His Best Kept Secret

Chapter Three

Silas never liked Oregon, at least the part he lived in. It was too conservative, too uppity, and people like Ebony rarely existed. He knew she must have had a very hard time growing up here, especially in the small town she was from. Well, her life was about to change because he was about to take her to a town that was off the map in Oregon. It was sort of a safe haven for men in his line of work who wanted a secure place for their loved ones.

He couldn't understand why Henry hadn't wanted to come here with his family. Then again, Henry had thought he was safe. The government had declared him as dead, changed his identity, and had promised him no one would be after him. It had been years since he left the business, but still...enemies had a way of holding grudges and if not the original enemy then their children came after you. In his line of work, he was never safe. Even in this hidden town there was always the possibility someone would discover them, someone would get in. It had happened before in another town and everyone had to relocate here. But at least here, Ebony could live her own life as long as she didn't leave.

He called one of his men on his cell phone as he drove through the storm in his truck. "Nikolas, is the house set up ?"

"Everything is complete. Should we stay or disappear?" Nikolas asked.

"I'm bringing her to our home for tonight; I want you all to meet her. You'll need to know what she looks like. Tomorrow I will take her to her house."

"Understood, is there anything else?"

"You'll need to know something that I wasn't told when I first met her. She's Black. I'm telling you this now, so you won't have a shock look on your face when you see her. Also, her hair was shaved off while she was in the hospital for medical reasons. It's growing but try not to stare. I am trying to make Ebony's stay here as comfortable as possible. Dress normal, act normal, and for Pete's sake do not have guns on you when we arrive." His men always carried weapons with them as if they were accessories.

Nikolas paused for a long time before saying, "understood," in that serious German accent of his. Silas knew he was dealing with the information he'd just given him.

"Good, I've been driving for two hours. We should be there in ten minutes. Tell the others to be on their best behaviors. She's going to be nervous her first time meeting all of you." He hung up the phone.

There were five of them; Dakota, Dominick, Fabian, Rex, Nikolas, the only men Silas trusted with his life and now with the sleeping woman beside him. He was pleased she'd slept all the way. He didn't have to blind fold her.

He approached the security gates at the border of the town. There should have been a sign that said, "Welcome to Emeryville", but there wasn't because the town was not supposed to exist. The guards saluted him and let him pass. Silas ruled Emeryville. He might have well been the mayor of the town filled with assassins and their families. Whenever there were problems, people came to him when he wasn't out on a job. He glanced at Ebony, he had no clue how this was going to turn out. Hopefully, he could keep her naïve to the world around her for as long as possible. He knew one day she was going to want to leave and then the real problem would begin. He would gladly play the FBI role although for the life of him he couldn't understand why she associated him with FBI when there were other government agents out there, perhaps it was all she knew.

He knew his secret was safe in the town. Everyone who lived their abided by a lot of rules and one of the biggest rules were that they didn't discuss what they did. Husband didn't talk to wives about their jobs even though their wives knew, and the kids were raised to know only the town. People who already had teenagers were not allowed in the town. The kids had to be born and raised there. Yes, so many rules, it was not a normal life, it was the life of an assassin. He was worried if Ebony would accept the disturbing totalitarianism of it all.