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“It’s nice to meet you all,” I say and then wince, “although I’m sure we all would’ve preferred that it was under better circumstances.”
“Why don’t we get you all out of here, and then you can maybe fill us in on some blanks that we have?” Rome suggests.
“How exactly are you going to get us out of here while your father is in charge?” Ruth asks her grandson and then, in a darker tone, adds, “Did you kill him? Because that’s the only way we’re all going to get out of here alive.”
“I didn’t kill him, but he is dead, and Mom has gone missing. Ace’s parents are both dead as well, and so is Rip’s mom. We have no idea about any of the others.” Rome explains as he heads toward the stairs, clearly wanting to get them out of the basement that, while nice, they’ve clearly been trapped in for a long time.
“Lead the way I’m ready to get the fuck out of here,” Cecil grins sharply as he strides after Rome, prompting the others to all do the same.
“It’s been over a decade since we’ve been up those steps and I think it's sheer willpower that has allowed us to remain somewhat in shape over the years. At least he provided us with the vitamins that we needed since we weren’t going out in the sun.” Francis shocks me with her words as we all come out into the hallway and then follow it, Thomas directing us to a large front room with plenty of seating.
All of the grandparents move toward the windows and smile, looking at the vast gardens.
“If Silas is dead and not by your hand, I presume that it's not safe for us to have this conversation in the garden?” Cecil asks, his voice wistful.
“I’m afraid not,” I reply since he’s standing closest to me, but then I add, “Something tells me that you are well trained and very capable of looking after yourselves, though? The legends about your families have to have come from somewhere, so I think it would be safe to go out as soon as we figure out what’s going on.”
As I expected, Cecil's smile is dangerous, “Who do you think taught those traitorous idiots that I’m ashamed to call our children?”
“Before you all start, would you like some refreshments?” Thomas asks the room as a whole.
“Whiskey,” Lillian and Roberta say at the same time and then share a grin.
All of the grandparents end up opting for something alcoholic, claiming that it’s a celebration and five o’clock somewhere. In contrast, the guys and I opt for coffee since we all know that we’re going to need our heads on straight for this conversation.
Once Thomas comes back with all the drinks, we each take one for ourselves, watching in amusement as the grandparents all down their first drinks and then reach for the bottles, which Thomas thankfully had the forethought to bring with him.
They’re all on their third drink before Rome asks, “Okay, let’s start from the beginning. Why were you down there?”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Just like Rome in our group Dexter, Rome’s grandfather, seems to be the one in charge in this group, and he replies, “Originally he did plan to kill us, and he had managed to convince all of the children to do the same, saying that they would never get complete control of the town and be able to run it how they wanted if we were still around, you see he’s always been a little bit unstable, with a cruel streak a mile wide that your grandmother and I tried to keep a close eye on, which is most likely why he craved control and free reign as well. He also had a best friend, they were like brothers really, and he brought out the best in Silas, but he was a part of the fifth family, and when he disappeared, presumed dead, we couldn’t control Silas anymore, and he spiralled.”
I try not to be too obvious, but they’re talking about my father. My father was close enough friends with Rome’s father that he could curb his cruel and violent side, and when he disappeared, Silas was so upset that he completely lost it.
“So why did he put you in the basement instead of killing you off like he planned?” Ace asks.
“Because we’re not stupid, and we haven’t told our children everything. All of them were a little too power-hungry for us to be completely fine with trusting them with the family secrets, like where the vault was,” Ruth grins.
“So instead, he kept you alive in the basement?” Rip asks.
“He’d regularly try to convince us to tell him, made promises of freedom or extra luxuries, that sort of thing, and then he moved on to torture,” Dexter explains grimly.
“What the fuck? He tortured his own parents?” Mason exclaims while Rome doesn’t look surprised at all, and I guess that’s simply because Silas tortured him, his own son, so as far as Rome is concerned, nothing is off limits.
“He didn’t get any information from any of us. We’ve got decades of experience on him,” Cecil smiles wickedly, clearly proud, and so he should be.
Ace’s eyes suddenly widen, and I smile, knowing that it's just clicked what we’re talking about. I’m proved right when he exclaims excitedly, “Wait a fucking minute, there’s treasure? Like a collective treasure?”
The grandparents share a wary look, and honestly, I can understand why because of the way that their children reacted, but they honestly don’t need to worry about that with Ace.
Francis nods as she replies cautiously, “Yes, there is. It’s a collection of our family's heirlooms, our history, and some of our more historical pieces of jewelry.”
Ace suddenly holds his hands up, making her stop talking, and all of the others tense; even though the other guys and I are smiling, Ace says, almost urgently, “Don’t tell me where it is, not that I think you would tell me but don’t. I want to see if I can work it out, see if I can find it myself,” he sounds so excited that my smile immediately widens until his expression falls slightly and he adds, “so long as that’s alright? I won't look for it unless you say it is. I just love a good mystery, and what's the point in looking for treasure if you just get told where it is?”
There’s a brief moment of silence before several of the grandparents let out shocked laughs, and Ace’s grandfather looks incredibly proud as he claps Ace on the shoulder and says, “I have never been more pleased not to be reminded of my son. Your attitude is so different from his, and that’s a damn good thing. I think we can all agree,” he looks around at the others just to double check, but they’re all smiling and looking relieved as well so he continues, “you can absolutely try and find it yourself. I do have to warn you it won’t be easy though, so if you ever want to give up or need a clue, just ask one of us, and we’ll be happy to tell you. We’re already certain that it would be in better hands with you six.”
It makes me smile that they’ve included me in that and not just the guys in that.
