.
Saint’s hands ball up at his side, and from his rigid stance, bad mood, and the rage that vibrates from his every cell, I can tell he is pissed as fuck. “He can fucking try. I’ll—”
I crush my lips to his, pushing my tongue inside his mouth, sucking some of the aggression from his psyche as we devour one another. He grabs my ass, pulling me in flush to his body, as our lips assault one another in a melting pot of need and anger. When we pull back, both panting, Galen is nowhere in sight. I trace my hands up Saint’s impressive chest, over his shoulders, linking them behind his neck. “Better, babe?”
“I want to fuck you so bad right now,” he admits, squeezing my ass cheeks. He grazes his nose along the column of my neck. “That would make me better.”
“I’ll let you angry fuck me later,” I promise, closing my eyes momentarily, enjoying the feel of his hands on me.
He bands his arms around me, cradling me protectively to his chest. “Just when I think we’re getting a handle on things, your mom has to go and fuck everything up.”
I exhale heavily. “Yep. Giana has royally screwed us, but it was almost worth it to see Sinner shitting his pants.”
Saint’s chest rumbles with silent laughter. “That was an Oscar-worthy moment for sure.” He nips at my ear, before letting me go. “Let’s get some answers.” He threads his fingers through mine, leading me into the house.
Mom is sitting up on the couch, and everyone has moved into the living room. “It’s peppermint,” Theo says, handing Mom a mug. “It’s the only tea I could find.” Steam billows from the top of her mug, and she buries her nose in the scented clouds.
“Thank you, Theo.”
Galen thrusts a beer in my hand. “Figured you might need this.” He distributes beer while Bry sets a tray with the coffee pot, some cups, and cookies down on the coffee table. Everyone helps themselves to either beer or coffee and Mom sips her tea while we get settled.
Saint pulls me down on his lap in the chair.
“You need to give me some answers,” I say, staring at Mom. She cradles the mug in her hands, sitting back in the couch as she nods. “What do you know, and how long have you known?” I ask.
She clears her throat and wets her lips. “I know Trey tried to keep me protected, but I grew up in this world. He always seemed to forget that.” Her eyes well with tears. “I loved your father so very much, Harlow. Out of everything these past few months, that has hurt the most. To pretend like I’m not still devastated over his loss. To act like every single touch from Sinner didn’t feel like a betrayal. To have you think I could ever replace the love of my life so easily.”
“Why did you do it, Mom? What were you hoping to achieve?” I sit upright on Saint’s lap, and every muscle in my body is wound as tight as a ball of yarn. Saint runs his hand up and down my spine in a soothing gesture, but nothing can erase the tension winding inside every part of me.
“I wanted to keep you safe, and I wanted to avenge Trey’s murder. I wanted that bastard to pay.” A muscle clenches in her jaw, and she visibly trembles.
“How the fuck was welcoming that man into our home keeping me safe?” D
isbelief meanders through my tone.
“Because keeping your enemies close is always a smart strategy. One that bastard taught me. And I knew he would come for me, so I decided to preempt it, because I wanted to be the one in control.” Mom puts her cup down, patting the space beside her. “Please come sit with me.”
Reluctantly, I slide off Saint’s lap. Theo gets up from the couch, making room for Galen to slide across, leaving a space empty beside Mom. I sit down, and Theo settles on the floor, between my knees, with his back against the couch. Galen laces his fingers in mine as my other hand rests on Theo’s shoulder, my fingers toying with his hair.
“Honey.” Mom peers deep into my eyes. “There is one thing I didn’t know before I put my plan into place, and it’s important you understand this, because I would never have let Sinner into our home if I’d known he was the one behind your kidnapping.” Her eyes blaze with unrestrained fury. “I’ve always believed David Jennings was behind that because The Sainthood didn’t hurt children. Not as long as I’d been a part of that world. Jennings made no secret of his desire to take my business right out from under my nose, and he was a dirty player. We were engaged in an all-out war, and I was sickened when you were taken. I instantly knew he was involved, and when the police found evidence confirming it, I didn’t doubt it.”
Jennings was a competitor and business rival of Mom’s, so I understand why she’d believe the story The Sainthood concocted to hide behind. Truth is, that man is innocent, and he’s still rotting behind bars. His family were forced to flee town, and the judge ruled he had to issue a substantial compensation, so he lost everything. That’s something that needs to be put right, but it’ll have to wait, because dealing with Sinner is our main priority.
She pauses to draw a breath. “I’m so mad at your father for concealing that truth from me. I’d known for some time that Sinner was blackmailing Trey into helping them avoid jail for their crimes. I knew he was holding me over him, but I had no idea it was as bad as it was. I got an inkling there was more to it when I found out Sinner had forced Trey into an affair with Alisha, but still, your father downplayed it. I knew then Sinner was holding more over his head, and I pleaded with Trey to tell me, but he made me promise to drop it. He told me it was the best way of keeping you safe, and I believed him.” She lowers her eyes to her lap, and you could hear a pin drop in the room.
Everyone is quiet, listening attentively, waiting for her to admit it all.
“How did you discover the truth?” I ask.
She lifts her chin. “Sinner told me a few weeks ago. That bastard took great delight in telling me how he was the one to mark your skin and how he imagined it was me the entire time.” Her voice cracks. “I’m so sorry, honey. I swear I didn’t know. He told me he’d do worse to you now unless I did whatever he wanted. It was then I knew how badly I’d fucked up. How I’d put you in even more danger, but I couldn’t see any way out.” She breaks down as sobs rip from her chest. Theo grasps my hand, rubbing soothing circles on my skin as I stare off into space.
“He’s been playing us against one another,” I calmly admit. “Threatening to hurt you if I didn’t cooperate and vice versa.”
“Why didn’t you tell Lo?” Saint asks. “If we’d known what you were planning, we could’ve been working together instead of giving that asshole further ammunition to hurt you both.”
“I couldn’t tell Harlow, because I knew she’d never approve of my plan, and I needed her reactions to be natural.” She turns to face me again. “I didn’t know you knew him. I understood that allowing any man into the house so soon after your father’s passing would infuriate you. I needed Sinner to see that. To know you were clueless. That you were lashing out as you would with any man who threatened to take your dad’s place.”
“You think I couldn’t have acted that part?” I inquire, wondering if Mom knows me at all. “If you’d told me the truth, I would’ve put on a good show. He’d never have known.” I shake my head, because this is all so futile. I kept her out of my plans first out of loyalty to Dad and our joint desire to protect Mom and then because I lost all faith in her. She kept me out of her plans to protect me, but all we’ve done is compound the situation and make it worse.
“I thought I was doing the right thing.” She visibly swallows. “And it hasn’t all been bad.” A small smile graces her lips, as she rakes her gaze over my husbands. “You found love, and you have good men protecting you now.”
“Mom. You’re not distracting me with that. Not until I know everything.”
She drops her eyes to my hand, the one intertwined with Theo’s hand, her gaze fixating on the rings on my finger. “I’m not trying to distract you. Merely stating the truth. And we will be discussing your marriage after this conversation.”
“What was your plan?” I ask, deliberately ignoring her statement. She doesn’t get to switch the Mom card on and off as it pleases her, even if there was a reason behind her behavior. It’s going to take some time before Mom and I can put all this behind us, if we even can.
“Initially, when Trey died, I didn’t suspect anything because I was heartbroken. However, when the shock wore off, and I had time to think about it, I knew it was no accident.” She thumps her hand over her chest. “I knew in my heart that Sinner had something to do with it. It was something I’d always feared. I started going through your father’s things, trying to find something to confirm my suspicions. I found a bunch of stuff hidden in the attic, and among the papers was an informant contract your father signed with the FBI. I reached out to the agent in charge, and he told me that Trey was helping them to take Sinner down. I knew what I had to do then.”
She tucks hair behind her ears. “I offered to take over. Said I would help them to continue Trey’s work if they promised you’d be looked after in the event anything happened to me.”
“What?” I splutter, unsure if my ears heard this correctly. Mom has been working with the FBI? What the actual fuck.
“It’s all been for you, Harlow. Everything I have done has been about keeping you safe.”
CHAPTER 29
“YOU’RE WORKING WITH the FBI?” Diesel asks, looking concerned, while my brain continues to spin over Mom’s revelations.
“Yes. But I doubt they’ll want anything to do with me after tonight.”
“What about The Arrows?” I ask before we get into that. “Where do they fit into things?”
“Diego Santana is an FBI informant too.”
“What the fuck?” Bry blurts, his mouth opening in shock. “Why would he do that?”
Mom shrugs. “I’m not privy to all the inner workings of gangland politics, and I didn’t care enough to ask. We’ve been working together, trying to pit one crew against the other, hoping it would distract Archer Quinn and Sinner long enough for the FBI to make enough of a case against both organizations.”
“What happened tonight? We saw you arguing with Diego,” I say.
“How did you know about that meeting?” Mom asks.
“Bry installed a camera in Archer’s office, and we gleaned the details from that.”
“You need to remove that, son.” Mom drills him with a look. “If Archer discovers it, it could put Diego and the whole case in jeopardy.”
“I think that’s a moot point after tonight. Your actions have thrown everything into jeopardy,” I say. “What were you thinking?”
“That I’d had enough, Harlow.” Her shoulders slump in defeat. “Something broke inside me that day in the basement,” she quietly admits. “I realized that I’d never be able to beat him. It doesn’t matter if I have the FBI on my side. Sinner is too smart. I stupidly thought he still loved me. That I could manipulate him into walking into a trap, but he doesn’t love me. He hates me. And he hates you. And the only way it will stop is if he’s dead.”
“You asked Diego to help and he said no,” I surmise.
She bobs her head. “He told me not to do it. To stick with the plan. My FBI handler wants m
e to return to Sinner. He said it’s the only way, and that’s what Diego reiterated. I hadn’t planned on doing what I did in the restaurant, but I just flipped. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t pretend, and I’m…scared. For me. For you. I just wanted it over.”
“Trey would not want you languishing in a jail cell for the rest of your life,” Lincoln says.
“My brother is right,” Diesel adds. “I’m glad they stopped you from making an even bigger mistake.”
“I’ve messed everything up. I’m sorry, honey.” Mom’s eyes fill with tears. “I only wanted to protect you and to make that bastard pay for what he did to your father.”
I wrangle my hands from Galen and Theo, taking Mom’s hands in mine. “It’s okay, Mom. We’ll figure out a way to make this work, but you’ve got to leave. Tonight. I can’t do this unless I know you’re safe.”
She shakes her head. “I’m not leaving you to face this alone.”
“Harlow is right, Giana.” Lincoln sits forward on his elbows. “Sinner will only continue to play you both. If you are hidden away, he can’t use you to threaten Lo. It will make things easier for her.”
“What do you think?” Mom tips her chin up, leveling her gaze on Diesel. “From what Lincoln’s told me, Trey trusted you completely.” She glances at me with a wry smile. “He’d never have entrusted our daughter’s safety to you otherwise.” I guess Lincoln has filled in some of the other gaps for Mom.
“I agree that moving you overseas is the best option. I’ve already made plans, and we can stash you at one of our safe houses in Europe. Lincoln has already agreed to go with you, and I’ll have a team guarding you both.”
“What about my daughter?”
“Lo can take care of herself,” Diesel confirms. “She has the guys, and I’m here for her too. We’ll ensure she’s safe. I promise.”
She eyeballs me, scrutinizing my face, as if committing it to memory. “Okay. If you’re sure it’s the right thing to do.”
The Sainthood : A Dark High School Romance (The Complete Series) Page 77
