Keeping His Promise
Thane and Wallace returned to the apartment to find Brie pacing.
When Thane wheeled himself into the apartment, she ran over to him, checking him over as if she expected to see wounds on his body.
“What’s all this about?”
“I don’t know. I just got a really bad feeling before you called, and I couldn’t shake it until I saw you in person.”
Thane looked at Wallace with concern.
He pulled her into his lap and held her close. “We’re going to be okay, Brie.”
She lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him. “Something’s seriously wrong.”
“Yes,” he answered truthfully. “Normally, in this kind of situation, I would spare you the details until I had a better handle on it. However, I am honoring my promise to you.”
“Did Lilly escape?” she asked in horror.
“No, babygirl. You’re safe, but the situation is grim.”
She glanced at Wallace. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”
He just nodded, looking at her with sympathy.
Brie swallowed hard and turned back to Thane, a whimper escaping her lips.
“I do not believe rehabilitation is possible.”
Her face lost all color. “You’re not planning to…?” Her voice trailed off, a horrified expression on her face.
Thane was blunt. “I’m weighing every option, given the severity of the situation.”
“But, Sir…”
He nodded to Wallace. “I want to thank you for your help tonight.”
“Anytime. I’ll get out of your hair, but let me know when the others can meet and I’ll be there.”
“Of course,” Thane answered.
Before Wallace left, he told Brie, “I’m sorry my plan didn’t work. I was hoping for a better outcome for everyone.”
She looked up at him, her bottom lip trembling. “So was I.”
Wallace nodded, clearly unhappy. He headed out the door without looking back.
Thane cupped Brie’s chin and gazed into her eyes. “I will keep you safe, no matter what it takes.”
“I’m scared for us, Sir,” she whispered.
“We’ll be okay.”
“Just knowing Lilly is out there terrifies me but, if she dies, we will be responsible.” Brie looked down at her belly. “Our baby can’t live under the shadow of such violence.”
Thane’s blood began to boil, thinking about what Lilly planned for their baby. Whether she would follow through with it remained to be seen, but the fact that she was contemplating it…
“Brie, she has absolutely no remorse for what she’s done, and she plans to do worse if she escapes.”
“What did you hear?”
Thane looked at her with concern, worried for her well-being. This seemed like one of those times when keeping the truth to yourself could be considered a mercy, but he forged on.
“As you know, I did not speak with her, I simply listened in on the conversation she was having with the informant. But, Brie, what she said has me so upset and angry I cannot voice it aloud—not yet. I’m sorry.” He closed his eyes, trying to rein in the black, seething hatred he held for Lilly. The need for action hard to ignore.
Brie placed her hand on his jaw and looked into his eyes with a mixture of fear and compassion.
Thane cleared his throat. “Suffice to say, she is adamant about hurting Durov, you, and the baby.”
“Now she’s after Rytsar, too?”
“The one good thing I heard the entire evening was that Lilly is terrified of Durov.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Rytsar can handle himself, but I worry for our informant. Lilly is demented and dangerous. I don’t know what to do.”
Brie shuddered in his arms. “But we can’t become what she is, Sir.”
“It would be out of self-defense.”
“How would we be any different, then? It doesn’t feel right, Sir. Not when it’s done in cold blood.”
He understood her reasoning, because he was struggling with that same issue. “I think you should attend the meeting, but I will need to speak to the informant first. She was promised anonymity but, due to the seriousness of this situation and the fact it revolves around you, I feel it is necessary that you be there.”
“I agree, Sir. We have to remain united. If we aren’t, this will tear us apart.”
“I know, babygirl,” he murmured, pressing her head against his chest.
Thane closed his eyes, still reeling from Lilly’s depravity, and made a silent vow.
I will do anything to protect you—anything.
Thane was grateful to Mary, who encouraged him to bring Brie to the meeting. They gathered at the Training Center in a hidden secret room only a select few knew about.
Since all five were part of the Center, being there would raise no suspicions, and the only person who understood the reason behind the gathering was Marquis Gray.
“Mr. and Mrs. Davis, what a pleasant surprise to see you,” Rachel said when she saw them approaching the front desk.
She smiled at Sir, welcoming him with the standard greeting she’d given him for five years, “Good afternoon, Sir Davis.”
“And the same to you, Rachel.”
“I’m so glad to see you again,” she gushed, having not seen Thane since the plane crash.
“Hopefully, the next time I come, I will be walking without any assistance.” He took Brie’s hand and kissed it. “But I consider myself a fortunate man to have such a beautiful woman to wheel me about.”
Rachel gazed at him affectionately. “Oh, Sir Davis, the Center hasn’t been the same without you.”
Thane didn’t miss the look of guilt in Brie’s eyes after hearing Rachel’s comment. He knew that Brie felt responsible for him stepping down as Headmaster. Squeezing her hand reassuringly, he glanced at Brie’s stomach and told Rachel. “As you can see, Brie and I have been keeping ourselves busy.”
“Congratulations to you both. I couldn’t be happier for you.”
“Thank you. Rachel, do you know if Mr. Wallace has already arrived?”
“He has, Sir Davis.”
“Excellent. I’m sure Headmaster Anderson is keeping you on your toes.”
“And in stitches,” she added with a smile. “Have a good day, you two. I can’t wait to meet Baby Davis in the near future.”
Brie wheeled Thane into the open elevator, telling him how wonderful it was to see Rachel again but, once the doors were closed, she immediately grew quiet and started fidgeting.
“Do you trust me, Brie?”
She stopped and put her hands behind her back. “Of course, Sir.”
“Then there is no reason to be anxious. You believe knowledge is power, correct?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Then we will take what we learn today and make the best decision possible for everyone.”
Brie leaned against the wheelchair and kissed him soundly on the lips just as the doors opened.
“There is no fraternizing with the students.”
Thane looked up and smirked at Gray.
Gray held his hand out to him. “It is good to see you in these halls again, Sir Davis.”
“Thank you, Gray. I trust the newest session is going well?”
“The class is providing a challenge, but when do they not?” Gray glance at Brie, smiling warmly.
When she did not respond, he asked, “Is everything okay, Mrs. Davis?”
She laughed nervously. “I’m sorry, I’m a little distracted.”
“Is there something I can help with? Another flogging session, perhaps?”
“That is an excellent suggestion,” Thane replied.
Gray looked Thane over with a critical eye. “You could use one yourself.”
Gray stared at Thane as if expecting an answer. When none came, he said, “I would give it careful consideration, Sir Davis. You’d be surprised how enlightening it can be.”
Thane nodded, mulling the idea over in his head. “Thank you for the offer, Gray.”
“Of course, Sir Davis. Now, you both must excuse me. I have a small matter to attend to.” Gray hit the button on the elevator and turned, staring at Thane intently as the doors shut.
“That man is far too clairvoyant,” he muttered.
“I’ve always felt that way,” Brie agreed. “I can’t hide anything from Marquis.”
The hallways echoed with life and excitement, bringing back a flood of memories for Thane. “Do you miss it, Brie?”
Her voice was wistful when she answered. “I do, Sir. I had so many good times here.” She then braved asking him, “Do you miss it?”
“When I think of my life then, and what I have now, I realize how empty it was. So, no, I do not miss it.”
She looked at him with an expression of gratitude.
“Only speaking the truth, babygirl.”
Their last turn led them to a lone door at the end of the hall. Thane knocked on the door twice and waited. Wallace came to the door and quietly ushered them inside, locking the door behind them.
“It’s about time, comrade,” Durov complained. “We have been waiting for you.”
“It is not our fault we were detained several points along the way.”
“Well, I blame the cheese,” said a familiar female voice.
“Mary?” Brie cried out in surprise.
The Russian stepped aside to reveal Mary standing behind him.
She walked up to Brie with a half-smile. “Yep, stinky cheese. It’s your old nemesis.”
Brie stared at her in shock. “You’re the informant?”
Mary nodded, her eyes naturally gravitating to Brie’s round belly.
Brie didn’t hesitate and crushed Mary against her. “I didn’t know…”
Mary seemed uncomfortable by Brie’s public display and stood there awkwardly. “Of course, you didn’t know. Nobody knows.”
But Mary suddenly seemed to have a change of heart and wrapped her arms around Brie. “Seriously, I can’t tell you how good it is to see you looking so round and healthy.”
Brie laughed. “And all this time, I just thought you were just being a bitch.”
“You’re not wrong. I’m still a bitch.”
“But you…” Tears filled Brie’s eyes. “You did this to help me.”
Mary stood back, and bumped her shoulder. “Oh, don’t go making a big deal out of it.”
Wallace Told Brie, “When Mary knew you needed help, she insisted on being a part of it.”
Brie turned back to her. “How can I ever—?”
“Family looks out for family, and you happen to be the only family I’ve got. All I need from you is to have that baby and enjoy your motherhood. That’s it, nothing more. End of story.”
“But I don’t know what to say…”
“Tell me to fuck off. I really have been a shitty friend.”
“But you risked your life…”
Mary pointed her finger at Brie. “Don’t!”
Brie looked at Thane helplessly.
“Go with a simple thank you,” he suggested.
“Thank you, Mary Quite Contrary.”
Mary burst out laughing. “Well, now, that’s more like it.”
“Now that radost moya has been introduced to the informant, let’s get down to business,” Durov insisted.
They sat at a round table, allowing them to face each another. Durov sat on the other side of Brie, seeming anxious for Thane to speak. Thane looked at each of them, grateful to have their opinions.
“Before I begin, did Mary tell you all what happened last night?”
“No, Sir Davis. I felt it best that you inform them,” she answered.
“Very well.” He took a deep breath before beginning. “As you are aware, I went to listen in on Mary’s conversation with Lilly. I intended only to assess her, hoping to glean information on how to proceed from here.”
Everyone nodded.
“I had hoped Lilly would benefit from the arrangement, but that does not seem to be the case.” Thane glanced at Brie. “As Mary can attest, Lilly’s hatred for Brie has reached a new and disturbing level. But it is not just Brie that she’s after now.”
Thane turned to Durov. “If she escapes, she voiced her plans to kill you first.”
Durov burst out laughing. “Da…I would like to see her try.”
“Although I agree that you are able to defend yourself, I still have concerns. We have no idea who she might enlist to help her if she were to escape at some point. An attack could come from anywhere.”
“Do not worry about me, moy droog,” Durov assured him. “I have survived many fights.”
“What did she say about Brie?” Wallace asked. “You seemed quite upset last night.”
Thane took Brie’s hand, knowing what he was about to share would devastate her and enrage everyone in the room.
“Keep in mind, she was sharing this with Mary, and we cannot know if she would actually carry it out…” The blood in his veins started pounding, and he had to force out the words. “She expressed the desire to kidnap both Brie and the baby for the purpose of torturing the child in front of Brie.”
Durov stood up so abruptly, his chair fell backward. “The creature will not lay a finger on the babe!”
The anger in Durov’s eyes reflected exactly how Thane felt. In a voice filled with rage, he confessed to them, “All I wanted to do is break down the door and choke her to death.”
Thane suddenly felt Brie’s arms wrap around him. He held her close, trying to rein in the fury burning in his heart.
“I nearly broke my cover when she said that,” Mary said. She looked Brie in the eye. “That bitch isn’t going anywhere near your baby. I’ll fucking choke her myself.”
Thane sighed heavily. “I need to decide what to do with my half-sister before she hurts anyone else.”
Durov didn’t hesitate. “A rabid dog must be put down.”
“No, Rytsar,” Brie cried. “We can’t…”
He faced her, shaking his head in disagreement. “I fought too hard to get back to have anything happen to you.” He laid his hand on her stomach protectively, and added, “Or moye solntse.”
Thane addressed Wallace next. “Your thoughts?”
“I honestly believe while murdering her—and that’s what we are talking about here—may eliminate the threat, the cost of it emotionally may prove too much for some involved.”
“Brie?” Thane asked, wanting everyone to hear her thoughts because, for him, her opinion was the most important.
Gripping her stomach, she told the group, “I will protect this baby with my life. You know how scared I am of Lilly, but…I can’t bear the thought of her being murdered. It would haunt me forever.”
Thane put his arm around her, loathing the fact that it was because of his tainted lineage that she was in this situation.
“Mary, what is your opinion?”
“I’m with Rytsar one hundred percent. As long as she lives, she will be a threat to Brie and anyone associated with her. However, hearing what Fae—” She immediately amended her address. “I mean, after hearing what Mr. Wallace and Brie had to say, I wonder if eliminating her will cause a different set of issues.”
“No one needs to know what I do,” Durov stated firmly.
Brie laid her hand on his chest. “But I will know, and it will break me inside.”
“Do not say that,” he pleaded gruffly.
Thane knew Durov was thinking of Tatianna, and was probably now worried he would lose Brie, too, if he were to intervene with Lilly.
This seemed an impossible situation. Thane’s gut reaction was to kill her, but he wasn’t a murderer. Brie was right on that count.
“What about you?” Wallace asked him.
“I want the threat eliminated. I will not be able to rest until I know beyond a doubt that Brie and the baby are permanently safe from Lilly.”
“So, the way I see it, we have two yeses, two nos, and a maybe,” Mary said.
“There must be a way,” Thane insisted, wanting to calm the desperation he saw in Brie’s eyes.
The room was silent for several minutes before Durov spoke up. “We need to make her disappear.”
Wallace’s eyes flashed with excitement. “And we can!”
“How?” Thane asked.
“An American without money or a passport can become a prisoner in certain parts of the world.”
“Yes!” Mary agreed. “It’s happened to countless girls at the TLC.”
“Hmm…” Durov said, pondering the suggestion, “I do know of a few people who would be glad to take her.”
“No, no, no!” Brie cried. “We won’t subject her to the same horrors Tatianna suffered.”
“I would not!” Durov objected. “I may want the creature dead, but I am no monster.”
“What, then?” Thane asked, now encouraged by this new line of thinking.
“In my country, there are establishments that only seek slave labor.”
“But I don’t want her to be abused,” Brie insisted.
“You do understand what she wants to do to you?” Durov asked incredulously.
Brie caressed her stomach. “Rytsar, I can’t help but feel that what we do to her will follow us into the future. I want moye solntse to have a bright and promising future with nothing in our past to taint it.”
“Wallace, I think you have presented us with a valid option,” Thane said. “Do you mind working with Durov to find a suitable arrangement that will meet Brie’s needs and ours?”
“Absolutely,” he answered.
To Durov he said, “I look forward to working with you on this.”
Durov grabbed Wallace by the hand and gave him a hearty handshake. “We will find the dog a new home far, far away.”
To have the beginnings of a plan gave Thane solace. It would be something to hold onto as he fought against the dangerous rage that was building inside him.
Durov stood up. “I am going to visit the creature now.”
“Not in your current state of mind, you’re not,” Thane told him emphatically.
The Russian slammed his fist on the table. “You cannot stop me, moy droog. My wrath must be satisfied.”
“If you insist, then I will be forced to go with you.”
Thane could not take the chance with Durov, but he loathed to see Lilly again.
“Will you take Brie back to the apartment?” he asked Mary.
Brie grabbed onto his arm. “But I want to stay with you.”
“Nyet, radost moya,” Durov growled. “You will not go anywhere near her.”
Brie looked up at Thane in desperation.
“Brie, it is my duty to make sure your wishes are honored concerning Lilly. I need you to trust me when I say you should go home now.”
She stared at both men before falling to her knees and begging. “Please don’t do anything to her.”
Thane wheeled himself over to Durov, and placed his hand on him as reassurance, but noted that his friend was literally shaking with anger.
“We won’t do anything rash,” he told Brie. Then he turned to Durov, “Will we, old friend?”
Durov snarled but dutifully promised Brie, “I will not touch the creature.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Thane held out his hand, helping Brie back to her feet, wishing the nightmare that was Lilly was already a part of their past.
Brie put on a brave face for him, but pleaded, “Please, Sir, don’t be gone long.”
“I promise to be back as soon as possible.”
She kissed him tenderly, and then went over to Durov. Thane noticed his friend visibly relax. when she put her hands on his chest and looked up at him.
The Russian let out an emotional sigh when she placed his hand on her belly. “All I ask is for you to keep moye solntse’s future safe.”
He kissed her on the forehead. “She will have a long and fruitful life—as will you, radost moya.”
Brie smiled as she walked over to Wallace. “Thank you for coming up with a solution we can all live with.”
He looked down at her, smiling warmly. “Funny, but I seem to see things more clearly with one eye.”
She stared at his eye patch in admiration. “You truly are remarkable, Mr. Wallace.”
“In a room of remarkable people,” he answered.
“I’ve never forgotten the day we met—when you introduced yourself to me after saving me from the pavement.”
“You saved me that day, as well, blossom. It was simply fate.”
Brie grinned at him, nodding in agreement.
She turned her attention on Mary last.
“None of the mushy stuff for me, stinky,” Mary warned her.
Brie laughed, and bumped her hip against Mary’s. “You know I love you.”
Mary scowled for a moment, before grabbing Brie and squeezing her tight. “Love you too, stinks.”
Thane noticed Wallace staring at Mary intently and wondered what he was thinking. He requested Wallace stay behind after Brie and Mary left.
“I noticed you watching Miss Wilson just now. Is there a reason for that?”
“Although I realize that my plan for Lilly was a bust, there’s been a real change in Mary. She’s mentioned to Durov on several occasions that the survivor stories she’s shared with Lilly have changed her outlook on life. And, today, she surprised me by opening up to Brie. You don’t know what a huge step that was for her.”
Thane nodded. “I have some idea. However, you’re right, there’s been a change.”
“I’m glad Mary’s finding her way.”
“Enough of this jibber-jabber,” Rytsar growled. “I have a date with the creature.”
“Patience, old friend. I’m not leaving here until I know exactly what you have in mind.”
“Just a simple tune whistled in the middle of the day when it’s least expected.”
“And that’s it?” Thane pressed.
“I give you my solemn promise, comrade.”
It was brilliant. Hearing Durov whistle that tune would strike a fear into Lilly’s heart that nothing else could.
Thane smiled at both men as they left the room and headed down the hallway together.
It was a man’s instinct to act—and to act fast. Anything less felt like chaos.
Before they went their separate ways, Thane stopped Wallace. “Never doubt your instincts. You’ve given Mary a new perspective, and you’ve given me clarity concerning Lilly’s future.”
Wallace nodded his appreciation and told Durov, “Give her hell.”
“Hellish nightmares,” he agreed, letting out the roar of an angry lion ready to fight.
Thane appreciated that Durov had embraced his anger and found a way to express it.
Unfortunately, Thane did not have that ability. Lilly’s threat to his family had set off his primal, protective side. But, with it, came his demons. He would need to keep his anger in check or be completely consumed by it.
Durov had told Brie he was not a monster, but Thane could not make that same claim. He knew that in the darkest part of his soul there lay a monster. All that was needed was the right catalyst, and those ominous whispers had begun their chant…
Thane couldn’t sleep, consumed by thoughts of Lilly. He tried to leave the bed without waking Brie, but was clumsy in his transition from the bed to the wheelchair.
“What do you need, Sir? I can get it…” Brie mumbled in the dark.
“I don’t need anything, babygirl. Go back to sleep.”
Thane wheeled himself out of the room and headed to the living room, looking out the large window at the city before him. He stared at it blindly, too disturbed by the dark thoughts running through his head to be aware of what he saw.
After being confronted by the depths of Lilly’s depravity, his desire for justice had morphed into something dark and repulsive. It went beyond a need to protect Brie and the baby, to something bordering on vicious.
These venomous thoughts and emotions were eating at him like cancer, and he feared that at some point he would either release them on Lilly or they would begin to eat him from the inside out.
The truth was, even though he said he didn’t want to kill Lilly, he couldn’t stop thinking about taking his revenge on her. For every act against Brie, the baby, and himself, Thane wanted to do an equally heinous act against her. He was certain she couldn’t know his pain until she had suffered an equal share of it.
He didn’t just want to get rid of Lilly, he wanted to make her suffer the way he had.
Maybe more.
Unconsciously hitting the arm of the chair repeatedly, Thane was so lost in his own inner battle that he failed to notice the creature creeping up on him until it was too late.
Thane cried out when the black beast landed on his lap. His reflexes took over and he flung the cat through the air before he even registered what it was.
The animal landed on its feet and sat down where it had fallen, staring at him.
“It wasn’t personal,” Thane told him.
The cat narrowed its eyes.
“You startled me. If anything, I should be upset with you. Why jump on me with no warning?”
Thane realized he was talking to the cat, and growled at himself in disgust. “I’m going insane, just like my mother. That’s what this is.”
He pressed his hands against his temples, a feeling of hopelessness washing over him. He had fought his demons ever since his father’s death. He wasn’t sure he had the strength to fight them any longer.
He felt the cat brush up against his leg. Thane dropped his hands and stared at the beast. “What do you want? I’m not the one who feeds you.”
The cat sat on its haunches, looking as if he was preparing to jump.
When Thane didn’t move, the animal took it as a sign of acceptance and leapt onto his lap.
Thane just stared at him, unsure what he was supposed to do. Like the tiny kitten at the hospital, the giant cat turned around several times, then lay down and began to purr.
Its purr seemed to radiate through Thane’s body.
Thane shook his head.
This animal had pretty much ignored him since he’d come home from the hospital. He hadn’t minded, since he wasn’t exactly excited about owning a cat—but he owed the animal for his friend’s life.
Luckily, the black tomcat was smart, keeping Brie company while staying out of his way. It was an agreeable arrangement.
Until tonight.
Thane looked down at him, unsure what this meant.
But its purr was soothing…
He placed a hand on the soft fur and the sound emanating from the animal increased, along with the vibration.
Thane took a deep breath and shut his eyes.
The physical presence of the cat seemed to calm his raging emotions and he could think again.
Thane opened his eyes, staring at the reflection of himself in the window.
The man before him was not a monster—just a man.
A normal, everyday man with a cat sitting on his lap.
He stroked the length of the animal with a new sense of appreciation.
“Shadow, I don’t think I’ve formally introduced myself. My name is Thane, husband and Master to Brie.”
The cat looked up at him briefly and twitched its tail before laying its head back down between its paws.
Thane stared at his reflection again, one thought running through his mind.
I determine my truth.