“What about her parents and her younger brother?” I ask because Drew said he hadn’t been able to find any intel on what happened to them.
“We haven’t been able to find anything on her parents,” Ares says, rubbing his hands on his denim-clad thighs. “Which leads us to believe they never left Lowell.”
Knight leans forward, clasping his hands on his knees. “We can’t be sure, but we think some of the remains we found on my family estate years ago might have belonged to Silas.”
“No,” I whisper, clamping my free hand over my mouth.
Pain slices across Knight’s face. “My parents were monsters, and I suspect they were involved in what happened to the Ford family.”
Drew’s grip on my hand tightens, and a muscle clenches in his jaw. “Were Hamilton and Mathers involved?”
“We have found no elite knowledge or involvement, and it seems unlikely,” Ares says. “The organizations rarely crossover.”
“My mother was an evil bitch who lusted after boys and young men right under our noses growing up,” Knight continues. “She’s dead now, as is my father, but she caused untold pain and suffering. We believe Silas ended up in her clutches.”
“What about Jane’s parents?” Abby asks in a soft voice.
“We haven’t found any trace of them,” Baz confirms.
“When we assumed leadership positions in our world, we uncovered a massive amount of corruption perpetrated by some of the previous leaders. Rhett Carter, Knight’s dad, was the worst, and he very nearly took full control of everything,” Jase says. “He had set up illegal sex trafficking rings in South America, and we’ve been working tirelessly for years to weed them out and shut them down.”
“We know what you did, and we thank you for it.” Knight stares solemnly at Drew.
“You were helping me,” Drew says, and Knight nods. “I often wondered why things always seemed to go so smoothly. Why none of the locals I hired on the ground ever turned against me or how I was able to procure the supplies I needed without being discovered. How none of my planes were ever stopped.”
“We realized pretty quickly there was no deterring you,” Ares says with a hint of respect in his tone. “So, we did what we could to help.”
“Where did you find Jane’s body?” Drew asks, and I press in close to his side.
“She lived in Spain for the last three years of her life, imprisoned by this sick prick in a secluded mansion that served as his vacation home,” Knight says.
“We hoped she might still be alive,” Jase solemnly says. “But when we invaded the house, we found that prick and all his men lying in pools of blood, and the thirteen girls and women he kept chained in the basement were all dead with their necks snapped.”
A sob rips from Abby’s throat, and Kai lifts her into his lap, circling his arms around her and holding her tight.
I don’t think Drew would appreciate a show of affection like that, so I just keep close to his side and hold his hand firmly, letting him know I’m here for him. “Someone knew you were coming,” I say.
Ares nods. “Carter had spent years building a network of loyal supporters all over the world. We know there is a still a core within our society who are loyal to him and his ways. Those who hate the changes we have brought in, and they are biding their time to strike.”
“This goes no further, Athena,” Knight says, drilling me with a look.
I bob my head. “Of course, you have my loyalty and my confidence. Always.”
Abby stops crying, lifting her head and staring curiously at me.
“We have a few specialist teams tasked with hunting these supporters down,” Knight says. “We have eliminated many of them over the years, but we know there are more.”
“We had plans to ask you to join one of these teams,” Ares says. “But I think that ship has sailed.” His gaze lowers to where my hand is wrapped around Drew’s.
“So, you think these people are behind what happened to Jane?” Xavier asks.
“We do because it’s got Carter’s signature all over it,” Ares says.
“How did the Fords end up in Lowell? Who did they know there?” Charlie asks.
Knight rubs the back of his neck. “We don’t know. The trail has been wiped clean. There is literally nothing showing them in Cali after they cross the border into Prestwick. It’s like they disappeared.”
“And everything and anything connected to each member of the Fords has been erased from the internet and government systems. If you go looking, they literally never existed,” Baz adds. “The only proof is their legacy in Rydeville and their house. We imagine that’s only there because you got to it first, Drew.”
