King Bastard: A Dark Sparrow Novel, page 16
As he talked, Finch seemed to forget about Bernard and lowered his gun. “I never wanted children. I’m not the sentimental type but if I had one son, why not have another? I was creating a contingency plan if one of them died. Children are so fragile. And if one was dumb or not worth my legacy? I had to think about every eventuality. And if they all survived, it meant more chances of controlling more people. Industry and business avenues were endless with sons by my side.”
Finch rounded Bernard, taking one step at the time as Sasha stepped back, maintaining a safe distance between them. As she turned, she caught movement from the corner of her eye but didn’t dare turn her head.
“I waited years for them to grow up and mature, and when I finally judged them ready, they turned their backs on me!”
Sasha wanted Finch distracted but not completely out of control. “Children tend to want to find their own path, distance themselves from their parents before coming home.”
Finch’s silver eyes hardened. “Coming home to what? Each one of them destroyed pieces of what I’d hoped to pass on, what I’d spent years building! What do I have left, tell me?” Each word he spoke grew louder and louder, to the point he was yelling at her. “I’ve lost everything because of those ungrateful boys!”
As Finch talked to himself, Sasha risked a glance at Bernard. The man was scared, but apart from a few bruises and a little blood, he seemed good. “I’m here now. So what’s next? What do you want?”
“Revenge. I know it sounds petty, but it’s all I have left. It’s all that matters to me now. Everything I’ve done has led me here and now it will end.”
Sasha’s scream caught in her throat when Finch put a bullet in Bernard’s head. Blood spattered, and the poor man slumped forward in his bonds, lifeless.
In horror, Sasha stumbled backward just as Finch pointed his gun at her. Frozen at the sight of her impending death, Sasha wanted to scream, but another voice did it for her.
“No!” Elizabeth rushed in front of her, shielding her with her body. “No, Jamieson. Enough! You’ve done enough.”
It was fleeting, but Sasha saw surprise on Finch’s face, his eyes shining as he looked at the mother of his child. Unfortunately, it was quickly replaced by arrogance. “I see you’ve never learned your place, Elizabeth. Maybe if you had, you might’ve done a better job in raising my son.”
“Don’t you dare call him your son. You don’t deserve to be called a father. You have no scruples, consideration, or love for him. If you did, maybe you’d know what it is to have a family with all your sons.”
“Don’t get haughty with me, I know where you come from, and you’re nothing. You had the privilege of meeting me and elevating yourself. Instead of having the fortitude to do so, you resigned yourself to an inconsequential life. You’re pathetic.”
Finch all but spat out his disdain, but Elizabeth only held her head higher. “You’re the loser, as you gave me the greatest gift I could ever hope for: the unconditional love of a child.”
His answer was a derisive snarl as he aimed his gun at Elizabeth. “Let’s see if love will save you from this. Any last words, my darling?”
“You touch her, and I’ll skin you alive.”
Lazarus stepped into the light; his own weapon aimed at his father. The sight didn’t even make him blink. Instead, he smiled with pride. “My dear son, how perfect that you came for the grand finale.”
“Move away from them, lower your gun, and you might still live.”
“Live?” Finch positioned himself to have a clear view of his son while aiming the gun toward Elizabeth and Sasha. “I was living, and you and your brothers destroyed everything I’d done, everything I’d built for you!”
Sasha’s heart wanted to leap out of her chest as her eyes went from the gun to Lazarus and back. As the two men spoke, Sasha glanced around and almost gasped at seeing so many people. Archer, Kai, and Sam were on one side, Liam and Aleksei on the other, armed, and ready to intervene, but she could see more people, shadowy forms, in the background.
“I never wanted your empire. You feast on suffering, trample good people, steal from them. If that’s your legacy, I’m glad it’s gone.”
Lazarus’ affirmation made his father mad. “You have a small mind and no ambition. It’s pathetic. When I look at you, it’s hard to believe you even came from me. But enough talking, my son. This is the perfect place to make you feel what I feel, to make you experience my own loss. I’d be a fool not to expand your mind.”
Gunfire sounded, and true to what Finch had just said, Sasha felt as if she was caught in a storm, or maybe an avalanche. The shock made her brain freeze as a weight crashed onto her. When she fell, her head hit the ground, stunning her.
A mix of shouts, running footsteps, and loud bangs followed, but Sasha’s head was pounding, and the pain made her dizzy, so it was impossible to orientate herself. It was only when the heavy weight on her chest lifted that she remembered the gun. Had she been shot?
A voice pulled her from her floating state, urgent and pleading. Lazarus. It was like waking up with a hangover. Elizabeth was lying beside her with Lazarus bent over her, tears streaming down his face. Training took over, and Sasha scrambled up but the quantity of blood pooling beneath Elizabeth didn’t bode well. She pushed Lazarus’ hand away to get a better look, but only saw pouring blood. It was difficult to see if an artery was severed or not.
Sasha pressed against the wound, hoping it would give her some more few precious seconds.
“My beautiful baby boy.” Elizabeth’s voice sounded foreign, becoming more distant as her life poured out of her.
“Mum, please. Hang on. Help is coming. You’ll be all right.”
At her son’s promise, the mother smiled. It wasn’t a sad one, but rather a smile radiating with love. “You’ll be all right, too. And happy. I see it in your beautiful eyes and your good heart. Never forget that I love you.”
The last words were said on a faint, almost inaudible breath, but before Sasha could hear the woman’s last exhale, she was pushed aside by a swarm of EMTs. As a doctor, she should have intervened, but her body felt numb, her fingers shaking. In that state there was no way she could keep a cool head and help. Lazarus was shoulder to shoulder with the paramedics, his brothers were behind him, looking broken and desolate but banding together as they always did. In record time, the EMTs had taken over and left with the dying Elizabeth.
To her surprise, Lazarus stayed behind, but Sasha was in too much of a daze to even react. For the first time, it was clear she was in a state of shock, detached. Like looking at a movie unfolding before her eyes, Sasha wanted to go to the man she loved, but instead observed him as he shook himself off, his expression turning cold and ruthless. “Where is he?”
Aleksei gestured toward the other room. Sasha tried to stand and follow him, dread turning her stomach, but couldn’t. The brothers followed Lazarus and she saw Amos and others from the camp untying Bernard’s corpse and laying it on the ground.
The room slowly filled with people, those same people who’d wanted to capture her and Lazarus, now offered their calm support.
Noises came from the other room, but Sasha knew that the brothers were seeking closure, however violent or bloody it was.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Enough was enough. Sasha had a lot of patience, but when the gauge was empty, she had to act. A month had passed since that fateful night and Lazarus had finally gone to the hospital and returned to announce to their little group gathered at Aleksei and Deva’s place that Elizabeth had died of her wound. Time had stopped and crumbled. Sasha had expected Lazarus to come undone or explode in fury, but he didn’t. Another option she’d prepared for was anger and resentment. After all, even if she hadn’t wanted to, Sasha had brought Elizabeth into the situation and got her killed. It didn’t happen. Lazarus had been distant, but still touched her hand and kissed her brow, seeking contact. Another surprise was how that deep pain appeared to last for only a brief instant, although life had been too busy for Lazarus and his brothers to wallow.
It had taken some coaxing to find out what had happened to Finch in the end. Sasha had stayed back, unable to leave her friend or Bernard alone while the authorities were called and had missed seeing what happened to Finch.
Back at the renovated building, when the EMTs rushed out with Elizabeth and the police arrived, taking over the scene, Sasha had been caught in a whirlwind of questions, most of which she couldn’t answer, or more accurately she didn’t know if answering any of them would cause trouble for the brothers.
The authorities rounded everybody up and led them outside. Sasha looked for Lazarus but didn’t see him as she was led away. It took a few more hours to take care of the homeless people as they were interrogated, before Liam came to her side, whispering that everything would be alright.
Only when she caught a glimpse of Lazarus deep in conversation with several people in uniform did her stress vanish, making her knees go weak in relief. At least he didn’t appear to be in custody, and neither were his brothers as she’d spotted them at various times filling out paperwork, on the phone, or talking with different cops.
Tired beyond belief after hours of explaining what had happened, she was on her last reserves when they were finally told to go home. At the news, Lazarus appeared by her side. His silver eyes looked dull and tired, his shoulders hunched, but by some extraordinary circumstances, they were walking free.
The brothers came over, asking if Sasha was alright before heading home to their loved ones. The sun was setting, meaning that they’d spent the entire day at the station. Instead of heading back to Lazarus’ home, which was also the last place Elizabeth had called home, he’d taken her hand and started walking.
Sasha didn’t say a word, only enjoyed the simple contact, and waited for Lazarus to speak. Passersby glanced at them like they were from another planet, maybe because of their state of dress and their haunted expressions, but she couldn’t care less. It took an hour of wandering the streets before Lazarus finally opened up.
Not once looking in her direction but squeezing her hand harder, his first words were rushed. Lazarus explained how in the few minutes the brothers had alone with Finch, they’d bonded together to get answers from their father, trying to discover if he’d planned any more tricks.
The old man had only laughed, mocking them for being who they were, accusing them of being unworthy of the life they were given. Clearly clinging to the last wisps of his sanity, Finch verbally attacked them, but when he turned to Sam, reminding him of the horror he’d done to his brother, all the guilt and the rage Lazarus had felt at being unable to protect Sam exploded. Deep in a blackout, Lazarus only returned to reality when his brother pulled him away and he saw his father bloodied and motionless on the floor. At the very end, the eldest of his sons, the designated heir, had killed Jamieson Finch with his bare hands.
Sasha didn’t have to lower her gaze to know that his knuckles were raw from the beating. Lazarus continued by describing how reality slammed into him, and the statements they’d all had to give to the police, and how the authorities were happy, unofficially at least, to see Jamieson Finch off the streets, even if they’d have preferred to have him alive and behind bars. The man had caused one of the greatest manhunts in Chicago, with everything he touched turning into fraud and blood. Their annoyance had lessened when Sam had produced all the data he’d gathered about Finch’s finances, and Liam had handed over what he’d found during his ongoing investigation. Each of the brothers submitted everything they’d gathered over the years in the hopes of bringing their father down. Only due their relentless pursuit of Finch, and all the evidence they’d had, were they able to walk free.
There’d be more questions to answer for sure, but at the end of the day, Sasha was relieved that the monster who’d scared those boys so deep was gone for good. However, Lazarus didn’t seem so liberated. It was then, right in the middle of the sidewalk, among faceless people passing them, that Lazarus finally stopped, his face full of anguish, and said he’d understand if everything she’d gone through was too much and changed how she felt about them. Her only answer had been a smile and a soul-consuming kiss. His arms wrapping around her, his mouth opening to her, confirmed he understood she wasn’t going anywhere.
However, Sasha knew very well that Finch’s death wasn’t a miracle cure that would heal all the trauma endured or erase the invisible wounds Lazarus had. There’d been so many things to do after that, the entire family had banded together to see it through.
A ceremony had been organized stateside, a gathering of family and friends who’d loved Elizabeth and wanted to pay her homage one last time. However, Lazarus had taken care of his mother’s body, having it cremated before bringing it back to the UK to inter her in the family plot. He’d decided to make that trip alone and everyone respected his wishes, even if they would’ve preferred to be present. Just before he’d left, he’d asked her to give him time. This trip was a chance for him to come to terms with everything that had happened, find peace, and clear his mind. Although difficult, she’d understood and respected his plea, even if her heart broke at letting him go alone with his mother’s ashes.
Sasha had tried to fill her time and mind by working at the shelter. With Elizabeth gone, the organization was on the brink of collapse, so it was natural for her to step up and help. Using all her contacts, she’d found a replacement for Elizabeth and put additional training for the team in place. The bonus had been finding a doctor who’d recently retired and was willing to take Sasha’s part-time job at the shelter.
Everything seemed to fall into place, apart from Amos, who didn’t approve of the new doctor. Sasha had spent quite some time with the homeless man, planning and financing Bernard’s funeral and helping the group the best she could. Even though they’d threatened her life, Sasha knew they’d been manipulated and needed support above anything else. Amos had been the most disturbed by everything that had happened, so she kept an eye on him. She had great affection for the old man, scruff and all.
Although she kept busy, her mind always turned toward Oz and her promise to him. Sasha had stayed away as he’d asked, even if it had broken her to let him go a month without any news, not even to his brothers.
None of them seemed concerned, reminding her that in his shoes, they’d need some distance and time. If he needed time, she’d give him as much as humanly possible, but in the meantime, she kept busy. Archer had been tasked to clear out Lazarus’s building, not that there was much left. All of Elizabeth’s personal effects were already packed. Oz had gone through his mother’s belongings with Sasha. Soon, everyone else had joined in, turning the task into a wake where the brothers shared sweet memories and amusing anecdotes about Elizabeth, as their women cuddled them and shared their tears.
The only glimmer of light piercing the thick emotional reunion had been when Deva announced that she and Aleksei were having a baby. The eruption of surprise, love, and joy pulled them together as they’d offered their congratulations and shared hugs. It was what everybody needed, tightening their family bonds, and providing a sweet opening to the future. However, sadness still lay thick over Oz.
It was the last night she’d seen Lazarus, as when everybody prepared to leave, he’d announced he had a plane ticket booked to the UK where he’d bury his mother. With a kiss, and a fierce hug, and the man she loved vanished into the night.
It was impossible to quantify how much time someone needed to emerge from an ocean of sorrow, but everything in Sasha screamed to go to him.
Before she realized it, Sasha was on her phone searching possible flights heading over the Atlantic. It wasn’t until she landed that she realized she wasn’t certain where to go. Elizabeth had talked about Liverpool, so that was her next stop. While on the train she researched, with the little information she had, the King family and where they were buried. The strongest lead was Everton Cemetery. The website hadn’t been updated with Elizabeth King’s burial, but the names of possible relatives made sense.
The train journey wasn’t long enough for her to take a nap, but she refused to let jetlag slow her down. There’d be time to rest when her mind and heart were at peace again.
The air was warm but humid when she got off the train, like it had rained just moments before she’d arrived. The sky was overcast, intensifying the nearing dusk, so it was an easy decision to hop in a cab and head to the cemetery before she could doubt her decision. At least if she was wrong, she could stay in town and start her search again the next day.
It was a quick ride to the cemetery gates. She hitched her overnight bag over her shoulder, and clutching an overpriced bouquet of flowers she’d bought at the airport, she walked through the gate and toward the King family plot.
It took a moment to get the lay of the place, and after a few wrong turns, she arrived in the right vicinity. At least, she hoped she had.
Sunlight pierced the clouds, making its final appearance for the day. It was a beautiful stroll through the grounds with the chapel in the background of this classical sad but serene landscape. In her work, death was a constant companion, but Sasha never really thought about her own demise after what had happened in Africa.
As her eyes checked the names on the gravestones, a shiver ran down her spine. A feeling of loneliness seized her heart and made her restless. There was no question that she was an independent woman but having Lazarus by her side had lightened her load, making her realize that she didn’t have to be strong all the time when there was a partner and an equal she could trust and lean on along the way. Sasha needed Oz’s strength and love, and she knew he felt the same way about her, even if his natural inclination was to always protect her. She couldn’t fault him as she had the same instinct to protect him too.
