Deceit in their silence - Completed

Thirty Six

After that night, the next few months were slow and uneventful. Things were finally going back to some sort of normality come April. We'd spent 4 and a half months drinking, laughing, dancing with each other.  

Christmas had been fun, but I missed home. I missed my dad and Roman. Jaxson had bought me a delicate little gold necklace and bracelet set to match my ring. I got him some cleaning pieces to help him tidy up after dinner. He laughed for a minute and the look he gave me told me I'd regret it later. I didn't, no matter how hard he tried. I gave him his real gift when we were alone. A promise ring to match mine. I'd made Sonny drive me to the nearest town an hour away to buy it. 

Lexie and Iris as it turned out were madly in love with each other. They barely left each other's sides now the secret was out. They'd said the reason they kept it a secret for so long is out of fear of what we would say. I'd reminded them that I never cared as long as they were happy and I'd told them that when we were teenagers. It took weeks of them apologising before we finally let it go. 

Sonny and Daisy were practically inseparable as well as Sofia and Jesse. It was literally Carlos wandering around alone now. Serves him right. Sonny mentioned in passing to Jaxson that he didn't put a label on his sexuality. He liked who he liked. We found out not long after that that he was single again. He started smiling more then. Especially around Daisy. 

Everything was perfect right now. Life here was starting to feel somewhat comfortable. Almost normal after all of our time here. I was starting to love the security of being in the middle of nowhere. 

"Lennox, grab the door. It might be food." Sonny shouted from the living room as I put my foot on the final step. I sighed and pulled the door open and just stood there, staring. 

"Roman?" He took a step forward and wrapped me in a tight hug. "What-" I hugged him back, letting him pick me up and walk inside, closing the door behind him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too beautiful." He put me down and grabbed my hand. "Where's Sonny and Jaxson?" 

"Living room." I smiled brightly and pulled him towards the door. 

"Wait here a sec for me." He dropped my hand still in the hallway and walked into the living room. Something was going on. 

I watched the living area door way for a while, listening for any hint of why Roman had showed up from nowhere without warning. I spoke to him and daddy last night. Everything was fine. 

"What you doing here?" Daisy asked from the staircase behind me. 

"Roman just showed up?" 

"Oh that's cool. What did he say?" 

"Where's Sonny and Jaxson." I turned and looked at her "Something's going on Daisy. I don't think it's good." She grabbed my hand and gave a half hearted smile. She felt it too. 

"I'm sure everything is fine. I'll go get the girls." I nodded and turned back to the door I could see shadows of the boys coming back and crossed my arms. If this was nothing I was going to kill Roman. 

"Len can you come in here?" Roman shouted an I took a deep breath as I put one foot in front of the other slowly. I watched the three of them sat at the smaller dining table at the far end of the kitchen.  I stood and looked between the three of them. I'd seen this look before. I shook my head. Jaxson instantly stood from his seat and grabbed me to stop me falling as my knees gave way under me. 

"No." 

"Len." Jaxson sat me down in the chair beside him and Roman. 

"No Roman." 

"Lennox, let me-" I could see the tears fighting at  his eyes. 

"No Roman. You're not going to say it because it's not fucking true." Jaxson's hand rested on my knee and I pushed him off. He grabbed my hand in his and squeezed. He wasn't let me push him away for this. 

"It is Lennox." Roman snapped. "I tried but I couldn't stop the bleeding." I shook my head and the tears started flowing down my cheeks. 

It took me a few minutes of sitting in silence with the three of them for me to forcibly stop the tears. I wasn't sad now I was furious. I dropped Jaxson's hand and stood up from the table. 

"Fine then I'm coming home." 

"Len-" 

"I'm not taking no for an answer." I walked out of the kitchen, through the living room and back to the entrance. The girls stood hand in hand like they were hoping I'd come out smiling. I stopped and stared at them not knowing what to say. 

"He's dead." I said with a blank face. "My dad." Their eyes widened and they stared not knowing how to react like me.  I walked around them and up the stairs to my room. 

I stood in the mirror unable to start packing. I was just staring at myself stood there in an outfit 4 hours ago I thought was cute as hell. Now I was angry with it. I couldn't be seen in these outfits anymore. Not if I was in charge. I couldn't be the sweet girl Jaxson had convinced me I was. Not now. 

Now I had to be brutal and ruthless. Every move from now on had to be calculated. I had to uphold power. If they shot him they want me to feel the pain. I'd show them it didn't hurt whilst I ripped their heads from their shoulders. 

"Len-" I turned to see Roman walking into my room "We need to talk." He sat down on the floor beside me and patted it, asking me to sit with him "You can't come home yet. I know you really want to but this is nearly done. You need to stay here and grieve." 

"I own half of this now Roman. I get a say in what happens next, don't give me instructions." 

"I know. That's what I was talking to Jaxson and Sonny about. You're going to lead us from here. You need to call them. Show them we are still strong. We're so close Lennox, I need more men. I need Jaxson's family. They were hesitating before. Jaxson tried but it's no use since as far as everyone knows you guys are still broken up." 

"What are you saying Roman." 

"He's saying I need to propose." I looked up at the door and Jaxson smiled half heartedly "If we were going to be married my dad would have to do it. He'd have to because you'd be taking over after him with me and he'd need to keep you safe." 

"Jax- we've been together like 5 months-" 

"Dad said the same before he died Lennox." I looked back at Roman. "That you needed Jaxson and he knew you two were perfect for each other if you could just stop being immature." 

"I'm so confused." 

"I know that's why you need to stay here. I mean you guys had spoken about this right?" We both nodded. "So what's wrong with it being now? You don't have to get married for a year or two anyway. People just need to think you two are happily in love like you are. But it needs to look like you got engaged before dad died. You're going to have to do a whole thing. But I need it as soon as possible. I need the men before they can regroup." 

"How close are you talking to being done Roman?" I asked and put my head back. 

"We are down to the last band of the family. The leader and his wife. That's it. There is like 4 or five men around him constantly."  I nodded. I could take that. Maybe not right now. But I could. 

"And what if we get the men. Then what?" 

"We take them out and everything goes back to normal. Everyone else is gone. A whole family erased from history." 

"And we can all come home?"  He nodded and I looked up at Jaxson. "Can you give us a minute?" I asked Roman and he stood up. He tapped Jaxson on the shoulder and left the room. I waited until I heard the second door closed downstairs before I laid down on the floor fully. 

"Today is a head fuck."