Chapter Twenty-Four Delphine

Usually, after several mind-blowing orgasms from Dixie, I can barely keep my eyes open. But my mind and body are still tingling from the last one. So, the offer of a bedtime story from Dixie is tantalizing.

"What kind of bedtime story?" I prod him when he doesn't start.

"Not a good one, although the ending is happy," he says with a grin in his voice. "Do you realize that you and I have learned more about each other in these past few days than we have in all the months we've been together?"

I open my mouth to object, but realize he's right. With Vladimir's arrival, I've shared several secrets with him and my children. Not the least being that I murdered the father of my daughters. Dixie revealed that he's a hired assassin.

"I guess you're right," I grudgingly admit.

"Rarely happens, I know," he counters, which makes me chuckle. "You and I both had secrets we've kept hidden not only from each other, but from everyone in our lives. It's why I'm not upset about Hex branding me. This scar will remind me to not keep secrets from you or my brothers."

I don't immediately reply, because I want to argue with him and make him see that the wrongness of what Hex did to him, but I can't without betraying Hex. When Hex started this club, I vowed to not interfere because I knew how much this meant to him. Yet, I did when I protested his treatment of Dixie. Looks like I have a choice to make. Let my anger continue to fester or let it go. Dixie's come to terms with it. I guess I should as well.

"So no more secrets?" I ask.

"No more secrets. Which is why I need to come clean about more than just my career. I need to go all the way back and explain how I gained the attention of Sigil."

"Before you explain, can you answer one question for me?"

"Of course," Dixie says.

"No secrets? No lies?" I press.

He pauses and then nods, his chin touching the top of my head. I can feel his heartbeat speed up before returning to normal. "I promise I won't lie to you. But if there is something that I can't share, I'll tell you."

"Fair enough," I respond. "Have you ever killed an innocent?"

"No. Never," he responds immediately. "Not even by accident. I'm very good at what I do. I don't make mistakes."

I nod, releasing the breath I was holding.

"Okay, continue with your story," I say.

He squeezes me before he begins. I can feel his heart rate increase again, so I gently stroke his chest. Earning a kiss on the top of my head.

"You know I'm from Ireland?" He starts, and I nod. "I told you and Hex that I came to America for a vacation. How I needed to figure out what I wanted to with my life after leaving the Irish Army. However, that wasn't the truth. Yes, I was in the Army. But only long enough to train to become a more efficient killer. My first kill wasn't in the army. By the time I joined, I had already killed four men."

"How old were you when you joined?" I ask.

"Eighteen." I sit up in surprise to look at him. He's looking back at me with concern in his eyes. "I was sixteen when I made my first kill."

"Self-defense?" I ask, but he frowns and shakes his head. "Who?"

"When I was fourteen, a local gang robbed the store that my parents owned. They shot my dad when he tried to stop them. My mom had been in the back and came out when she heard the shot. They shot her, too. Dad died immediately, but they shot my mom in the stomach and left her to bleed out. One of the gang members stayed behind. He called the ambulance and then sat with her until they arrived. She died on the way to the ER. They arrested him, but the rest got away."

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, using my fingers to wipe the single tear he couldn't stop from falling. He grabs my hand and kisses my fingers.

"I went to live with my grandfather. He had a farm," Dixie continues. "I was so angry. Angry at him, at my parents, the police, and the thugs. I wanted to kill them all, but no one knew who else was involved. The kid they caught wouldn't give up the others even to reduce his sentence. They knew he didn't shoot either of my parents, but he got a stiff sentence. So, he was the one I hated the most. Because he was protecting the worthless scum who killed my parents."

"Did they ever catch them?" I ask.

He gives me a feral grin that freezes my blood. I have a feeling I know what happened to those men. Their fates didn't include jail time.

"They didn't get away with it," he says and I hear the satisfaction in his tone.

"How did you find them if their accomplice didn't give them up?"

"He gave me their names. Eventually. My grandfather and I went to the trial. At first, I went to watch him suffer and wanted to see him prosecuted. However, during the trial, my opinion of him changed. First off, he wasn't much older than me. He cried through the entire trial. He insisted he didn't hurt either of my parents and that he had no intention of hurting them. I thought maybe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he admitted he went there to rob them. By the end of the trial, I was still angry with him, but I knew he wasn't the one who killed my parents. So I went to visit him in jail."

"Wow, that must have been difficult."

"It was, but I was on a mission. I wanted the names of his accomplices. He wouldn't tell me. But he told me why he couldn't give them up and why he went along with the plan to rob the store. He lost his parents, too, leaving him to care for his younger brother and two sisters. He told me he couldn't share the names of his accomplices because if they learned he ratted them out, they'd go after his siblings."

"What did you do?"

"I told my grandfather about what I learned. He went looking for the kids and found them. A young couple had already taken in the two girls. They were kind. My grandfather knew them and approved. They had both wanted kids for years, but couldn't have any of their own. She was a teacher, and he was a cop. We knew the girls couldn't be in better hands. But the boy was in the system and wasn't adjusting after his elder brother's incarceration. He was angry and disruptive, so he had a hard time settling with a foster family."

"Not surprising."

"No. Not surprising. But my grandfather stepped in and fostered him. He eventually adopted the boy. His name is Danny. He was only seven when Grandad adopted him. He was a handful, but Grandad never gave up on him. Danny missed his brother Conor, of course. He didn't understand why he couldn't see him. Grandad told him what happened to Conor, softening it for the boy. He told Danny that Conor had tried to care for his siblings but made a mistake. That mistake put him in jail. Grandad and I arranged for Danny to visit Conor in jail so that Conor could see for himself that Danny was in excellent hands. Grandad assured Conor that not only would Danny always have a home, but Conor would have one as well once they released him from prison. Conor finally gave me the names of the men who killed my parents."

"You hunted them down?" I guess.

Dixie nods. "I did. Grandad didn't know, although he might have suspected. He never tried to stop me. Took me two years to find each one and kill them. The first one I killed was the hardest, and I regret not planning the execution better. His death had the others scattering. From that point on, I made each death look like an accident. My actions didn't go without notice, though. The Sigil caught on to what I was doing and offered me a job. That's how I ended up working for them. They also helped me find and eliminate the remaining thugs who killed my parents."

"What happened to Conor and Danny?"

"Conor is still in jail, although he's due for release soon. I went to visit him a few months back when he was up for early release and pled my case for his receiving it. They granted it."

"What is he going to do once he's out?"

"He learned a trade inside. He's a mechanic now and hoping to get a job. I have a call to several people I know and I'm hoping someone gives him a chance. I thought about having both him and Danny move here, but since he'll be an ex-con, he won't get a visa. Hopefully, he'll stay with Danny on the farm. The farm is beautiful and peaceful. A great place to gain back one's soul."

"I would like to meet them one day and your grandfather," I tell him.

"Granddad died five years ago while I was on a job. But I still think we should go visit. I'll set it up. I wouldn't mind seeing Conor once he's a free man. Maybe after this business with Vladimir is over."

"Speaking of Vladimir, what's happening with him? Are you going to fake his death?"

"Yes. He still needs to give us the day, but we have the rest of the details worked out. I'm meeting with him and we'll stage the scene."

"How did Vladimir take learning he's on a hit list?"

"He seemed fine. Not thrilled, of course, but grateful that I got the assignment. He said it helps him, though. He said disappearing for a few days will help him finish a project he's invested in."

"What if Sigil finds out you faked it?"

"I don't know. I'll have to tell them, eventually."

"Are you leaving Sigil?"

"No. Not unless you want me to quit. Hex and the others said I should keep doing it if I want. That they can provide me better coverage and keep me protected. Another reason I don't regret the brand. Another reminder that I can trust my brothers. So, the question is, do you want me to quit?"