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He stopped after what I said, peering over his shoulder until I came around.
I blew out a breath. “When Godfrey came to you, you didn’t have to help. You could have kept his secret. Hell, you could have just ignored us or washed your hands of us.” I gripped my purse. “My point is, you didn’t have to do anything, but you did, so I thank you for that.”
The gratitude was stiff, and I noticed the waver in my voice. I didn’t know this man, and all I did know was what he’d done for me/what he’d done in the past. The latter, quite frankly, still scared the fucking shit out of me. It frightened me because he had that capability, and I didn’t know what kind of person he was now.
I just knew who he’d hurt.
Callum waited a long time before speaking, as if considering what to say. In the end, he passed me a slow nod and a small smile. “I hope life is good to you. As far as Godfrey, he did something wrong, and you kids deserve better than that.”
My throat constricted, the frog returning to my throat.
“Anyway, best of luck to you,” he said. “The Mallicks… Ramses and Brielle seem like good people. I don’t know much about them, but again, Bru tells me things. He has nothing but good words to say, and I want you to know he is very much welcome to stay with me for as long as he wishes. He’s not bound or obligated, and I am in the process of drawing up custody papers. I assume you would like to be his guardian.”
I would be if that was what Bru wanted. I only hadn’t been this whole time due to finances.
That had obviously changed.
A lot had, my breath shallow when I nodded.
Callum did the same, his head bobbing in acknowledgment once. He started to walk away.
“Is that why you did what you did?” I asked, needing to know. “You did it to help? Because Godfrey did do something wrong and you wanted to help us? Just wanted to help us?”
I hoped that was the reason. I hoped to fucking God because I wanted to believe him, and what my brother clearly already felt. That Callum was maybe a man who had a dark past, but possibly was trying to be different, better.
Callum’s lips turned down, his expression serious. “I helped because I know what it’s like to lose family,” he said, the air leaving me. “I know firsthand how that feels, and I wasn’t going to let that happen to you kids, and you in particular.”
Of course, he didn’t say how he’d lost that family. I braced my canvas. “Why did you do what you did? How could you? You and my grandfather…” Finding it hard to talk about this, I rubbed my face.
Callum frowned, and when another mover required his attention, he asked if the guy and his team could let us have the room. They started packing things in the adjoining dining room instead, the noise significantly less when they did. “I can’t tell you your grandfather’s reasons, but I can guess they had something to do with mine. He was trying to help out your great-uncle, family, and I believed I was doing the same with my own. There was damaging evidence linking my son Royal and his friends to that night in question. They had nothing to do with what happened. In fact, they didn’t even know about what had occurred until the rest of the world did, but they were known to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, in a quest to keep my son’s name and his involvement from anywhere near the situation, I made a choice to help your grandfather. I did so behind Royal’s back, and ironically enough, it was that attempt to help my son that caused me to ultimately lose him and any possible future I could have had with him and later, his son.”
“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?” I asked, my swallow hard. “Sorry that you lost your family?” I knew it sounded harsh, but that was because it was. I shook my head. “The things you did…”
“Require no sympathy, no.” He rubbed his cane. “And I expect none. From anyone. As far as helping you and your brother, it was the right thing to do, and the least I could. I think we both know enough lives have already been ruined on both the Mallicks’ and the Prinzes’ sides. There are casualties everywhere, and if the next generation didn’t have to experience that, well…” His gaze took the floor. “There’s been enough darkness in this town, and if I could help at all in rectifying that, I was going to.”
My throat shifted, gazing away.
Callum came forward. “I’m truly sorry for you and what Godfrey and Marilyn did. I’m even more sorry that you had to find out what you did about who you were and the legacy your grandfather, great-uncle, and myself left for you. It’s been a dark cloud over this city and my family for a long time, and I’m sure one of the main reasons my grandson has suffered the way he has. Done some of the things he’s done.”
My head lifted, my eyebrows narrowed.
“I shouldn’t have agreed to help him when he came to me last summer.” His lips thinned. “It only made things worse and fractured any kind of connection we ever could have.”
“What do you mean?”
He glanced my way, his eyebrows narrowed. “Dorian. He came to me asking for help last summer. His needed assistance finding that woman, Elaine Mayberry, who had an affair with his uncle Charlie. As you know, she was the headmaster of your school when you arrived.” His head cocked. “My grandson didn’t tell you any of this?”
I think he could see all over my face that he hadn’t, and I wondered if Bru had told him Dorian and I were together. I’d denied it before. I came forward. “Dorian asked you for help with Mayberry?”
Callum started to speak, but then his mouth closed. His head shook. “You should probably discuss all this with him. It’s not my place, and I don’t want to damage our relationship any more than it already has been.”
I got that, but what I didn’t get was why he’d had a relationship with him at all. Ares had said Dorian’s grandfather had stayed out of his life just as much as ours had stayed out. “What did he want your help with exactly?” I asked, pushed. I had no idea they’d been in contact. Let alone last summer with Mayberry and everything.
Callum sighed. “You should really talk to him about this. He might not have told you for a reason and that should be respected.”
My throat flicked, and mostly because Dorian and I weren’t doing this shit to each other anymore. He said he trusted me so no, we weren’t doing this shit, keeping secrets. “I want you to tell me.”
I didn’t have a right to ask this, but then again, maybe I did. Callum had lied to me too after all, and if I deserved something for once, it was some goddamn honesty.
