“Just don’t say stupid shit and you’ll be fine,” I mutter.
“I’ll admit, I am pleasantly surprised by how protective she is of us,” Adrian says, smiling down at me. “But I love her.”
“Is she also involved with Raul? And is Fiona involved?” the man asks.
“He wishes,” I cackle, earning a wicked grin from Raul.
“It’s still new for most of us,” Adrian says. So, Owen, take Edward to holding. If he fights, just kill him. He’s not worth the effort.”
“You got it,” Owen says. Edward is suspiciously quiet. He isn’t fighting this at all, which leads me to believe we are missing something. Why would dying at the hands of The Society he ran in secret be preferable to surviving?
Unless… there is another entity he is more scared of…
Chapter Twenty Three
Alania
We are in amassive warehouse watching people file in through the doors. Some look confused, while others are seemingly content. Many of the younger members do not recognize Paulo, but the older ones absolutely do. They greet him with pure joy in their eyes, and that says more than anything else could. He was missed, but Charles and Edward were feared. No one was willing to go against their leadership because they thought their beloved leader had been murdered. Now that they know he wasn’t, it’s like watching all of the tension release from someone’s body. That gives me hope.
When everyone is in and watching us, Adrian looks to the other members of the council. “Where is Owen?” he asks.
“Last I saw, he was going back to shackle Edward just before you all got here,” a man, who I now know is named Caleb, says.
“I’ll go check,” Raul says, kissing the top of Fiona’s head and walking away.
“Alright, everyone,” Adrian says, and people stop talking. “A few updates. Charles is dead, as is his son Mark. Hugo is dead as well. As some of you might remember, my father, Paulo, was assumed to be dead. He has spent the last twenty years recovering and waiting for the time to avenge his near murder. Now that he has returned and I am married, I am assuming the position of leader. I am making massive changes and restoring the way things used to be. In doing so, Edward Remington will be facing consequences for the purchase, abuse, and rape of his assumed daughter and my wife, Alania. She is, in fact, not his daughter. She is of no blood relation to him or his son, Brently Remington. Understand that his wife, Vivian, is not guilty of any wrongdoing. She is very much a victim of Edward’s psychopathic behavior. She has been moved to an intensive care facility to receive treatment for severe mental health issues stemming from his abuse and will likely remain there for the duration of her life. This is not a punishment, but a result of decades of abuse... Edward began sexually abusing Alania at just six years old. Recently, he paid Fredrico Alvarez, with the help of Mark Hamilton, to murder Alania during the Hunt. She nearly lost her life, and everyone who was involved with, conspiring with, or complicit in this horrible situation will die for what they did to my wife…”
“We have a problem,” Raul says when he walks onto the main floor. “Edward is gone. Owen is dead. Looks like his throat was slit.”
“Oh no…” I whisper. “No, this is bad.”
Adrian takes my face between his hands and kisses me. “We will find him, Little Dove. There isn’t a rock in hell that can hide him from me avenging you.”
“What’s going on?” a man asks.
Adrian kisses me before turning back to everyone. “It appears as though Edward Remington has escaped holding. I confirmed myself that he didn’t have anything that could be used as a weapon, which means someone in the council or the guard gave him something to use to kill Owen Saltz. Therefore, I will give the council and the guard one opportunity. In recent years, this society has been built on secrets and lies. That ends now. I know you are all aware of who did this, so you either out that person right now, or you all die.”
“It was Gary,” Jax, one of the guards from the school, says. Adrian doesn’t skip a beat when he pulls his pistol and fires a round directly between Gary’s eyes. Gary was one of the council members and the leader of the guards.
“Jax, you will replace him on the council,” Adrian says.
“He’s not even married!” A man barks. “You can’t…”
“This is not a debate,” Adrian says loudly. His tone is so dark that I suddenly feel like I’ve questioned him. Why is that hot? “I want everyone to understand that I have no qualms about removing anyone who still stands to be subservient to Charles or Edward. I also want to make it known that Edward was the one running things. Charles was the face of it, and now they’re both dead. You can either learn to adapt or die fighting for your right to abuse innocent people.”
“Is he always this hot?” I lean over and whisper to Raul. He grins at me, and a few people suddenly scowl at me. I forgot that I’m not supposed to speak, or at least that’s the way it used to be. Adrian looks at me, and then the others.
“I will send a detailed list of the changes I am making, but I will stress a few,” Adrian continues. “One, my mother, Toula Santos, and Raul’s wife, Fiona, are now members of the council. All admissions into the school of excellence will need to be consenting. This is non-negotiable, and we will no longer be grooming these young women by raping them into submission. That is not what this society stands for. With that, roles within the dynamic are not gender specific. All dynamics are accepted. And I do mean all. This includes various dom and sub types. I will also follow that up with an admission of my own. Alania, Brently, Raul, Fiona, and I are in a polygamist relationship. I encourage everyone to be true to themselves and be with whoever it is that makes you happy.
“With myself being the true heir of leadership and Brently being the heir to the old leadership, he and I, as well as Alania, will be laying out a plan for the school, as well as an overhaul of all aspects of The Society. In the meantime, understand that abuse,sexual assault, or murder will not be tolerated. I will find out, and you will face the consequences. Women are not objects to be controlled, abused, or otherwise harmed. Innocent people are not targets of your hatred or lack of humanity.”
Everyone is dead silent for a moment, but then it starts. One person claps, and the rest follow suit. While the major faces in this society are missing due to job responsibilities and travel distance, their respective liaison are here to relay information. They would not stand and clap for something that their client would not agree with.
Adrian unexpectedly turns to me and kneels. I step back in shock, but he grabs my hands and pulls me closer. Everyone goes silent, and I stare down at him in awe.
“For my entire life, I prayed to bring peace to this society. I’ve seen innocent women harmed along the way, and I want to do better. Not just for me, but for you, our future children, and every other woman in this society who has been subjected to horrific treatment. You encouraged me to be true to myself, and for that, I will be forever grateful. You are the absolute love of my life, Alania. My submission to you has nothing to do with dynamics. It is every bit respect and devotion. I swore to you that I would never hurt you. I would always be the one to lift you up, and I can’t do that if I’m standing above you. So, for that, I want to do something for you. For every other woman who sets foot in that school… Henceforth, Hamilton School for Excellence will be known as The Dove Institute: a sanctuary for liberation through submission.”
“It’s beautiful,” I say as I pull him up to wrap my arms around his body. “I love you so much. Thank you.”
