Alex’s POV
I let my men take care of the dead bodies and head back home with Lucas.
It was time to lure Stefan back here and end this once and for all.
If he’s in Yukon, it should take him less than an hour to be here.
“Are we going to deal with this publicly or what?” asked Lucas curiously as he drove.
“No, it’s a family thing. It stays in house” I said tightly.
“I think we should make an example out of him” noted Lucas.
“I wouldn’t mind that if we discovered it before Patrick Walker was killed for the wrong reason. But now if the Walkers find out that he was innocent of that accusation, they will become a headache on us again” I said firmly.
“Innocent my ass! We all know he was working with Lord asshole behind our backs! Maybe he didn’t deliver the shooter himself, but he was in on it. He knew it was going down and he sat back and watched it happen!” roared Lucas in anger.
“Yeah, I’m sure his clan will see it that way” I said dryly.
I carry on to put an end to that argument “I don’t want to deal with the Walkers because we have a bigger target that we need to focus on after we take care of Stefan. One of us will have to seek out every single detail about Lord Z, especially his real name cause frankly I’m sick of calling him with that ridiculous name like he’s some kind of king. One of us will have no job other than that guy and all his closest men. It’s not enough to kill the head of the snake only to have his interim take over. We need to know their exact whereabouts and end them all once and for all”
“I agree. I want to take care of that if you don’t mind. You can’t leave Snow unprotected because you’re its leader, you need to keep the peace inside it and keep the enemies out. They will come at us from any vulnerable side and we can’t give them any chances” he said determinedly.
“You’re the best man for the job” I agreed assertively.
We arrive into the house and park in front of the front yard.
As soon as I step out of the car, I see the front door open and Jenny, April, mom, and Sara hurry outside to meet us. The expression on their faces were one of relief.
Jenny was the fastest one to get to us.
She throws herself at me in a tight embrace and I catch her with happiness. She buries her head in my chest and tightens her hold on me as if to reassure herself that I was really back in one piece.
“I should go to shootouts more often if you’re going to greet me like this every time I come home from one” I taunted in her ear.
She lifted her head to look at me with a serious glare and smacked me in the chest.
“I’ll never greet you if you get yourself into another shootout” she said tightly.
I chuckled and said teasingly “I won’t, if you give me my ‘thank god you’re alive and well’ kiss… right here and now”
Her cheeks heated up and I admired the lovely pink color.
She stepped up on her toes and gave me a brief kiss on the side of my cheek. A kiss that sent a pleasurable jolt throughout my body.
“I’ll settle for that…. This time” I said with a smirk.
She gives me a warning look not to mess with her about that subject again and I wiggled my eyebrows at her.
“Well, I survived as well… sister in law. In case you were wondering or something” said Lucas to Jenny sarcastically
She shook her head slightly as she gave him a reproachful look and did something that shocked us all, but most of all, Lucas.
She threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.
It took Lucas a few seconds to return the hug with a small shy smile as he bear hugged her and lifted her off her feet a little.
I heard Jenny grown from the tightness of his arms, while we chuckled at the exchange that none of us imagined would ever take place.
He let go of her and she smacked him in the chest playfully “You crushed me!”
“That’s how I show my love to someone” he shrugged casually.
“Lucky me” she said with a small smile.
“Is everyone okay?” mom asked us warily.
“Yes, it all went very well” confirmed Lucas seriously.
“Now what?” asked mom firmly.
“Now he comes here thinking that we died, to claim his rightful place. We will be waiting for him inside the house. And after that….. We have a little heart to heart, get some information, then get it over with” I said in a hard tone.
She nodded her head and pursed her lips.
I wondered if her calmness will resume once she sees him face to face.
“Go back to the house, we’ll come after you in a few minutes. Lucas, come with me” I said firmly.
He started following behind me until I walked inside Mathew’s house and into his living room.
His eyes froze over the sight of David.
David was sitting on a wooden chair, restrained in place with a rope wrapped all around his upper body, while his hands were secured behind the back of the chair. His was gagged as well.
Mathew was sitting on the sofa next to him, while the other two men were standing at the corners of the room.
“Did he cause any problems?” I asked Mathew.
He shook his head.
“Excuse us please” I addressed the two men and they complied right away, leaving us alone.
I spared a look at Lucas and saw him drilling holes into David, glaring at him with barely contained rage.
David was also looking back at him with remorse painted plain on his face.
“We need to make a phone call where you and I can not make a single sound. And after that phone call, David will be all yours to deal with” I said firmly to Lucas.
He nodded his head but his eyes never left David’s.
“Ready on what to say Mathew?” I asked him seriously.
“More than ready, I’ve been practicing and trust me, he will buy it straight away” said Mathew confidently.
“You’re awfully sure of your acting skills” commented Lucas doubtingly.
Mathew gave him a half hearted smile as he said “Oh I’m more than sure. I was destined to be an actor, maybe in another life I would have earned an Oscar even”
“Now we know how you got Sara and convinced her to marry you” joked Lucas sarcastically.
Mathew gave him a bleak look and Lucas shifted uncomfortably and said in dismissal “Never mind…. Go ahead, I’ll go quiet now”
I scowled at his continuous sarcasm and weird sense of humor while he shrugged his shoulders and ignored me, going back to glare at David.
Mathew dialed the number and put it on speaker, while adjusting his features to match the deceiving situation.
“Hello?” he answered after the second ring.
“Stefan! You have to come to Snow right now! They killed them all….” Mathew shouted in despair followed by a heart breaking sob.
Damn he was really good!
Who was good at acting too you might ask? Stefan Snow.
He shouted back in astonishment “What! Who are you talking about Mathew? Slow down and explain everything to me”
Mathew continued to sob for a few seconds before he recovered and said in a strained voice “The truck that was supposed to be filled with guns was filled with men who emptied their guns on everyone waiting there by the border. They are all dead Stefan! Diana is a complete wreck and everyone in the clan is panicking. You’re the only one who can handle this situation. Please tell me you’re in Yukon and not somewhere else!”
“I’m here in Yukon, I’m coming right now but first I need to understand what happened! The truck left my place filled completely with guns! What the hell happened after that? Who were these men and what do you mean by they’re all dead? David was going to the delivery with them! Please tell me he’s okay!”
“David….. He’s…” Mathew gave a theatrical pause, earning a frustrated tone from Stefan “He’s what? Speak!”
“I’m so sorry Stefan, he died along with…. Alex and Lucas and the rest of the guys. No one survived the attack. By the time back up arrived and killed the other men, no one was left breathing” bellowed Mathew as he broke into another grieving sob.
A very long pause erupted from Stefan before he said in what seemed to be a truly traumatized tone “David…. No it can’t be… no no…. Wait! Weren’t you with them?”
“I was supposed to, but Alex asked me to go to the warehouse to arrange the unloading process with the other guys. When we heard the sound of shooting, we hurried over there and the rest you know already” said Mathew shakily.
“I’ll be there in half an hour, are you back at the house?” he said in a hard tone.
“Yes, I came back to check on Diana’s condition” he assured him.
“I’m on my way” he said dismissively and hung up the phone right away.
Mathew dropped the phone and gave Lucas a pointed look.
Lucas rolled his eyes and said dramatically “Ok, I’m sorry I doubted your acting skills. That was incredible Mathew. However, that leads me to conclude that I will probably always doubt if you’re acting on us or not”
“I would never use that skill on you Lucas, rest assured”
Lucas turned his attention back to David as he addressed him cruelly “I almost believed your father actually had a heart. I mean he almost got me when he seemed affected by word of your death but man! That barely lasted ten seconds. I mean Mathew was crying his eyes out over here and he isn’t even related to us on a first level basis”
David; who seemed already affected by the lack of sympathy he heard from his father’s voice, cast his eyes down as a single tear slid down his face.
Lucas approached him till he was standing in front of him, bent down to his eye level, lifted his face up to make him look at him, and said darkly.
“He apparently didn’t care whether you lived or died. Maybe he felt annoyed because he had to find another gullible person into doing his dirty work and spy for him, now that you’re….. Dead”
Another tear fell down his face as he stared at Lucas in a hurt expression.
An extremely hard punch into David’s stomach made him scream with a muffled sound from the gag around his mouth.
“That, is for helping your father smuggle the shooter to kill your own uncle” said Lucas viciously.
Another harsh punch right on the same spot caused a louder muffled scream to come out of him.
“That, is for staying here and being a spy to your asshole of a father”
David wailed in agony as his whole body shook with the third punch right on that spot he hit the last two times.
“And that, that was for the fake brotherhood you led me to believe that we shared for the past two weeks”
David continued to cry as he shook his head, his face now drenched in tears, as he shook his head and tried to talk to Lucas through the gag on his mouth.
Lucas looked at him with disdain “Don’t bother apologizing. In fact, don’t even try it because the second you say it, I will empty my gun into your head”
He straightened up, walked towards me, and said coldly “He’s all yours. Do as you see fit, I won’t interfere with your decision”
Then he left the house.
I sighed and looked at David who was now sobbing uncontrollably.
I didn’t have time to deal with him now.
“Mathew stay with him, and make sure he doesn’t make a sound when his father arrives” I instructed Mathew firmly.
He nodded his head.
I headed out, instructed the guys at the gate on how to answer Stefan if he stopped to ask them questions, then went inside the house.
They were all sitting in the living room.
I came inside and sat on the arm chair next to the fire place.
I addressed Jenny and April firmly “He’s coming in half an hour. If you feel uncomfortable or cannot bear witnessing this meeting, you should go to your rooms once he arrives. But it’s up to you”
“I’d like to stay, if it’s okay with everyone” Jenny said determinedly.
My mom nodded her head and said a little softly despite her serious face “Of course it’s okay Jenny. You’re one of us. And…. I know this makes what happened to your father unfair, you have every right to face the man responsible for this”
Jenny shook her head as she said emotionally “What happened to him was fair and just Diana. He was a bad person not just to your family…. But to me and my mom as well. He got what he deserved. I just want to be here as means of support to all of you, that’s all”
Confused looks marred the face of everyone as they tried to make sense of what she said.
“What does that mean? Don’t tell me he used to do what your uncle did to you when he made you marry Alex!” Lucas spit out angrily.
Jenny looked startled at how fast he worked it out and couldn’t speak up to confirm it.
I interfered on her behalf as I said calmly “Lucas, calm down. Let’s not reopen old wounds from the past. It’s over and no one can ever hurt her or her mother again”
She gave me a grateful look for speaking up because she was too choked up to respond, and I saw some pain flicker in her eyes.
I got up, walked over to her, and hugged her to my chest tightly.
I looked at my family, who were still shocked by that new revelation.
My mom was hastily wiping away her tears and trying to hide her emotions quickly as not to bother Jenny any further.
And when April and Sara saw what my mom did, they quickly followed as they adjusted their expressions.
Lucas was staring at Jenny with a lot of profound guilt. I didn’t understand his guilt to be honest.
He approached us until he was standing in front of us.
“Jenny I’m so sorry” he said intensely.
Jenny turned her head into his direction but remained in my arms.
“For what Lucas?” she asked in confusion.
“For what I said to you in the kitchen that first night, about your eyes being the same as…. Him, about how cold and soulless they are and that I felt like I was staring at him whenever I looked at you. I’m so sorry I didn’t mean any of it I swear. Your eyes are the exact opposite. They’re warm and so full of compassion. There can never be anything cold about you. Please forgive me” he said emotionally.
It was the softest voice I’ve heard Lucas talk to anyone with before.
Jenny gave him a sweet genuine smile and said teasingly “I’ll forgive you if you stop making biting comments about my relationship with Alex”
“Done” he said instantly.
She let go of me and hugged him briefly.
When he began to return the hug she warned him seriously “Don’t you bear hug me again, I can’t survive two bear hugs in one day”
He chuckled and hugged her more lightly as he kissed the top of her head.
My mom cleared her throat and we all turned to look at her.
She was staring down Lucas and giving him a dangerous look.
Yeah, he probably should have apologized to Jenny in private.
“What else did you say or do during Jenny’s first few days that I’m still not aware of?” she asked fiercely.
Lucas looked down in embarrassment.
“That’s all Diana, he didn’t say anything else. Besides, it’s all in the past. We’re okay now” said Jenny in a small tone.
Surprisingly, her voice came out steady. It was the first time her lie wasn’t so obvious.
Then again, she was speaking the truth. He didn’t ‘say’ anything else to her after that time.
It’s what he did that she purposefully made sure not to mention anything about.
Lucas spared her a curious side look for not ratting him out.
If she wanted revenge for it all, that was her moment.
But Jenny wanted to show him that she really forgave him and kept him from getting into serious trouble with mom.
Mom would not take lightly at all the fact that he threw a knife a mere inch above Jenny’s head.
Diana gave her a soft look and said “I hope so dear. And just because you forgave him, you don’t have to hide whatever it is you’re hiding from me. But I’ll let it go” she gave Lucas a threatening look as she continued “For now”
Lucas scratched the back of his head nervously and went back to sit on the couch.
It was only a matter of time before she corners him and gets the truth out of him.
I couldn’t wait to see what happens to him after that.
That should be interesting to watch.
I mean I could’ve ratted him out right now, but where would be the fun in that? It is way more fun to watch him confess his own actions rather than speak them for him.
We all settle down after that and fall into a deathly silence.
After some considerable time, a loud persistent knock on the door makes all our hearts beat faster, I was certain of that.
Time to pay for your sins Stefan Snow, time to meet your grim reapers, meet Alex and Lucas Snow.