Twenty minutes later, one of the guards comes to tell Ella that Xander and the others have just come through the gate. My legs are jelly as we all get up and walk to the front door to wait for them. It’s such a strange thing to know that all our significant others are a part of something darker, and unworldly. They each have killed for someone they love, and would most likely do it again.
Moments later the doors open. Xander appears first, a smile gracing his lips. Damon is right on his heels, and then Hero. Ivan walks in next. All the guys walk up to their girlfriend and wives, but Roman still hasn’t walked through the door and that scares me.
Ivan passes me and just before he takes Violet into his arms, he gives me a weary look that I can’t quiet gage. My first thought is that something happened to Roman, but surely someone would say something to me if that were the case.
I’m about to ask him where he is when someone finally steps into the doorway. I take a big step forward a big smile spreading across my lips when I see Roman. That smile slips the moment I see who is walking beside him.
“Luke?” Elyse gasp, letting go of Hero’s arm as she sprints forward, and toward our brother. She throws her arms around him and pulls him to her chest so tightly I think she might squeeze the air from his lungs. “Oh Luke, I can’t believe you are here! How are you? Oh my gosh!”
Roman appears by my side, putting an arm around me and kissing the side of my head. I take a deep breath, trying to figure out how I feel about him being here. He is the one who pushed me to get married. He spent hours, upon hours, trying to talk me into it and I never understood why. We used to be close, I thought he loved me and then suddenly he wanted me gone. He never hurt me, and he sheltered me from a lot of bad that happened but in the end he couldn’t save me, no one could.
Looking at him now I see not much has changed, he’s still tall, handsome, with brown hair that looks like it needs a brush, and blue eyes that glimmer with happiness. His body’s lean, but tone from all the work our father made him do.
“Why is he here?” I whisper to Roman, who starts rubbing my back as if he is trying to comfort me. It soothes the ache forming in my chest, but it doesn’t stop my rampant thoughts.
“I know it doesn't make sense right this second, but you need to hear him out. I wouldn’t have believed him either, but we have the proof. Everything he’s saying is true. You know better than anyone I wouldn’t do anything to put you in danger. If I thought he was a threat, he wouldn’t be here.”
“He pushed me to get married. He worked directly with my father. He is one of his men.” Roman forces me to look at him, calming the storm brewing inside me.
“It wasn’t like that, Sophie. It might have seemed like that at the time, but he was trying to get you married so you wouldn't get sold. He was trying to protect you, the only way he knew how. If he wanted to hurt you, he wouldn’t have done all he did for you to marry out of that place.”
I swallow and nod. I know he’s right. Luke never once raised a hand to me. He tried to stop the beatings and saved my ass numerous times, which made the betrayal all the more hurtful when I found out he was working with my father. I don’t know if I can get the thought of him working with my father out of my head.
“Men, let’s go have a drink or five, and leave them to figure this out,” Xander announces, walking toward the kitchen. Elyse releases Luke with a sad look, and walks back over to Hero.
“Come on, let’s go sit,” Roman tucks me close to his side and ushers me to one of the living rooms. Luke follows closely behind and knowing Roman seems comfortable enough to turn his back on my brother is a little bit of a relief. It means to Roman he isn’t a risk, so he isn’t one to me either.
We take a seat and Luke starts to talk right away. “A few years ago, I walked in on a conversation between the man we called our father and some man I didn't know. At first I didn't understand what they were even talking about but as the conversation continued I started putting the pieces together. I thought I misunderstood them when they started discussing the prices for each girl. They were calculating, trying to determine the worth of a girl.” He pauses briefly, his eyes meeting mine, holding mine, and I see the sadness in those depths, the sadness and love he has for me.
“Then I realized that they were talking about you. You were supposed to be sold as soon as you turned eighteen. As soon as the men left I confronted Joseph. I demanded answers, Sophie. And that’s when it all came out. He told me about how we weren't his real children and that we owed him for taking us off the street. I didn't believe him of course, so he showed me. He showed me papers, photos, and our birth certificates. That’s when I learned that we are actually twins.”
“We’re twins?” I gasp. How is any of that possible? My heart thuds against my rib cage painfully.
“Yes, it’s all true. I swear, I can show you the proof.” I look into his eyes, and the brother I used to love so dearly stares back at me, but beyond that I know he’s telling the truth. I don't need to see some paper to prove it.
“I’m so sorry, Sophie, I tried. I tried everything I could to get you out of there. He told me if I could find you a husband who was willing to give him money he would let you go, and on top it he demanded that I work alongside him. That’s why I spent so much time away and why I tried to talk you into that marriage. I thought it was your only chance at freedom.”
I get up and throw my arms around him, holding him close to my chest. “I believe you.” Tears swim in my eyes. All those years that Luke kept me away, all the times he brought the attention to himself. The beatings he took for me, the sacrifices he made.
“I was so worried about you,” Luke murmurs into my hair. “When you decided not to follow through with the arranged marriage I was angry, but I understood. I just wanted you to be safe. And when he sold you. I didn’t know Sophie. I swear I didn’t. If I did I would’ve fought harder...I would’ve done anything I could to protect you. I wanted to find you but I didn’t even know where to start looking, so I stayed in Safe Harbor. I wanted to wait until Dante and his men came back so I could follow them and find you. I swear, Sophie.”
The tears keep falling, slipping down my cheeks with so much ease, it feels like I’m letting go of every drop of misery that ever consumed my body.
“I know, you don’t have to explain anymore. I was just upset. I thought you turned your back on me. I just couldn't understand at the time why you changed so suddenly. You were my best friend one day and then the next everything changed. I thought you wanted to get rid of me. You pushed me so hard to marry that man, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t follow through. I’d much rather have died.” Saying the words out loud sting a bit. It’s been a long time since I thought about dying the way that I did back when I lived at the compound or even in that cell before Roman came and got me.
“I shouldn’t have let any of it happen. But I didn’t know how to help you any other way. You’re my sister and it’s my job to protect you. Now that we’re free from his clutches I can insure that nothing like what happened to us, ever happens to anyone else.”
I pull away nodding. “What happened today? Is he dead?”