She nods as I lead her into the lounge where Falcon is sitting with Crow and the twins. They’re all grown up now. When their eyes lock on Missy, I want to hide her away. No boys, or men, should be looking at my little sister. But she’s not young anymore, she’s almost eighteen.
“Missy,” Crow greets her, and she offers a soft hello, and one to Falcon. She doesn’t look at the twins, and I’m thankful for that. I wouldn’t want to kill them only as Crow got them back.
We settle in and Lucille joins us moments later. I watch my sister. She’s so different to what I remember. Grown up.
“I was taken to a boat, for weeks,” she says. “In the dark, I spent time with a few other girls who were the same age as me. We didn’t know what was happening. I’m not sure how much time had passed when they pulled us up and took us to some gathering on the deck of this huge boat.”
“Did you see anyone you recognized?” Crow asks before I have time to do so.
Missy shakes her head, “No. Not even the girls were familiar to me. They lined us up, stripped us down, and we were told to be quiet. Men walked up, touched us,” she whispers, and her voice breaks as her emotion trickles down her cheeks. “One of the girls fought back and they killed her right in front of us.”
“Jesus,” Falcon hisses, his anger palpable. “You were auctioned?”
Missy nods. “Yes,” she says. “I was sold for five million.”
“What was his name?” If she can remember, we can get more information on what the fuck happened to her. “Where were you?”
“The man was French. There were Italians as well, but they took other girls. But the one who bought me was royalty or something. His house was in the hills of south France. I… I…” Her words falter, and I wonder why she can’t speak.
What the fuck did she go through that’s hurt her so much?
“I loved him,” she admits and my body grows cold. It’s as if ice is running through my veins. “I really did.” When Missy looks at me, I see it in her eyes. She believes this man was good. But how? He bought her.
“You mean you didn’t want to come home?”
“No, I did. I mean, I just…” She shakes her head as if regret is settling in her gut, her mouth pursed as she ponders her next words. “I missed you all, but he wouldn’t let me leave. But he was a good man.”
“No man who buys a child is good,” I bite out, rage fueling me once more. I’ve spent my life living with anger.
But when Missy looks at me again, she smiles. “He didn’t touch me, didn’t hurt me. He cared for me.” The way she’s talking doesn’t help my anger. “I don’t know why, or how, but I was happy. For a time. The agents came to talk to him, they explained they were undercover and needed his help. They wanted me in exchange for his freedom, immunity. He took it. He let me go so he could walk free.”
“And you want this man free?” This comes from Falcon, the shock in his voice mimics the surprise I’m feeling.
“Yes,” Missy says. Then looks at me. “Promise me you won’t do anything. I’m home now. I’m safe. I won’t leave again, but please, Mikhail,” she pleads, using my real name. I haven’t heard it in so long, it feels strange, foreign. “Promise me.”
I don’t know how to say yes, to vow I won’t find and kill this man, but for my sister, I’ll find it in myself, deep in my soul, to gift her this. “Sure.”
I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but right now, all I want is my family.
All I need is to hold everyone closer because you never know when they’ll be gone.
EPILOGUE
LUCILLE
Six months later
My captors have become my saviors. I didn’t expect to want to stay with them. But I do. After watching my father die, I’ve become accustomed to the fact his life needed to come to an end. There were no more apologies needed.
Crow, Falcon, and Hawk got the vengeance they craved. I’m proud of myself for allowing it to happen. He was after all, my father. My blood. But now he’s no longer in the world, I know I’ll be okay.
Yes, there is darkness inside me, but it’s satiated by the new life I found. Three men have taken me under their wing. Safety has never been something I could claim I felt, not after I learned who my father was and what he did to me. But with The Fallen, I’m home.
There were times over the past few months where I wondered if I would ever be okay with who I am. For years, I hid the darkness. I ignored it, shoved it into the back of my mind. But now I’ve learned how to feed it, how to tame it, I’m no longer afraid.