Page 77 of Vow of Revenge
We sat by the window in our usual French restaurant, at the same table we always sat, in the same seats. The table was set for three with Syrah’s seat empty and the entire restaurant, for that matter.
“You look worn out.” I sat, feeling his pain vibrate from his soul. “And, Wendy, has she been able to get out of bed?”
His eyes dropped. “She’s still sedated. I’ve arranged for all of us have counselling. It’s not negotiable, especially for you.”
My brows pulled together. “What do you mean?”
Calvin rested his elbows on the table, his fingers steepled. “This is a very sensitive matter. I wasn’t sure if this discussion should proceed, given the circumstances, but I feel it’s your right to know.” He slipped into his business tone, the one he saves for people he’s about to wipe out. His eyes clouded like shutters were drawn. “I couldn’t face going to your apartment to discuss this, so I’ve rented out the whole restaurant for privacy. No one will disturb us.”
“You’re freaking me out.” I swallowed hard. More bad news could tip my already wavering balance.
He inhaled deeply, secrets teasing his tongue. “Your mother was a mistress, of sorts, for a wealthy man called Damien Kingston.” Those grey eyes of his pinned me with a serious glare. “The man was a deranged bastard, and at that time, he was the head of Vertus Circulo.” Cal glance down at the thick golden pinkie ring. “Ana endured his cruelty.” My mother’s name. Such a pretty, simple name. My heart pinched with regret. “The Vertus Circulo was different back then, we were a bunch of entitled, arrogant assholes. We did things… the members did things.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Wendy knew I had encounters with other women. All the wives did. Until we had Syrah, and then my outlook on life started to change. My family became the only thing in this world that mattered.”
“Why didn’t you leave the Vertus Circulo then or try to stop them?”
“You don’t leave the VC, Freya. We’re sworn in and only death is the way out.” Calvin waved the waiter away. “Give us a moment.”
“What did he do to her?” My veins jumped.
“Your mother’s sadness screamed out to me. She was so pretty and sweet. Timid but filled with an inner strength. A fire that burned so strongly for her daughter.” His sigh lowered his shoulders. “I didn’t lay a finger on her. At that stage I’d given up playing along with their games and screwing around. Once I realised what the bastard had been doing to her, I tried to help. I swear it to you, Freya.” His voice cracked under the pressure of his confession. “Damien overheard us talking. I had a plan to set your mother up in the city – with you. I was trying to rescue her, Freya. I promise.” His palms dragged down his cheeks. “I only saw her when we were at his home. That’s where he kept her, locked away until the men were ready to…”
A whimper escaped my throat. “Don’t stop.”
“After I told her about the plan, I left with the intention of returning a few days later when Damien was away on business, but he beat her…” His eyes glazed. Pain seared his face, worn as a mask of eternal misery. “I’ve often wondered if my interference is what really killed her. If I hadn’t tried to help, maybe the sick fuck would’ve let her go eventually.”
I was speechless. A thick fog clung to my brain. “Cal… are you telling me…?” I whispered, clutching the table. “Did he kill her?”
“I told you she was strong willed, didn’t I?” His fingers stretched across the clean white cotton tablecloth and rested on my mine. “She fought back, Freya, she slit his throat. He died almost instantly.”
Sobs bubbled in my throat, born from both pride and sorrow.
“Freya, your mother died of her injuries in a car hanger at his house. She was found in one of his collectible cars.”
“The red Spyder?”
Calvin nodded.
“She used to tell me about a beautiful red car. She said she felt like, Sophia Loren, from the movies.” Emotion mounted in my chest. “Why did you tell me it was a car accident? It wasmurder!” Tears blazed a heated tail down my cheeks.
“I tried to protect you from the truth, from the aftermath. She was found dead in the Ferrari, so a car accident seemed plausible. She slit his throat, Freya. Even though he tortured her, essentially, she killed him. None of us truly knew what happened that day, apart from the only other person who witnessed it.”
“Who?”
“His son. Kaleb Kingston, otherwise known as Kaleb De Courcy.”
The air caught in my windpipe. My father’s shocking words pumped into my heart like the bullets of a machine gun. “Kaleb De Courcy?”
His head bowed. “Sean De Courcy changed Kaleb’s name to protect him from any media fall out but not before I ordered him to change it so that bastard’s name ended the second he died.” Cal scratched his jaw with a rough swipe. “Sean thought I’d let that kid into the VC, for fuck sake. Look how he turned out – just like his father. He’s a manipulative snake with no respect for women. I warned them to keep him away from you. He watched Ana murder his father.”
My head went face first to my palms.
“His uncle assured me at the time that Kaleb didn’t remember what happened, but no one could forget that?” He shook his head. “Ana, your mother, murdered, Kaleb De Courcy’s father, and he saw it happen. Freya, he’s been waiting to get revenge all this time.” Cal dabbed his brow with a napkin. “We agreed to keep the whole ordeal buried between the two families with one condition, that Kaleb kept his distance and left you alone.”
The room began to spin. “Hemurdered her!” My veins pulsated and my heart split open. “Why is the focus on her killing her abuser? That bastard killed my poor mother. She was supposed to take me away with her. We were going to run away and start a new life together. She loved me, Cal. She really loved me.” I pressed my palm over my mouth, staving the sobs that juddered through me. “I though his feelings for me were real.”
