“You could havecome to me,” I said through my tears.
“I couldn’t riskhim harming you or your siblings. It was better to take the beatings myself anddo whatever he said. Gavin was in total charge of every aspect of our relationship.He conned me into believing he was a good man, then used my family’s money andpolitical influence to build his empire. By the time I was aware of what kindof monster he really was, it was too late. He’d already spun and sold the ‘Goodhearted pastor and the driven woman,’ power couple narrative, and I’d be seenas his accomplice. Then once he started using you children as pawns, I waspowerless.”
“What aboutLevi? Where is he?”
“Levi has beenlost to me for a long time. He lives to please your father. He practicallyworships the man. And now that Gavin has left him in charge of his army whilehe’s gone, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”
I was afraid ofthat. Levi and I were slipping further and further apart. He was alwaysprotective of me, but less so if I didn’t follow my father’s instructions tothe letter.
I sighed. “Istill don’t understand how you got here.”
“I had Alasdairreach out to Vivian out of concern for the safety of your siblings. He workedwith our team out of Savannah, who filled him in on everything. Once Alilearned the truth, he told me, and I arranged for them to be brought to thecastle where they’ll be safe,” Kade said.
“I don’t knowhow I can ever repay you for this, Your Majesty,” I said.
Kade smiledwide. “This is one of those father, daughter moments.”
I nodded. “Thankyou.”
“I’m afraidthere’s more,” Vivian said. “And I think you should sit down first.”
“What kind ofthings?” I asked, taking the nearest seat.
“Things you’renot going to want to hear but need to. Things you should have learned a longtime ago.”
Vivian took adeep breath. “Gavin Trask isn’t your father.”
“What?” was allI could manage to get out as a mixture of shock, relief, anger, and confusionwashed over me.
“I’m sorry,honey, but he’s not your biological father.”
“What do youmean, he isn’t my biological father?” I demanded as her words echoed inside myhead.
“Your mother hadan affair with the church’s first music pastor and got pregnant by him. Alreadyaware of her husband’s temper, your mother kept the affair hidden from him.Therefore, when she told him she was pregnant, he assumed the child was his.Soon after, the music pastor resigned, and Gavin was none the wiser… until.”
“Until what?”
“Gavin told methat one night, after a horrible fight they’d had, your mother got very drunk,something she never did, and told him about the affair.” Vivian paused, andheld out her hand for me to take, something I couldn’t recall her ever doing inthe past.
I took her hand.
“Gavin beat yourmother to death, then staged a car accident to cover his tracks.”
I shook my head.“No, the police said, it was raining, and she took a curve too sharply and—”
“Gavin Trask raninto that tree, controlling the car from the passenger side. He was buckled inand wearing a safety helmet. He put your mother’s dead body behind the wheel,unbuckled so she’d hit the windshield face first.”
“But… But… ho…how could he… he… he get away with that?” I stammered through my tears.
“Half of theMurfreesboro PD were members of the congregation. He told them that your motherwas secretly an alcoholic, and that she’d been drinking heavily the night ofthe accident. Of course, they believed him and closed the case, quickly andquietly as to avoid dragging the church through a scandal. Plus, everyone lovedyour mother, and didn’t want to tarnish her reputation.”
“How do you knowthis?” I whispered.
“He told me,”she admitted. “Soon after he married me, because he knew I couldn’t testify ashis wife, and it meant he kept me chained to him. He would often remind me thatmy fate would be the same as your mother’s should I ever defy him.”
“Where’s my realfather?”
“That I don’tknow,” she said. “Gavin has never said, and I fear he may have killed him aswell, but I don’t know for sure.”
