“I know. Which makes absolutely no sense. They are the best. Henderson Corp demands the best. Yet you won’t do business with them. It can’t be because you hate each other, but you seem to allow one at your table.”
Alex asked, “May I ask why you want to know?”
Connor said, “I thought I asked you answered? Are there topics off limit? Because if so, then this shit-show of a meeting is over.”
Gareth chimed in. “Is this about Kollette? Because I can tell you, we’d never let anyone hurt her.”
“Yet lies and secrets are acceptable?” he shot back.
“I’m confident Ethan will tell Kollette when it is appropriate,” Gareth stated.
“And that is supposed to be good enough for me? I don’t think so. I protect the ones I love. My family is everything to me,” Connor stated firmly.
Brice said, “As is ours. And we are all family at this table.”
Connor looked at Gareth again, and then back to Brice. “All?”
“Yes. It is not public knowledge, nor do we want it to be, but the Lawson and the Henderson families are cousins,” Brice stated.
He could understand why someone wouldn’t want to admit they were related to the Henderson family. God knows he wouldn’t. “It doesn’t make any sense. Anyone can trace their ancestors and find who is related to whom. It’s no secret.”
“This one is. And if you are willing, we’ll tell you why. But everything you hear today, stays at this table. You cannot go and repeat this to anyone, not even Kollette,” Brice said.
Once again, he looked around the room and wasn’t sure he trusted anything that was about to be said. “I don’t make promises until I have all the facts.”
Shaun said, “Connor, I’m asking you to trust us. Just listen to everything we have to say before making your decision. But I’m telling you, you have no idea what you’re about to hear.”
“I worked for the DEA, how much worst do you think it can get?” he asked.
Dean snarled, “You’re about to fucking find out. I just hope you don’t regret asking.”
He wasn’t sure if it was a warning or not. But Connor wanted to hear it, all of it. “Then I suggest you get started, because I’m not going anywhere until every one of my questions are answered.”
The next several hours was spent listening to some of the most horrendous shit. At times Connor couldn’t even believe what they were saying was true. Kidnapping. Human trafficking. Abuse. Murder. Their father James Henderson had a reputation for being a badass in the business world before he died, but learning that he’d been not just involved, but the organizer of this type of evil, was more than Connor could comprehend at this time. And from what they were all saying, this was just some of the things on the list of deplorable acts.
This family had more fucking secrets than any mob. It was no wonder why they didn’t want anyone to know how they were related. If it was him, he probably would’ve changed his last name. Then again, Cayden didn’t even share the Henderson name, but couldn’t outrun their past either.
Gareth said, “Now you understand why this is not the time for Ethan to share the information with Kollette.”
“Hell, I’m not sure there ever will be a good time,” he said. “Do all your wives know?”
Alex shook his head. “My wife Ziva is from here, as you now know. She knows a lot of it, but not all. It isn’t a matter of lying to them. It’s about knowing the burden we carry, and not wanting anyone else to if they don’t need to.”
Logan said, “The only way we can continue the work we have started here in Tabiq is to ensure what you have learned, never gets made public. It wouldn’t just destroy everything that we have built, but it would open up the Tabiqian people to face a repeat of what has already happened.”
Connor had to agree. These people had been through enough at the hands of their father, the late James Henderson. It seemed that everyone who had a hand in all the vicious cruel acts, were now dead. And the Henderson and Lawson families were left with the task of rebuilding it. How could any of them make amends for such heinous acts? He got it. They were trying. But could they actually succeed?
“And you think New Hope Resort and the schools and hospitals are all working?” Connor asked.
Dean said, “It’s a start. But this isn’t something that any of us can walk away from. It’s…our responsibility to try to undo the damage that our ancestors have done.”
He wasn’t sure hiding it was the way to go, but he also didn’t know if making it public would help either. All he could see was how it would rip the current generation to shreds and make them pay for things they hadn’t done.
“You have my word. This won’t be repeated,” Connor stated.
Brice nodded. “Good. Then I think it’s time you see the rest of Tabiq. And after that, we’d like you to stay on for a while. We can use all the help we can get.”
“Help that we can trust,” Shaun stated.