The Revenge by Tijan

“You thought,” I corrected him.

“What?”

“Quinn didn’t think. She was setting you up. But you thought you were doing the right thing. It’s a difference that needs to be acknowledged. You were trying to be a good father at that moment,” I said, before another thought hit me. “When are you going to tell Cyclone?”

“As soon as he wakes up. Figured that’s best, so he doesn’t hear it from someone else.” His response was swift. He’d already thought long and hard about it. “Like you said, no more secrets. I do worry what this will do for Seraphina, finding out she’s the only child from Quinn now.”

“I’m worried what Bailey’s feeling, knowing that you chose to keep her out when you brought Cyclone in.”

“That’s not…” But he stopped, his mouth gaping. A groan came from him. “I didn’t even think about that.” A pause. He shook his head. “But it’s different. The circumstances were different.”

“Yeah, and a part of that genius brain of hers will know that. She’ll understand it. But the daughter in her might not feel the same.”

“What do you suggest I do?”

I shrugged, a full yawn working its way out of me. “Just be honest. Truth might hurt, but in the long run it’s always what heals, too.”

He nodded, sipping more of his coffee before nodding at me. “Go, Kash. We can talk about the rest with the family later. Be with your woman, because I know you’re one of those on that same list, too. She’ll be a lot happier once you walk into that room.”

“’Night, old man.” I threw him a quick grin.

He smiled. “’Morning, son.”





FIFTY-SEVEN

Bailey


The next morning, Chrissy took center stage first, sitting on the couch in Peter’s study, surrounded by all of us.

For some reason it felt more intimate, more private. Peter was sitting next to her, holding her hand, and Seraphina was to her left, nestled between her and Marie.

Everyone was silent as Chrissy spoke, focusing her attention on me. “When they took me, I didn’t know what was happening. They told me later what they made you see, but I didn’t really understand it. Not until they showed me a videotape.”

Jesus.

I had to stand. I couldn’t do this while I was sitting.

Kash caught me, but he only brought my back to his chest and wrapped an arm around my front. I leaned back on him.

“I saw what you saw and I was horrified. Bailey.” Her voice broke, a hand going to her chest. Seraphina scooted closer, wrapping both her arms around Chrissy’s free one. Peter closed his eyes, his head hanging down. He had an arm resting on the couch behind Chrissy.

“When I think about what you must’ve thought, what you went through…” Her voice trembled before she paused and came back clearer. The emotion was tucked back. “Never again, Bailey. Never again. I won’t let it.”

“And when Chase got you?” The question came from the side, from where Matt was leaning back against one of the bookshelves.

“Who’s Chase?” Cyclone asked, perched on Payton’s lap on one of the other chairs. Peter had told him and Seraphina about the final family secret that was revealed in court yesterday. It wasn’t done in a family meeting setting, but more privately. I wasn’t there, but I heard about it. Seraphina had gasped, then started crying. Cyclone hadn’t reacted.

Chrissy had been in the hallway, and she’s the one who told me about it. “He didn’t say anything. What do you think that means?”

“I think he just needs to process it. A quick reaction wouldn’t be normal. I think this is normal.” And seeing him firmly huddling on his real mother’s lap, it seemed maybe I was right.

Payton had stress lines all over her face. Her eyes were panicky, like if she made the wrong move, Cyclone would leap from her lap and declare her a horrible mother or something. She had the whole deer-in-headlights look, and it wasn’t going away. I was half expecting to see her sweating buckets within an hour.

Peter turned to Kash, who tensed behind me, a slight curse under his breath.

Peter grinned. “You said no more secrets.”

“He’s not a part of this.”

Matt gestured to the couch. “Thinking he is, since he’s the one who saved my next stepmother.”

Peter’s head whipped over. “Matthew.”

Matt shrugged. “What?” He grinned. “No more secrets, Dad.”

Seraphina sat even further upright. Her arms dropped from around Chrissy’s arm, but they were still linked around her hands. “Wait. What?” She looked between Chrissy and Peter. “You two?”

Cyclone snorted. “Even I knew that much, and I’m ten and three-quarters.” He looked at Kash. “Who’s Chase?”

I drew in a deep breath.

Kash said, “He’s my brother.”

Marie sucked in another breath.

Theresa, who was also in our meeting but had been quiet and in the background, muttered.

“You have a brother?”

All eyes went to Seraphina, who was no longer holding on to Chrissy at all. Her hands were resting on her own legs. She had scooted to the edge of the couch. Her gaze was firmly latched onto Kash. “Like a real brother?”