The next morning, Jax went down to the kitchen to grab some food. He hadn't had much of an appetite in weeks, but he'd woke up starving. It was amazing what having his woman back had done for his attitude and his appetite. The stupid grin on his face attested that he was happier than he'd ever been.

"Somebody finally got his shit together," Hunter said with a smile when he entered the kitchen.

"That I did," Jax happily agreed as he filled a cup with coffee. "Kira and I are engaged."

"That's awesome, dude," Hunter said cheerfully and enveloped him in a bro hug.

From his position at the stove, Sinjin sent him a look over his shoulder. "Brother, you'd better not fuck up again," he said seriously. "Your woman is as lethal with a blade as you are."

The team geek gave a bark of laughter and admitted, "I think Vixen prefers his cock intact."

The former SEAL turned chef came over and gave Jax a fist bump. "Congrats, man. She seems like a hell of a woman."

"She is," he confirmed and then thought to ask, "What did you mean yesterday about Von talking to her?"

Sin and Hunter exchanged a look before the geek said, "You might want to watch the video feed, Blade. He could have been playing more of his mind games on her."

An uneasy feeling crept up his spine, and he knew he wasn't going to like what he saw. "Let's do it," he decided. Ten minutes later his head was still reeling from what he'd heard. Because this put the attack on Kira in an entirely different light. Needing answers, Jax called his brother.

"Somebody better be fucking dead," Raven complained when he answered the phone sounding half asleep.

"Tell me everything you know about my father," Jax demanded.

"Seriously, bro? It's six o-fucking-clock in the morning," he bitched.

"His name, Rave," he pressed impatiently. "What did you tell me mom called him?"

"Erich," he bit out around a yawn.

Erich Von Osterman was Jaeger's father. "You said he was German, but could he have been Austrian?" Jax demanded as a sick feeling entered his gut.

"What's the difference? They both speak German," he imparted grumpily."

"It would explain why the bastard who tortured Kira claimed to be my brother," he bit out.

That obviously cleared the other man's sleep clouded brain because Raven demanded, "You know who the fucker is?"

"I do," he admitted. "And I'm about to deliver his corpse to dear old dad in person."

"Whoa now. Slow your roll, bro," the older brother insisted. "These are not the kind of people you wanna piss off."

"You let me worry about that," he responded. "All I need from you is a way to contact the old man."

A pregnant pause sounded before his brother finally said, "If you're serious about meeting him, I'll set it up if I ride shotgun."

"Done," he confirmed and would have agreed to just about anything so long as it put him in front of his father. Because if Von senior had been complicit in hurting Kira, he was as good as dead. Jax would wipe out the whole goddamn family if that was what it took to keep his Vixen safe.

Since he wasn't sure what he'd be walking in to, he knew that he would need someone he could trust to watch his back. His brother hated the bastard as much as he did, so Raven was a safe bet. Besides, this was personal, and he had no intention of involving the team. "Make it happen. Today if possible," he insisted.

"Consider it done."

Which is how he found himself flying to Austria five hours later.

Chaz and Ashe had thought he was fucking nuts and wanted to send a team in with him. It had taken a hell of a lot of persuasion but Jax had convinced them that this wasn't a full-scale assault. That he and Raven could handle it. Having Rico fly them in the company jet had been their way of providing backup.

Now he just had to eliminate any future threats to his woman from his fucking family.

 

***

 

On their approach to Vienna, the air traffic controller re-routed the Gulfstream to a private airstrip. When they landed, a 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud was waiting for them at the end of the runway. All three men were strapped to the hilt when they debarked and were met by a chauffeur.

"Welcome to Vienna, Herr Caulder," the driver said deferentially and didn't even bat an eye at the weaponry on display. "I am Dieter, your chauffeur."

"Who is your employer, Dieter?" Jax asked evenly.

"Herr Von Osterman, Sir," he responded. "The master wishes me to extend an invitation for you and your companions to be his guests at the Palast des Lichts during your stay."

"And this palast is…?" He queried.

"The Palace of Light is Herr Von Osterman's home," he clarified. "May I collect your luggage, Sir?"

Jax looked at his brother and friend who stared back at him with unreadable expressions. Yeah. They were just as baffled as he was about this unexpected turn of events. Like how the fuck the old man had known when they'd be arriving and how he'd had their flight plan changed. It would appear that his father was as powerful as Raven had claimed.

"We'll keep the luggage with us," he informed Dieter and wasn't about to hand over their bags filled with weapons.

"As you wish, Herr Caulder," Dieter agreed and opened the rear door of the antique car.

Rico commandeered the seat beside the driver while Jax and Raven sat in the back during the short ride to the estate. When they pulled up to the entrance, a security guard opened the wrought iron gate and waved them through. The winding driveway was lined with lighted statues that looked as if they belonged to the Renaissance period.

The house came into view, and the reason for the name became clear. Of Baroque design, the crisp white palace was lit up like a beacon shining in the night. The three-tiered design resembled a massive rectangular wedding cake topped with oxidized copper roofing. A reflecting pool stretched the length of the house complete with fountains in the center.

The entire estate screamed old money and affluence.

Nothing about it appeared sinister or gave evidence that a monster resided there. But Jax knew the truth. The Midas touch was cursed. His father's wealth did not impress him at all. Because he knew it was blood money gained from the unfortunate souls the Illuminate used in their twisted quest for power and domination.

The car stopped in front of the house, and right on cue, a butler stepped outside. The three of them walked up the steps carrying their bags. "Welcome, Herr Caulder. I am Heinrich," the elderly man said stoically as he led them inside. "Herr Von Osterman has been anxiously awaiting your arrival."

The grand foyer was everything that its name implied. Underfoot were Italian marble floors inlaid with what appeared to be a solid gold family crest. Recessed alcoves held priceless sculptures, and authentic Old Masters lined the walls. The blatant show of wealth stopped just short of being ostentatious.

Dressed in tactical pants, shitkickers, and black t-shirts, Jax and Rico looked as out of place as Raven did in his faded jeans, biker boots, and leather jacket. If the servant noticed how obvious it was that the group of armed men didn't belong in the midst of such splendor, he didn't show it.

"When can we meet Herr Von Osterman?" Jax queried.

"The master is available whenever you wish to see him," the servant imparted. "Would you care to retire to your rooms and freshen up? The cook has a meal prepared if you would prefer to dine first."

"I'd prefer to meet your employer now," he requested.

"As you wish," Heinrich agreed with a nod. "If you gentlemen will follow me."

The elderly servant led them up a grand staircase and down a corridor that lacked none of the grandeur of the entrance. He paused outside a set of double doors and placed his hands on the gilt handles. Opening the doors with a flourish, he stepped aside and announced, "Herr Caulder has arrived, Sir."

Whatever Jax had expected to find, this wasn't it.

The monster he'd come to confront turned out to be an emaciated old man. The hospital bed surrounded by a vast array of medical equipment confirmed that Von Osterman didn't have long to live. A nurse rose from a chair beside the bed and quickly left the room with the butler. Rico followed them out to stand guard at the door.

"Jaxon. My son. I have waited a lifetime… for this moment," the older man said in a tone filled with emotion as he stared at him before looking toward the fireplace. "You look so much like my darling Loraine."

His eyes lifted to a portrait hanging over the mantle and Jax was shocked to see his mother's face staring back at him. "You loved her," he said in surprise.

"I worshiped her," Erich admitted. "She was the only good thing in my life. Then she had you, and I had two people to love."

"You've got a funny way of showing it, old man," Raven interjected sarcastically. "Bullet said you didn't give a damn if he killed mom as long as you got Jax."

"A calculated risk," the older man confirmed with a nod and his pale blue eyes never left his son's. "For her own protection, I couldn't let anyone know what your mother meant to me. In light of what happened to your team's wives, I'm sure you understand."

"Oh, I understand," Jax said in a tone as cold and hard as his expression as he walked up beside the bed. "I understand your son targeted my woman to hurt me. The sadistic bastard raped and tortured her for a week before he left her for dead."

The older man had paled to ash, his blue eyes filled with pain. "My youngest is an abomination," he admitted with genuine disgust. "I should have killed him when he was a child, but that would have defeated the purpose. The only reason I married his mother was to secure an heir to continue this blasphemous dynasty."

"Right. Because you couldn't get your hands on Jax," Raven derided.

"I could have taken you at any time, but I never wanted this life for you," Erich insisted as he continued to hold Jax's gaze. "The Illuminati consumes every aspect of your life. There is no escape from it. The doctrine states that we must produce heirs to carry on the cause, so I gave them the demon spawn that they deserved."

"What's left of your demon is in a body bag," Jax informed him bluntly.

"I'm very sorry that he hurt your woman and caused you pain, Jaxon," he admitted regretfully. " I always knew that Jaeger resented you. He knew that you were the child of my heart while he was merely a sacrificial offering to placate the king."

If the old man were to be believed, he hated the Illuminati with a passion. Since he was an expert at reading people, Jax was convinced that his father was telling the truth. Which meant he could be a valuable ally. That thought prompted him to ask, "What can you tell us about the Illuminati?"

"We are indoctrinated as children to never speak of the Org with non-members. It is forbidden. A high crime punishable by death," Erich explained.

"And yet you're discussing it with us," Raven pointed out.

"I am explaining it to my son, which is an acceptable part of the indoctrination process," he countered and never even glanced in the other man's direction. Erich lifted a skeletal hand and pointed to a bookshelf built into the wall. It was filled with leather-bound volumes. "My journals contain everything you need to know."

"Why are you telling me this," Jax demanded. "What do you hope to gain by exposing them?"

"Vengeance," he insisted grimly. "Because of the Org I had to stay away from the only woman I'd ever loved. The only person who'd ever loved me. It ruined my life, and I want it destroyed. It's obvious that your team intends to do it. I'm merely giving you the means to accomplish the deed."

The door opened, and Rico stuck his head inside. "The nurse say's she needs to give him his meds," he informed them. Jax nodded his consent, and his teammate stepped aside to let her enter.

The woman walked over to the bed and said briskly, "It is very late, and Herr Von Osterman needs his rest. I ask that you continue your conversation in the morning."

When the older man bit out a weak rebuke in German, Jax laid a hand on his frail arm. His father looked even more haggard than he had when they'd arrived. The convo had obviously taken a toll on his already failing health. "We'll talk more in the morning," he confirmed.

Erich's eyes were damp with unshed tears when he grasped hold of Jax's hand with surprising strength. "Meeting you has been an honor, Jaxon," he said in a voice choked with emotion. "Your mother would have been proud of the man you've become. As am I."

Since he had no idea how to respond to that, Jax merely nodded his acknowledgment and gently extracted his hand. When he and Raven were at the door, Erich said, "Thank you for destroying the demon. Goodnight, my son."

Jax laid awake that night contemplating what he had learned. It seemed his father had been trapped inside the Org with no way out. In order to protect the woman he loved and their son, he had left them with a man who had brutalized them both. If Erich had thought that was the safest option, he wondered how bad life in the Illuminati really was.

And how many others were unwillingly trapped in its web as well.

 

***

 

The next morning after being served a breakfast befitting royalty, Heinrich led them to the study and introduced them to his father's attorney. Adolph Stein greeted them cordially and offered them a seat before settling himself behind the antique desk.

"I regret to inform you that Herr Von Osterman passed away during the night," he imparted somberly.

His father was dead? What the fuck? Jax's first thought was that the old man had been killed to keep him quiet. "Why was I not informed of this before now?" He demanded.

"The servants were afraid to tell you, Herr Caulder," the man admitted and looked pointedly at the weapons strapped to his chest.

"Seems a little too coincidental to me," Raven opined suspiciously. "Like maybe someone expedited his demise."

The attorney looked genuinely appalled. "I assure you that is not the case," he hastily denied. "Herr Von Osterman was diagnosed with a terminable form of cancer and has been ill for quite some time. His physician is convinced the only reason he held on for as long as he did was the hope of meeting his son."

Mother fucking hell.

Jax had no emotional connection to his father, so the man's untimely death meant little to him personally. After all, Erich had been a complete stranger, but he had hoped that Von senior could become a valuable ally. It was frustrating to realize that this was just another dead end in their war with the Illuminati.

He hoped like hell the journals had as much info as the old man had claimed. If they did, it would make the trip worthwhile. Jax fixed the attorney with a piercing look and said, "Herr Von Osterman wanted me to have his journals. I'll be taking them with me when I leave."

When he rose to his feet, the man blinked owlishly at him and replied, "Certainly, Herr Caulder. Please have a seat while we go over the other items your father bequeathed to you."

Curious as to what else there was, and hoping it was something to help them fight the Org, Jax parked his ass back in the chair. A minute later, he was glad that he had. Otherwise, he might have hit the floor when his knees went weak. Because Erich Von Osterman had named him as his sole heir.

Mother fucking hell.

 

***

 

In spite of the fact that Jax was now saddled with billions of dollars he neither wanted nor needed, the trip had been fruitful. He now had a better understanding of the Illuminati and the crates of journals he'd brought back could provide even more valuable intel about the organization and how to bring it down.

He'd also discovered that Kira's friend Savannah Summers was a clinical psychologist with the skills to help his woman in ways he couldn't. In the hopes that Kira would open up to her friend, he'd arranged for Savannah to return to the island with him. Yeah, she was a little broken herself, but he was hoping the two women could help each other heal.

As to the unwanted inheritance, Kira had come up with the perfect way to put it to good use. Since Chaz had turned the company's books over to her, she knew exactly what their financial state was. After they discussed it, he informed Ashe and Chaz what he intended to do with the money.

"Say what?" Chaz asked in disbelief.

"I'm investing it all in the business," Jax repeated. "Its blood money and I don't want it. Using it to bring down the Illuminati is poetic justice, so it's yours."

The partners shared a look of disbelief before they looked back at him again. "Blade, man, we appreciate the thought," Ashe began. "But we can't just take your money."

"Dude, you're talking about billions," Steel pointed out.

"Kira told me that you're using every dime the company makes to pay the team, run the island and finance the on book missions," he informed them. "Which means you two are using your personal funds to wage war on the Illuminati. I know its bleeding you dry so don't try to tell me you can't use a few extra billion.

"I knew I should have taken a course in accounting," Chaz muttered.

Ashe ignored his partner to say, "We're all in because it's our war."

"The hell it is," Jax denied. "They targeted the entire team, so it's our war. And brother, after what they did to my Vixen, you'd better fucking know I'm all in."

"We can't take your money, Jax," Ashe refused after a pregnant pause where he and Chaz exchanged another speaking look. "Not unless you agree to come on board as a partner."

"Partner?" Jax repeated the word in surprise.

"A legitimate business arrangement where you can legally invest your personal funds into Invictus Security," Chaz expounded.

Jax looked at their matching bland expressions and asked, "Why do I feel like I just got played?"

"We were discussing bringing you in as a partner when you stormed in here demanding we take your money," Ashe confessed.

"Seriously? You fuckers let me do that whole song and dance just to yank my chain?" He demanded in exasperation.

"Fuck yeah," Chaz confirmed with a devilish grin.

"So what do ya say, Blade? Partners?" Ashe asked and extended his hand.

"Till the bitter end," he agreed and clasped it with his.