“When I received the papers, several years later, I learned the truth behind my parents’, sister’s, and grandparents’ deaths. I vowed to avenge their deaths. Simon and I worked together to uncover the truth and help me find vengeance. It cost me Simon, but I learned Graeme Buchanan was behind their deaths. All but Simon’s. That was Samuel.”
“Graeme wasn’t trusted with anything of any importance by the time he came to the States, from what I’ve heard. He fucked up any job given to him,” Killian said.
“Yes. I learned that later. Owen ordered him to kill every member of the Helvig family, but he dinnae do his research because he left me alive. And when he killed my parents, he dinnae kill my sister. He took her. And then he sold her. I learned all this when I killed Graeme Buchanan. I sneaked into the Order and killed him and another man. It was that night I learned my sister was still alive. Since then I learned Graeme sold her to pay a debt he owed to Owen Black.”
She swears under her breath. “Owen Black could die a thousand times and it would never be enough to atone for his sins.”
Her men huff in agreement with me when I do it.
“After they murdered my husband, I got sloppy, especially after I killed Graeme. I said I dinnae want to be caught, but iffn I’m honest, I dinnae really care. I had nothing to live for other than finding Maeve. That’s how Tavish found me. He traced my footprints online. At least, I think that’s how he worded it when we spoke about it. I still dinnae ken half o’ what the fuck he’s talking about when he rambles about his computers and the internet.”
“Neither do the rest of us,” Damon mutters and the others nod. A smile tugs at my face. At least I’m nae alone.
“Anyway, Tavish brought me here so that I would have the protection of Societas Exspiravit while he helped me search for Maeve.” I glance down at the bairn in my arms.
He’s a braw laddie, to be sure. I’m nae ashamed to say I’ve cried at the sight o’ him several times. He’s cried, too. So hard he wore himself out and fell asleep. The doctor who checked Tavish assured me Dillon’s a big brute o’ a bairn, and healthy as he can be, but he’s nae even a year old. He’ll never ken his mama, and I cannae tell him about her.
We’re a mess, he and I. Me even more so now that Tavish refuses to return home with us.
“So, the two of you are all that’s left of your family.” Everly’s voice pulls my gaze from the wee lad.
“Aye.”
She stares at me, and at the tear-stained face of the little one clinging to me. My outburst downstairs had woken the lad, and he cried for sometime while I tried to get Tavish to open the bedroom door and talk to me.
Everly’s chest and shoulders rise with a deep sigh.
“Take your nephew home, Draven Helvig. Give him a good life filled with love and happiness and fun. Just remember, you are and will always be a Ghost. The Society is your family. As crazy and fucked up as we are, we are here for you, shouldyou ever have need of us, even if you do have private military contractor friends to call.”
I nod, turning away from the five of them and walk toward the door, but turn back and ask, “How did ye ken?”
“I can’t give away all my secrets,” she says.
I smile and walk away. Every step makes me feel like my heart is being ripped to shreds.
“Viking!”
I stop and look back to see Damon walking toward me. “What of Tavish?” he asks.
“What o’ him?” I ask. My voice is crisp with snark in the hope I’ve deterred Damon’s meddling.
“Will we be searching for a new tech boy?”
I clench my jaw. The muscles pop and jump. I’m too pissed off to deal with Damon at the moment. “I dinnae ken. Will ye?”
Spinning on my heel, I stride out of the room, nae bothering to shut the door on my way out. Fuck them all. As I make my way through the mansion, I hear the elevator come to life. Pausing, my eyes fall closed, and I sigh. At the sound of the door opening, my eyes open, and I take a step forward, away from my heart’s greatest desire and toward duty and responsibility.
“Daddy?”
I swallow, gulping against the pain o’ walking away from Tavish, from my boy. Tavish refuses to come with me, and as much as I want to be with Tavish, as much as I ken he needs me, I cannae be both here and in Scotland. So, as much as Tavish needs me, as much as I need him, Maeve’s bairn needs me more. Tavish is right. Dillon needs to be in Scotland.
“Och, aye, mo ghille donn?” I ask, heaving a sigh, and trying to hold back the tears threatening.
“Are you leaving?” he asks.
“I am. Ye told me to go.” I remind him.
His eyes well, and as usual, the sight of his tears breaks my heart. “I want to go with you.”
