Secrets

Part 3

Dani

I wanted to go right away to the house, but I was scared. What were my brothers into that got them killed, and they knew it was dangerous. So I packed my brothers' stuff in my bag and went to find the house.

The house was near Lake Benson, so I drove to the gate and stopped outside. I stood there for a minute before someone came. "Dani? What are you doing here? Are you following me?" I laughed and raised my hands in frustration, "great. It's you." I huffed and went back to the car, but he blocked me from leaving. "What are you doing here? How did you find this place?"

"Sorry, I shouldn't have come here." I looked down and whispered, "thanks, Nate." "Nate? Are you Hailey?" I shake my head, "not anymore." "What do you mean, not anymore?" I looked him in the eyes, "Hailey died a month ago with her brothers."

He was taken aback by that, "I am sorry for your loss. Let's go in; I will drive." He took my keys from me and went to the driver's seat. I sat in the passenger seat, and we drove to the house. That was more of a mansion than a house. I stayed seated after we arrived. The villa is big and white, and another place nearby.

Eli stayed with me, "you know, I have to see the ring Declan gave you." I looked at him and lifted it for him to see. I had put it on my silver necklace, not to lose it. I would have liked to wear it, but it was too big for me. He reached for it, but I pulled it away from him, "you asked to see it, not touch it." He smiled, "yeah. You are Hailey, alright. Let's go in. I have so much to show you. This place is so big, and the dinner should be ready in about half an hour."

We walked into the house; I was quiet. I didn't know what to expect, but not this. There were pictures of my dad and brothers everywhere. I felt them here, and I teared up quickly. I held them back as hard as I could. I froze when I heard someone call Eli.

"Eli, the food is ready. What is taking you so long?" I turned to the voice, and I felt my face pale. "No," I whispered. My hands shook, and I felt my feet weakening. I watched his shocked face. It had lost all color in a second. "No," I said a bit louder. He took a step toward me, but I put my hand up to stop him. "No, you are dead." "Princess, please." I shook my head and let my tears fall, "no, this can't be happening."

"Hailey," Eli said. I turned to him, my eyes burning in a fury. "Don't call me that. I am not her anymore. I am Dani." I turned to the other man in the room, "I am not your princess anymore either. You have been dead for a long time." "Two years isn't a long time, little bug."

"It is, Jack. Do you have any idea what you put me through?" He didn't answer, so I got even madder, "do you?" "I am sorry, I wanted to take you with me, but your brothers." "Do not finish that sentence. My brothers were there when you weren't." I am so mad at him. "Where are your brothers?" I was taken aback by that, and I frowned. "You don't know?" He frowned, "know what?" My face fell, and fresh tears streamed down, "I am here because they sent me here. They left me a letter to come here. My brothers are dead."

"What? They can't be dead." I watched him take his phone and dialing. When nothing happened, he turned to Eli, "is it true?" "Yes, I am sorry. I heard about it and went to check it out. I was in town the day after the funeral. I couldn't find Hailey; her stepmom said she had moved away." I snorted at that, "yeah, right." They turned to me. "She is something else. She told me to leave and stay away from Tulsa." "Why would she do something like that?" I laughed, "you were always blind. She has always hated me, and all she cared about was money. Even before you were there, but it went worse after."

For a second, there was a silence, "so when we met the first time, you were on your way to Tulsa?" "Yeah, and I am sorry about what I said to you," Eli said. "It doesn't matter anymore; apparently, you are my bodyguard for the next 30 years." "What?" "Nate wrote about that, so." He looked at my dad, "is it true? They said something, but nothing concrete." "Yeah, it is. She is yours to protect."

My dad turned to me, "what happened with them?" I sighed, "it was almost five weeks ago. I was with Marcy at your grave that day. When we came back, the police didn't let us close to the house. The detective told me my brothers were dead. They all had six gunshots in them, so the detective told me. After that morning, I never saw them again. The police didn't let me see them. After the funeral, I packed my stuff and left town with a new name Declan gave me. Nate left me a letter to come here. They knew something was going to happen." "Wait, you never saw them dead?" "No, why?" He pulled the other phone from his pocket and called someone. "Hi, can you do me a favor? Track down my boys. They may be dead, but I want proof of that. They were in Tulsa last; it happened five weeks ago or so. Thanks."

"What is going on? How are you alive, and what were my brothers doing that killed them?" I was getting mad again. My dad hesitated, but looking at me, he sighed. "Fine. I will tell you, but first, we eat." He leads me to the kitchen. We sit and eat.

After we go to his study, "I am alive because I got out just in time. You know I got my money from my dad, but there is also something you don't know. My half-brother Caleb is in the mafia. There was a war among them, and they came after me. So I had to get out to make sure you were safe. Your brothers found out about Caleb. They wanted him to leave the country. So I had to step in; I made them come here. They promised me to keep quiet. But I don't know what they did, why they were preparing to leave you? I should have taken all of you with me."