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TARIAN
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
This is such bullshit.
Slamming my hand on the desk, I pull out my cell phone and hit dial on the number I’ve been avoiding for months. I should’ve called earlier, but I needed to figure shit out on my own first.
“Tarian,” Philipe’s voice comes over the line.
I can hear noise in the background. Philipe owns two nightclubs, one in New York, the other in Los Angeles, and he travels between them often. The clubs are legitimate, but what happens out of sight of the partygoers is something he’s never shared with us. All we know is that Philipe has friends in the Italian mafia, and the nightclubs attract high-society clientele, especially those who have the money to spend on drugs, weapons, and anything else the Nostra can import.
“What can I do for you?” he asks me as I hear a door click shut, and I’m sure he’s just walked into his office.
I know I’m disturbing him at work, but I need advice. I would’ve asked Ares and Etienne, but they won’t understand. Only Philipe will be able to help me. As the oldest son of Abner Lancaster, he was meant to become the leader of the Sovereign, and even though he gave that honor to Ares, his younger brother, Philipe will always be the Head Crown.
“I need your help with something,” I tell him. “I can’t ask Ares and Etienne. They don’t know what happened before Thane left Tynewood.” Running my fingers through my hair, I tug on the strands, reveling in the bite of pain.
“I didn’t think you’d want to revisit that period in your life ever again.” Philipe sounds less than ready to help, but I need him. He’s the only one who knows what I went through.
Philipe is the Head Crown, whether he likes it or not, so he has to help me under the code we follow. Any Crown in need of assistance in any way, whether it’s personal, legal, or even illegal, can go to the Head Crown for help, and his request can’t be denied.
“I’m with Thane. Well, I’m at his house. He gave me a USB drive that contains letters from my mother addressed to my father, Thane, and me and a video message. I’ve read the letters, but I can’t bring myself to watch the video, not yet anyway.” I sigh before finally voicing what I need. “My mother said something in her letter to Thane that didn’t make sense at the time. I’ve thought about it a lot since, and the only conclusion I can come to is that she’s been keeping another secret hidden away. If I’m right, then I think what she mentioned in the letters will be verified in the video, but…” My words turn to silence. I don’t know if confirming the truth my mother wrote is something I can come back from.
Even though I’m alone, I’m not sure if Thane has his office bugged, so I know it’s better to talk outdoors. I stalk out onto the patio that overlooks the endless gardens of the property. In the distance, I can see the lights of NOLA.
“Please, Philipe. I can’t go to anyone else with this. Is it true? Is there another Calvert beside Thane and me? Has my mother got another son somewhere?”
Silence greets me. I wait, holding my breath. I suspect the answer is something I won’t like, but I need to hear it anyway.
“Your mother gave birth to another son,” Philipe finally admits. “But due to complications, she lost him soon after he was delivered. She had him buried with your father in Tynewood. There is something else your mother’s been hiding from you, though. But if you pursue this, Tarian, you’ll be revealing some ugly truths about the woman who gave birth to you,” he tells me. “Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
I glance behind me, looking at the laptop waiting in the office. I still have a video to watch. The confidence in Philipe’s response confirms my suspicions that there’s at least one more secret my mother has kept buried.
“Tell me.”
When I re-enter the office almost twenty minutes later, I sit back down at the desk. Tapping the touch pad to wake the laptop, I click on the video and breathe deeply. After confirming the contents of my mother’s letter with Philipe, I now need to see her face as she confesses her transgressions.
I wish Grecia was still here. But I pushed her to leave, knowing it’s better for her if she doesn’t get too attached to me.
I focus on the video file and open it. The media player fills the screen, and I see my mother’s face. Her smile is absent, and her eyes, so similar to mine, are filled with sadness. Even so, I feel nothing but disdain for the woman who gave me life.
Just as I’m about to listen to what she has to say, the office door opens, dragging my gaze from the screen and I shut down the video. I realize that night has taken hold of the office, and I’m sitting in darkness.
“I didn’t think you’d still be here,” Thane says as he nears the desk.
When he reaches me, he sets down a packet of cigarettes and a silver engraved Zippo. The Gilded Sovereign symbol is emblazoned on the metal.
“You knew, didn’t you?” I ask him. I don’t need to explain what I’m talking about, because I’m convinced Thane does know. He nods. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wasn’t my secret to tell,” he answers simply with a nonchalant shrug. He might be right, but it’s not fair. Fuck, nothing about my life has been fair. “Go upstairs, Tarian. Get ready.”
“For what?”
“We’re going to be meeting a few of my associates. And I’d like you present. Philipe mentioned you’re interested in what I’ve been up to.”
