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Dark eyes flicker over mine. I ignore his finely pressed lips and the way he grips the edges of the sofa he is leaning against and focus on one thing. The scowl he normally wears is gone. And in its place is awe. I think.
“I told you more than once, baby, I would give every last drop of blood in my veins to see you live.”
Obsidian meets blue. We stand staring into each other’s eyes. I’m facing him and when I lean in our body heat mingles. I need him to feel the love and respect I have for him. For now, I can set aside the irritation I have for him leaving me years without knowing he was alive. In this second that’s not here or there. “I can never thank you enough.”
“You’ll never have to.” The backs of his knuckles are rough against my cheek. The scars of his past always will be. But it’s who he is.
“Is that why you snuck back into your father’s mansion?” I turn to Ares and nod causing the water rimming my eyes to fall down my cheeks.
I brush the water away.
I sniffle feeling ashamed of my tears in front of these badass people. “Yes. But I found so much more.” But it’s the papers I found with strange numbers and the Volkov’s name that I pull out for them, not the secret banking information. That can come later.
“Do you know what any of this means?”
I hand Ares the bundle and the sheet of white from the paper is a good representation of Ares’ drained expression. He swears something in a string of Russian before looking up at me. His growl is one of fury and the grin on his face is humorless. More like wicked and murderous. Up until now, I actually had no idea a smile could cause someone to take a step back like I just did.
“I knew my family had other ties. Now we have a new direction. Taking this Druid fucker out has become even more of a priority.”
“Does this have anything to do with the Russian men outside?” I ask, trying to put two and two together.
“A month ago, we infiltrated a group called Society 69. A group of wealthy people who have reached a position of life where only the most exotic forms of entertainment can keep them occupied.”
“Ares is trying to be a gentleman to save me from heartache in my condition, but what he means is…”
“Wait? Hold up.” I throw up my hands. “Your condition?” Right when I think I’m the one holding the bag full of all the secrets.
Nova’s hair dances all over her shoulder when she nods. Now I understand the glow.
“You’re pregnant.” Hark’s fingers tighten around mine. I swivel a side-eye his way. Is that jealousy I see in his eyes? Or wistfulness?
“I found out about a week before you blew up our lives.” There’s no heat to Ares’ words. He’s just stating the facts.
Ares wraps a protective arm around his woman and pulls her back to his front.
“I am so sorry for ruining your home. I promise to fix this.”
“We will fix it together. You’re family now.” Nova’s hand on my arm is reassuring.
“My sister was abducted along with a close friend of mine and me. It was a fight to the very end. One my friend lost and my sister screams herself awake because of it every night. So I know what you are going through. A very long story short though, the Volkovs were two brothers behind feeding Ares’ family with victims to peddle to people willing to pay millions for sex slaves.”
I point to the papers. “It seems my father was in on it somehow, right?”
Hark takes the papers from Ares as he answers my question. “From the looks of it, he laundered their money. The numbers you see here are code for quantity pushed through. No doubt he laundered it for my family as well since proof of that is dead in our driveway.”
Oh my God. My knees turn to noodles. Spots swirl and blink inside my vision. Hark takes my weight against him. Otherwise, I would be a mess on the floor. I can’t believe it. My father laundered for sex traffickers. What else was he into? And I lived off that blood money. I knew he did shady deals. I was being groomed to take over before the whole Hark incident. But this level of evilness?
“I had no idea. You have to believe me.” I look to them all pleading my case.
“We do, baby. We do. I don’t think anyone besides the Druid knew how deep your father took the Titan empire.”
Fire and relief both flash through me. I don’t know which one to listen to so I focus on a truth that keeps pushing at my brain. “Thank God my mother didn’t live past childbirth. She is probably rolling over in her grave.”
Though I’m thinking of the parent I never knew, my mind falls back to Doc’s words. Hark needs to know he has blood out there in need of him.
Though it’s hard as hell, I pull myself from Hark’s arms. I have to do this. Not only does he deserve to know the truth, but they all also deserve my honesty.
“You need to know there’s an innocent soul in the middle of all this. I have a child. She’s tucked away safely but I don’t know for how long. My friend is caring for her and has been since birth.” I lay it all out for them. The ultimatum my father issued. The way I send my friend money. And how we stay in contact. One phone call once a week.
