Page 86 of Bound By Blood and Lies

“Boy, do you even know what that means?” Harding sneers.

“I do,” I reply evenly. “Do you?”

A low chuckle comes from Buckley, and I flick a glance toward Riggs, trying to read it. Is it dismissal, or is he enjoying it? Riggs doesn’t give me anything back. His face is blank, almost bored, which is unusual for him even in situations like this.

Interesting.

“And why,” Strickland asks calmly, “would we even consider that?”

“Because we’ve uncovered a sex trafficking ring that will systematically destroy The Company if it comes to light.”

“Your father would never jeopardise The Company, Roman,” Bates snaps.

I grit my teeth as the image of my knife sliding across this prick’s throat flashes in my mind. I didn’t come here just for clearance. I came to watch. To listen. We’ve gathered enough intel over the last few weeks, but there are still gaps. Names seem to have been redacted or completely removed like they are ghosts. My suspicion is other founders.

“What he’s trying to say,” Buckley cuts in before I can respond, “is that’s a strong claim for someone your age.”

“My age doesn’t change the facts, sir.”

Harding leans forward, his eyes narrowing directly on me as his lips curl. “You’re asking us to remove your father and hand you his position, Longstaff. Age certainly is a factor here.”

I shrug, looking past him to Simmons. Nothing hurts someone’s ego more than being ignored. It’s a power play Dad taught me. Harding looks like he’s ready to burst and if I can rile him up, I can gain more information. Simmons scoffs as my eyes connect with his.

“Before we even entertain that, I want to understand something.” Simmons’ gaze flicks to Fae before returning to me. “You expect us to trust your judgement when you’ve brought a suspected murderer into this room?”

“It was self-defence,” Fae responds as I swing my head to look at her.

I grit my teeth.This wasn’t what we agreed. Not even close.

They don’t have proof she killed him. They never did. All they had was her DNA at the scene, but it wasn’t concrete enough to hold. So, what is she doing? What does she think she gains from stepping into it like this?

“Fae—”

“No, Roman,” she cuts me off, lifting her chin. “They deserve to know.”

“Well go on… please do try and justify an unsanctioned killing, Ms Ackworth,” Strickland says, raising a brow as he folds his arms. Victor looks like he’s ready to tear his own father apart from the tone alone, and I swallow hard, already knowing where she’s going with this.

“I’m sure it’s not a surprise to learn that at the age of twelve when my first cycle came in my father bled me for the rituals,” a few of the men murmur at that. “At that time, Fisher was the doctor that oversaw my care. By the age of fourteen, I was performing sexual acts on him. I was isolated and alone and I had no idea that what happened to me was wrong.”

She swallows, and it takes everything in me not to reach for her as I watch the reaction of every man in this room.

“Fisher raped me for the first time when I was seventeen. At the time, I was told it was still okay to donate my cycle because it was anally. A year later, I started at university as a swallow. From there onwards, he didn’t touch me again until just before the initiation. By that time, I knew what Fisher had done and I was not receptive to it. I think this made him angry,” her voice catches.

I can see Robyn shaking beside me, hard enough that the chair rattles beneath her. A broken sob slips from her mouth and all eight men turn toward her at once. Fae’s expression shifts as she looks at her best friend, but she pulls it back just as quickly and straightens her shoulders.

“He kidnapped me 11 weeks ago, locked me in a warehouse where I was raped, beaten and starved. During a very brutal assault, a knife fell from his pocket. I picked it up and asked him to stop. I begged him to stop. He refused. I told him I’d stab him if he didn’t, but he continued and laughed at me.”

As she speaks, I watch the men across from me. Snider, Buckley, Parson and Lawson all look like they’re trying not to be sick. The others hold their composure, with blank faces but there’s no flicker of doubt there, no sign they think she’s lying. I swallow as the sound of my own pulse thuds in my ears and the room closes in.

“I blacked out…” Fae continues, “when I came round, he was dead and I escaped.”

Strickland’s expression doesn’t change, but his fingers still slightly, “that’s a serious allegation.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Do you have anything to support that?”

Hazel shifts forward, “I do.”