Chapter 24

Declan

I walked into one of the many rooms of the castle, not sure of what to expect. One of these rooms I'd open the door and I'd find them.

This door wasn't the one.

Instead, I found Lord Fisher standing at the end of a long table. He waited until I reached the other end till he spoke. "You must be Declan Harp."

"Where's Benton?" I asked angrily, having a pretty good idea that wherever I find Benton, I'll find Anna.

"He is not far. Do you know who I am?"

His name came out harshly, "Fisher."

"Lord Fisher, actually," Fisher corrected.

I couldn't help but scuff at him, starting to slowly walk around the table which made him start to walk around the other way. "You're no Lord to me."

"And you are remarkable. It is rare indeed to meet the man that more than matches the myth. You see, I know a great deal about who you are. About your family. I know more, perhaps, even than you do."

"I doubt that."

Fisher looked at the ground for a second as he talked before looking back at my hard face. "Your Irish father died an unaccomplished Company man with no merits worthy of mention. Leaving you, a penniless, half-breed bastard, to be raised by savages. Yet, despite these disadvantages, you found favor with Lord Benton, who took you under his wing, and raised you as his own, helping you to become one of the most effective men in the entire Company. Then, you met a women at a bar. Married and impregnated her, fathering another little bastered with her, prompting a sharp decline in your profitability."

"He murdered my son," I spat out with venom. My body turned to walk towards him only his now turned and walked the way I was. We were circling this table over and over it seemed, but always ending in the same spot,

Fisher rose and eyebrow, "As you knew he might, yes? Be honest. You always knew it was a risk, Mr. Harp, did you not? Lord Benton is not the only man you blame for the death of your son, is he? In the deep of night, when you dream of his death over and over, you blame yourself. As you rightly should. After all, whose responsibility is it to safeguard a man's family if not the man himself? You failed to see what Lord Benton was truly capable of, because of your own desperate need for that which you never had. A father."

I was ready to jump over this table and tare his throat out. But I did nothing but walk slowly around the table in a slow chase and glare hard at him.

"And now, the family you could have had is gone. So, with every throat you slit, you see Benton, and you pray to whatever savage god you think will listen, that your guilt will die behind the swift ribbon of blood. But by now, I am sure you know it won't. Do not despair, Declan. Salvation is still possible. I offer the chance of revenge and redemption at one fell swoop."

Yeah, hand me a knife and tell me where Benton is and we'll get it started.

"Rejoin the Company a senior position with my patronage. Your testimony to Lord Benton's criminal acts will see him dangle from the end of a traitor's rope. With you, his executioner. Finally allowing us to conduct HBC business properly. After all, while people are being slain, no money is being made."

A smile forms on my lips, fake but still revealed how angry I really was.

"Money? You clearly have no idea what motivates me."

Oh, I do," Fisher says with a nod, stopping at his end of the table, causing me to stop at mine. "Your wife, she's quite remarkable. It's hard to picture her waiting tables at a bar ever in her life, but you can verify that she did."

My lips shake at his words, a sneer leaving them as I hissed, "Make your goddamn point."

"Your wife," He says simple, pausing for effect before continuing. "The women who promised to love and honor you. The women that holds your unborn child in her womb. Is about to marry another man, Lord Benton in fact."

"You lie!" I yell, ready to charge for him but my feet won't move.

No matter how hard I try, I'm unable to stop my ears from picking up every word of his. "Under such circumstances, it is natural to fear that the little love you have left is dwindling. But, as a married man myself, I give you my word that it's true."

I can't speak, I can't even yell. My face stays hard and my breathing picks up. His words are lies or if they're not then she's being forced by Benton's hand.

Seeing as I won't be responding, Fisher continues. "Join me, Declan. Help me stop Lord Benton. Hold your women and child in your arms."

"I will never join you," I said, walking around the table and over to him once again. Only this time, he doesn't move as he watches me.

"Pity. Then it seems your wife may be called by a different name by the end of the night."

By the time I've reached him, my hand is gripping onto a knife and I greatly consider slashing his throat right here. But I let my voice hold the blade as I ask, "Where the fuck is Benton?"

To my surprise, Fisher walks around me and gestures with his hand to have me follow him. I do, staying on guard as I watch his back move from side to side as he walks back into the hallway and to the double doors at the end.

I push them open with such force that they bang against the walls, causing anyone inside to turn their attention towards me.

Benton is at the very front, turning to look at me with a smirk. Anna is standing next to him, her body immediately turning to look at me. Her mouth parts slightly when her eyes meet mine.

She's dressed in a white wedding dress, putting Fisher's words to be true. But by the looks of things, I haven't been too late.

It takes everything in me not to just run towards her and swipe her up in my arms. But when Benton's voice speaks, my hard and angry attention turns towards him.

"I don't suppose he took you up on your offer?" Benton asks Fisher who has parked it behind me.

Fisher side steps, looking past my back and at Benton, "No, Archibald. He did not."

Benton's vicious smirk still plays on his lips as he stares at me. "Now tell me the truth. You must have been just a little tempted? The prospect of taking charge in the New World?"

Anna looks at Benton confused, like she has no idea what he's talking about. Which is probable true.

"Like your own little fiefdom. I don't think the way you do," I speak, my voice bouncing off the walls and into Benton's ears.

To my surprise, Benton leaves Anna's side and starts to descend the two steps onto my level. His voice comes out like he's confident in every word he says as he approaches me.

"No I suppose not. Had you thought the way I do, it would have been much more difficult to trap you the way we have. Or all those poor friends of yours who've died because of you. Was it worth it? And even now, at this very moment, your few remaining friends engage in a futile battle with my men. Once they learn of your demise, they will lose the will to fight. And they too, will die. And for what? This futile attempt to challenge me, and spirit Miss Anna away? Well, tell me, son, how does it feel to have failed so abysmally? Choose your words carefully, or they will be your last."

Benton stops in front of me, his smirk playing on his lips.

My eyes move to Anna who seems to be frozen in shock still, but even then her eyes never leave me.

Returning to Benton, I take a small step towards him, my hand gripping the knife in my hand tighter. "My name is Declan Harp, and that women over there..." I nod towards Anna, my eyes doing a quick glance before returning harshly to Benton. "...is my wife."

With those words as my last, I hold up the knife to his throat and rip it against his neck's flesh. His neck and lungs fill up with blood quickly as he gasps. His eyes go wide as he collapses to the ground, choking for only a few seconds before he's frozen in death.

I watch him; watch everything he's done to me and my family be washed away with his blood that stains the floor now. Nothing can bring my son back, but killing Benton did bring the promise I gave my dead son to a finish.

When my eyes moved up to Anna, my eyes didn't go to her but to the guard that was creeping up on her. A large knife sat in his hands, his attention focused on her completely.

With one quick throw, the knife swung through the air and into the guard's shoulder. Anna quickly gasped and turned around to face the shoulder that was knocked down to his knees.

My eyes never left her as she quickly and forcefully yank the knife out of his shoulder and grip his head before doing the same as I did to Benton, ending his life as well.

She breathed heavily as she turned to look at me, her perfect white dress now holding drops of blood on it. She looks fearful though, her eyes moving from me to Fisher.

I slowly turn to him, keeping the hard face I had with Benton on my face.

"Let's get it over with," I said, already predicting the large fight that will break out. But, to my surprise, Fisher has kept a calm and clear face, seeming almost impressed.

"As I said, this man was a criminal. You have rid me of him to the great benefit of the Company."

Even my mouth drops in shock, while Anna's lets out a sigh of relief behind me. I heard her footsteps rush towards me, causing me to turn just in time to catch her in my arms as she jumps into them.

I hold her close to me, my hand holding her waist and gripping her hair tightly as I breathe her into me. When I set her back on the ground, my lips find hers in a rush, reassuring me that I made it in time. That I saved my family. That it wasn't a dream.

"The deal still stands Declan," Fisher says, making Anna and I pull away and look at him. We still have each our hands on each other, but our attentions are to Fisher. "Join me," he says with a smile.

My goes to open, a few ideas coming to mind, but before a breath can leave my lips, Anna speaks up. Her tone is determined, taking me back to the many encounters she'd have with Traders.

"No. You want someone to truly take care of the HBC? Grace Chesterfield. She is the governess of Fort James, and she will lead them. And my family and I will live our lives where and with whomever we want too. In peace."

Fisher seems to let out a small chuckle, "And what makes you think I'll agree to this?"

"Because if you don't, I'll kill you myself and string you up from those banisters. You committed suicide. Work was too much for you."

My hands grip her tighter, waiting for Fisher's response. He seems to look at her with a proud smirk. "It seems your right, Anna Harp. You are smarter." Though his words mean nothing to me, Anna smiles as if these two had a conversation that closed with those words.

Fisher straightens his posture, "Very well. Grace Chesterfield will take control over Fort James, helping the HBC. And both of you may live your lives where you so please."

His words shock me; my mind not ever recalling the last time I heard those words.

"But Mr. Harp, know this. One wrong move, and I shall destroy you," Fisher states.

"Same goes to you," I respond back, causing him to smile and nod.

"I wouldn't expect anything different," He says before turning and walking out of the room. He disappears down the hallways, causing my attention to soften and turn towards my wife.

"Are you both okay?" I quickly ask, placing one of my hands on her stomach.

She seems to enjoy the change of personality, smiling as she reaches her hand up and lightly touches my cheek. "We're fine," She reassures me before bringing her lips to mine again.

I never want to let her go, but a question is knowing at me, making me pull away. "Why would you ever agree to marry him?"

"Because I knew by morning, my name would still be Anna Harp," She says, wrapping her arms around my neck. I can't help but join her in her smile now, bringing her closer to me if that was even possible. Our lips dance don each other, returning to their homes.

Moon will never get the justice he rightly deserves. But I've avenged his death and killed his killer. For my wife and me, it'll be the closes thing we may ever get to peace with our dead son.

And who's to say we won't ever see each him again? Only next time, we'll have a little brother or sister with us.

The last chapter! I didn't think I'd get here, but here we are! There is still a Epilogue which I'll probable post tomorrow so stay tuned, but this is the end of the story line. You might have some questions, but read the Epilogue before you ask because it might answer some.

Like what they have and what they call the baby!!

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