“Good,” I release a sigh of relief. “Because that I really wouldn’t be able to believe.”
“We know your dad from way before, when he didn’t have all his millions. He was just starting out, and unfortunately, he made a deal with the wrong kind of man. This man was a wolf shifter, and he started to blackmail your father. Your father then came to us, asking for help. We told him that he couldn’t give in. Blackmailers, especially like those, would dig their teeth into him and no matter how much money he paid, they would never let him go.”
“So, you advised him not to pay?”
“Yes,” Anderson nods. “And, even though I still believe we did what we were supposed to do under those circumstances, tragedy followed. It was a tragedy that might have been prevented, but I’m not able to foresee what others will do, so I can’t say for certain…”
I realize that he’s getting lost in his own thoughts, just talking, as if he doesn’t really want to get to the point.
“What tragedy are you talking about?” I urge him.
“It’s…. your mother.”
The mention of someone who is not to blame for any of this makes my blood boil. I feel my hands clenching into fists in rage, and I want to get up and smash the chair against the floor. Instead, I remain seated, as all the blood rushes to my head.
“What are you saying, Anderson?” I say under my breath.
“Sven was sent to kill your mother because your father wouldn’t pay up.”
I get up, and bury my face into my hands, as I still keep going around the kitchen. Somehow, I manage to avoid stumbling over anything, or hitting the end of the kitchen table. When I finally reveal my face to Anderson again, I see him looking worried and anxious.
“Are you alright?” he asks, dismayed.
I feel dizzy, like I’m about to lose consciousness. I look to my left and see the kitchen table. My hand reaches out to it, but I miscalculate the distance, and my hand drops down towards the floor, my body following immediately after.
“Maddie!” I hear him shout, but his voice is distant, it sounds like he’s stuck in a deep, dark cave, and he’s shouting for me to help him out. Or, is it me who’s stuck in a cave?
Darkness envelops me, and I can’t feel anything anymore. All I hear are the remnants of my mother’s voice, fragmented but still warm, caressing my ears, telling me that nothing would be alright ever again.
Chapter 12
Fynn
I’m sitting on the porch. It’s late, but Anderson just returned from the city, so I figured, I’d give him some time to rest. That coffee perked me up enough. I feel like I was thrown on the electric fence and had the good fortune to survive.
Sometimes, these missions weren’t that bad. Fresh air, peace and quiet, no one to bug you. That almost makes up for the fact that there’s someone out there trying to kill the girl, and us along with her.
I hear the front door open, with a slight cringe. I turn and see Anderson, looking apprehensive.
“Everything alright?” I repeat our current mantra, trying to figure
out what’s wrong with him.
“I think I messed up, Fynn,” he tells me, as he massages the back of his neck with his hand. He’s got that I-fucked-up-bad look on his face.
“Fuck,” I sigh. “What did you do?”
He doesn’t want to say it at first. He just looks at me, as if I have some fortune teller powers, along with my sense of smell. Telepathically, I urge him to spill it. It works.
“I told Maddie about her father.”
I frown. “Why would you do a thing like that?”
“She asked,” he gives me the stupidest answer, and I feel like punching him in the face right then and there. But, I don’t. Like so many other times before. Like the time he thought it would be a good idea to help an old lady cross the street while we were running after a perp. Or, like the time when he thought he’d have another smoke while the drug bust went horribly wrong and half the house was on fire.
Even now, I can’t help but think how incredibly lucky this guy is. No matter what he does, things always go his way. I never had that good fortune.
“Don’t you think Hugo had a reason not to tell her himself?” I sneer. “And, she asked. The fuck, Anderson. If she asked you to drive her back home, would you do it?”