Assassin Deception Read online

  They turned, making their way towards the lake. All three were arm in arm.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “Chloe, it is time we go and visit your mother,” James said.

  Chloe nodded after casting a quick glance in Damien’s direction. She rose from her seated position in the living room to take James’ hand. She was surprised and thrilled at his strong grip. He was recovering well. Chloe was so thankful he hadn’t died.

  When he had returned home from the hospital she had sat holding his hand while he lay in bed. His sorrow-filled, sunken eyes had rested on her questionably from his pale, haggard face. His once blond hair was now a shock of white; he had aged.

  When she had muttered she forgave him he had relaxed visibly and finally slept easier. Afterwards, his recovery was faster. Once his mind and inner turmoil had healed it allowed his body to do the same.

  To Chloe’s great surprise James drove his own car; they were alone. Very rarely had Chloe ever driven with James alone without the aid of his bodyguards. On Chloe’s lap was a small bouquet of carnations, her mother’s favorite.

  The silence wasn’t altogether awkward, although perhaps a touch strained; neither seemed inclined to comment. Chloe cleared her throat and James sighed.

  The tree-lined road they followed was enchanting with its brilliant colors of autumn. The sun warmed her through the window, reflecting off the black dashboard. The view was picturesque.

  James slowed and pulled to the side of a small cul-de-sac. Off to the far side was a tiny cemetery. The meticulous lawn was a dark hunter green with shrubs transformed into various animals. Most of the headstones were impressive statues. Benches were strategically placed for the comfort of the visiting.

  It was like a wonderland for the deceased. It was very obvious the elite were buried here. James turned off the ignition and exited the car. Chloe opened her door and joined him. They clasped hands and strolled through the headstones.

  When James stopped, Chloe was surprised to see she was standing before her grandfather’s grave, and not her mother’s. A sweet standing cherub guarded over him. It was surprising to see something so innocent when Chloe knew what he had been. She turned a questioning look to James.

  James took a deep breath and began, “This won’t be an easy story to tell, Chloe, and it will be equally hard to listen to and understand, but we will both give it our best shot…” James took another deep breath and continued, “Drake went on one of his missions. I was, of course, with him. The house we came to was in the middle of nowhere, broken down, barely standing, deserted, or so we thought. For a moment we assumed it was a trap, but continued on, grinning like fools.

  “We were young, reckless, in spite of the fact that Drake had a wife and young son, and I was about to be married to Samantha. We strolled through the house feeling full of our power, armed to the teeth. Strong men, a force to be reckoned with when apart, when together we were unstoppable.

  “Before long we heard soft, heart-wrenching weeping. We made our way toward the sound and prepared ourselves for the worst. When we burst through the door into the bedroom, a young woman screamed and cowered back with her hands held pleadingly before her. She was covered in blood, dying, a pitiful little thing, to be sure. She had been shot, much the same way I had been when Dirk found me that night. We were miles from the nearest hospital and it was obvious she had been suffering for some time.

  “There was nothing we could do for her. She claimed it was she who had contacted us. Skeptical, we warily approached and she cried out there wasn’t much time. Desperately she told us her story. Her husband had borrowed money from someone he shouldn’t have. He was unable to pay it back. He had already been killed, used as an example, and yet she was also unable to pay the remaining fee.

  “She knew there was no hope for her, but she had heard from someone how we operated. She begged us to save her son, no one knew he existed. Drake and I were at a loss, of course. We had come spoiling for a fight and found instead an innocent. What were we to do with a child? Where was this child she claimed to have?” James took in a ragged breath; his hand wiped over his eyes at the memory.

  “The woman had hidden the boy in the small attic before she had been mortally wounded. The men had left her for dead. As she took her last breath, she pointed up above her head. Her eyes remained open in a death stare as though seeking one last glimpse. When Drake climbed into the ceiling he emerged shortly with a young, dark-haired boy of no more than three. His wide, frightened eyes gazed up at us, so filled with sorrow. His little arms had wrapped themselves around Drake’s neck and he buried his face into his chest, whimpering.

  “Drake was smitten instantly. The boy’s resemblance to Drake was uncanny; if one hadn’t known otherwise you would have guessed the child to be his natural son. The paperwork was easy to come by, forged.

  “Once your grandmother set eyes on the boy she had to have him. She and Drake ‘adopted’ him, loved him. No one ever knew the child wasn’t theirs. They never even told the boy. He was too young not to think he hadn’t been born into their family; they always allowed him to believe this.”

  “You’re talking about my father, aren’t you, James?” Chloe asked. Her father had been the little boy in the picture her granny was holding. She realized now why they were all alone at the cemetery. James was going to tell her everything. She wondered if she really wanted to know, but realized there was no going back. James was gifting her with his complete trust.

  Instead of confirming her question James continued on. “Drake was a good man. He loved his family, they were everything to him. His exterior was so rough it was hard to believe how caring he could be, how gentle. He tried so hard never to harm an innocent.

  “A year after Damien was born Drake had a mission. It was imperative he leave immediately and not wait. I was unable to accompany him; Samantha had become ill. She had always had such a hard time after pregnancy and her immune system had yet to recover, even after a year. It had taken so long in the beginning for her to conceive Dirk. The doctors advised after Damien’s birth we should never try again for another child.

  “Drake was sent to dispose of an evil man who had destroyed an entire family. The man had kidnapped their young daughter, but no hopes were left of the girl’s survival, knowing what the man was like.

  “Drake tracked him relentlessly through bush until he came across his cabin. Let’s suffice it to say Drake got his man, but to his disbelief the young girl was a very beautiful woman and surprisingly unharmed, though terribly frightened, filthy and alone.

  “Drake took great care with her, sensing her fear; she grew to trust him. She was grateful he had saved her. They spent time together while he found their way out of the woods. He kept her alive and close. He coaxed laughter from her, promised no one would ever harm her again. But when their journey was over they discovered they had fallen in love.

  “Drake was torn. He had a wife whom he loved, two boys who were now young men, but he couldn’t get the young woman out of his mind. Her image haunted him until he could deny himself her presence no longer. They became lovers for a short time until Drake finally broke it off, though he was loath to let her go.

  “The girl was devastated. Drake was the only man she had ever been with. She had no family. She adored him, loved him, idolized him. He had been everything to her. She sobbed to him she couldn’t live without him. If she could just see him, even from a distance…

  “I’m sure you can imagine Drake’s surprise when a couple of months later his ex-lover showed up at his door with his youngest son, declaring they had gotten married. Drake was dumbfounded, but had to keep her secret. He also confided he was happy to have her close where he could keep an eye on her. He loved her, too.”

  “My mother was my grandfather’s lover?” Chloe asked incredulously, feeling sick.

  “No, Chloe. Your mother was your father’s lover. When she declared she was pregnant with you, Drake knew beyond doubt you were his child. That
she passed you off as his son’s hurt him to no end. Never being able to claim you, risk hurting everyone, losing everything. He told no one but me. But his need to keep you and your mother safe was a driving force.

  “That was the real reason you were moved close to my home, where we could protect you. Make no mistake, Chloe, both you and your mother were loved desperately by him. For some reason after Drake died, the man you thought was your father found out his wife had been having an affair, or perhaps even before Drake died.

  “As the years drifted by and your face changed with your growth, taking on more characteristics of another, he began to wonder if you were his. Your eyes were a dead giveaway. It became clear to me the first time he ever beat you was to draw blood with a single purpose in mind.”

  “DNA,” Chloe whispered, still in shock. She flopped to the ground, burying her head in her hands. It wasn’t long before James settled beside her.

  “I’m uncertain if it was his older brother he suspected. Drake and his eldest boy looked a great deal alike, while your features were the image of the both of them. Unfortunately, while it was confirmed you were not his, it was also revealed he was not Drake’s son.

  “He was livid, angry…so was your granny. You can imagine her surprise when it was revealed her husband had had an affair, and his lover and their child had been right under her nose for years, a woman she had protected as best as she could, a child she adored as her grandchild. The betrayal was too much for her to bear. She felt used, she felt like an idiot.”

  “But Granny loved me,” Chloe said in anguish.

  James saddened eyes captured hers. “She loved you as much as she began to hate your mother. Her thoughts were so filled with hate and hurt she turned evil, ugly, twisted. I’m so sorry, I never knew. It was all revealed to me three years ago right before Samantha died.

  “Your grandmother planted the book of hits after the explosion. Yes, it had been her son’s original book of executions, a trophy book of sorts, but she added to it, making it beyond cruel, even more frightening. She was angry with me for killing her son, but sparing your mother’s life. She never let on, she played her part well.

  “She devised a plan, set the wheels in motion, drugged your mother to make it seem she was going crazy. The ‘helpful’ people I assumed she hired to help keep an eye on her aided in her mind loss, manipulating her, controlling her with debilitating drugs. I never even knew she suspected you were Drake’s.”

  “She knew?” Chloe muttered. “She sent me away.”

  “Chloe, she wanted your mother to be all alone, as alone as she had felt for so many years without Drake. It was her original intention to dispose of your mother and raise you herself, but decided she wanted her punished. Her irrational mind concluded if your mother lived she would be kept away from Drake, unable to reunite with him in death.

  “When your grandmother discovered she herself was dying, she wanted you removed from the home. She didn’t feel your mother deserved to have you. Sooner or later she felt you would catch on, aid your mother or come to me, perhaps even grow to love her instead of the indifference you usually showed towards her.

  “The idea ate at her. She always knew I would take your word over hers or anyone else’s. She knew you would one day question the medication, question the people giving it to her. She didn’t want you hurt by someone if you found out. As angry as she was, you were still a part of her beloved husband. She never stopped loving Drake, or you. She placed the blame entirely onto your mother.”

  “I failed her,” Chloe said, weeping. “My poor mother, deceived again by someone who should have loved her. I abandoned her as I had thought she had abandoned me.”

  “We all failed her, but you were a child, you can’t blame yourself. Drake, your father, loved you. He provided for you and asked above all else, anyone else, I protect you.

  “Please understand, your father was like my brother. I loved him. I was devastated when he died. It was so hard to let you go away to school. It was like losing him all over again. Every time you walked out the door a part of me went with you until I would see you again. I still find it hard to believe I had been tricked into letting you go.”

  “What happened three years ago, James? How did you find all of this out?” Chloe asked with trepidation. She had a feeling the rest of the iceberg was about to be revealed.

  James hung his head so sadly. Chloe lifted his chin with her hand. She was startled to see James weeping. That alone frightened her further.

  “As I loved Drake so too did Samantha love your grandmother. Samantha left everyone she knew for me. It had been difficult for her, but she loved me. I took her away, brought her to my home where she had no one but me. Drake’s wife took her under her wing; they became the best of friends, inseparable most times. Drake and I were away often, leaving them together with our sons. They grew as close as sisters, closer.

  “Before your grandmother died she talked my loving wife into allowing the ruse to continue. Samantha was devastated with the loss of her best friend; she would have promised her anything on her deathbed.

  “I was beyond dismayed when Samantha admitted everything on her own deathbed. I was so hurt she allowed you to go away each time, knowing it could have been stopped. I know how much Samantha loved you and how much you loved her, I just wanted to protect her image in your mind. Because your grandmother loved you and the hate was directed toward your mother only, she promised she would make certain you would be taken from your mother.

  “Your grandmother had convinced my Samantha that your mother was evil, horrible to do what she did to her family. Samantha justified it in her own mind. Even on the day she died Samantha believed she had done the right thing. Your grandmother insinuated that somehow Drake’s death might even have been your mother’s fault. Your grandmother suspected it was their adopted son who murdered your father and half brother in a jealous rage. To this day I’m uncertain.”

  “But why?” Chloe cried, distressed. She had known, known Samantha had loved her. How could she? Was that why Samantha had been such a loving surrogate mother to her? Out of guilt?

  “She understood how hurt her friend was that your mother married her son only with the intention of getting close to Drake. By the time Drake had died, your mother realized what she had done. She really had grown to care for her husband. She tried to make it work with him, but the suspicion was there. He was manipulating her mind, but not the way we had thought.

  “He was anguished at the betrayal, first by Drake, a man he had thought to be his real father, and then his wife. He couldn’t handle it. He had loved you, Chloe, he had been so proud when you were born.

  “Then to find out you weren’t his, his father, mother and brother weren’t his, he questioned everything and everyone. He felt he was no one, alone, that he had nothing. Everything was a lie, his entire life was a lie. The deception ate him up inside until it destroyed him.”

  “Like it almost destroyed me,” Chloe said in understanding. Thankfully she hadn’t let it consume her; her love for her family too great. “But if you knew three years ago about my mother, why didn’t you stop what was happening to her?”

  “I did, but by then she had pushed you away. When her reality began to return she ended up hating herself. Wanting to be with Drake when she felt she had no one left. I was still unsure who had killed your father and uncle. I just couldn’t stand the thought of it being Drake’s boy, a child he had loved and called his own. I couldn’t risk telling you the truth, if someone were to find out you were Drake’s child…If the killer really was still out there…”

  “Then why now?” Chloe asked.

  “I had intentionally called you home for a reason. There is one more thing I have been keeping from you, Chloe. One more very important thing that you are finally ready for,” James stated. He held out his hand. “Come with me, sweetheart. It’s time to see your mother.”

  James helped her to her shaky feet. Chloe was surprised when Damien came to st
and beside her. “Salvator?” she questioned. “Have you been here the whole time?”

  “We will do this together, sweetheart,” Damien said, nuzzling her neck. She moved into his arms, seeking his strength. Damien cuddled her closely, then kissed the top of her head and turned her around.

  All three went back to James’ car and Chloe became confused when they drove from the cemetery. “Isn’t Mother buried here?” she asked.

  James had sat Chloe in the backseat beside himself while Damien drove. He clutched her hand. “Your mother was unsuccessful at her overdose attempt. She is alive, and through extensive counseling is doing quite well in a beautiful home that is safe. She is finally happy and very eager to see you, Chloe,” James declared. The blood drained from Chloe’s face. She thought she might faint.

  It wasn’t long before Damien pulled into a quiet driveway on a tiny street. The house was beautiful and large. Chloe stepped out with trepidation. She was remembering her mother’s howls the last time she had seen her. The panic she had been in when Dirk had entered the room. Her wild, crazed eyes. It had been such a pitiful sight, Chloe didn’t know if she could go through that again. But her mother was alive; she had a chance to at least tell her she was sorry. Chloe straightened her shoulders and, with determination, she walked up the few white steps to the front door. She turned when she noticed neither of the men had joined her.

  “Salvator?”

  “If you need me I’m right here, babe. I’m not going anywhere, I promise,” he replied. He offered her his bright smiling grin; his eyes were awash with tenderness. His pride in her radiated from within. Damien settled himself back against the car.

  Chloe entered the house on quiet feet in trepidation. It was large and clean smelling, though not antiseptic. Numerous bright, beautiful pictures adorned the long mint-colored walls. A pleasant woman with a round face and smiling green eyes greeted her. Chloe gave her her mother’s name and the woman led her through the house onto a large terrace.