Tank

14 - Promise me

Nova

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, Jett pulls me at arm’s length, his eyes scanning mine. “It can’t be.” He whispers.

I nod my head in confirmation.

He suddenly grabs me and pulls me out of the room so fast my feet don’t touch the ground. He pulls me into my bedroom and closes the door.

“Why would you say something like that to me? How is it even possible?”

“Butch sent me off to train with a sniper when I was thirteen.” I shrug. “He thought he could make me his mercenary when I was old enough. I was put through all sorts of martial arts training, weaponry lessons, guns, knives, agility tests, and mental tests of all kinds. Hell, he even put me through military torture tactics to see how well I could cope, things like isolation, starvation, water torture, etcetera. He brainwashed me into thinking it was what I was destined to do, to become a skilled assassin. A way for me to avenge you and Dad.

“Turns out that’s not what he wanted from me at all. He just wanted me as a weapon. After he died, his son decided I had to pay for what Mom did.”

“What did he do to you?”

“Nothing my big brother needs to know about.”

“Nova, if he...”

“It doesn’t matter, Tate.” I know he doesn’t go by that name anymore and hasn’t since he was a child, but that’s who he is to me and always will be. “Whatever happened to me, I made them pay, and I will continue to make each and every member of that motorcycle club pay until the day there is not one member standing.”

“Jesus, Nova.” He runs his hand through his hair. This is a lot for him to take in, but he needs to know the rest.

“I’ve made sure Celia is hidden with no way of them finding her. I sent evidence of her death to Dodger.” Dodger was one of Butch’s sons, the now President of The Devil’s Hornets.

“I thought you said Celia was alive?” There’s that look on his face, the one that tells me he still loves our mother and wants her to be safe, even if he won’t open up about it. That woman left him behind like he was nothing to her, yet he still loves her.

“Celia’s fine, Jett. I faked all the evidence. I learned how to do that years ago. Along with killing at will.” He shifts slightly on his feet. “None of us will ever see her again; that was her choice, and we must respect it.”

He nods slowly. He knows it's for the best.

It wasn’t her choice, I fucke.d with her head until she lost her mind. She’s locked away and will never be released; I made sure of that. I still have love for my mother, but dying alone is no more than she deserves for the things she’s done over the years, believe me.

“After I left the hospital, I went right back to training... I needed to make sure I could fight to save myself from those pigs. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I managed to be who Butch had always told me I would be. I have fought so hard, Jett, so hard to right the wrongs of men like him. When I got a message from Hammer requesting my services...”

“Wait,” He holds up his hand, “How in the hell do people get in contact with you when they have no clue who you are?”

Good question, big brother.

“Marlon, the guy who trained me, is the one people contact. Only a few people know how to do so. It’s kind of like a game of Chinese whispers. However, once they do, requesting help for a friend of a friend, I have to decide whom to help and who not to. Marlon is an asshole, but I can always count on him when I need him.

“When I got the little information Hammer handed over, or it might have been Ghost, I don’t know, I never asked, but I went to meet him. I knew I wanted to help him. That’s why I met with him. I always meet with the clients, always in disguise. They have no idea of who I really am. I mean, who in the hell would ever suspect a woman? But his story hit me right in the heart. I held that man while he cried, Jett.”

My brother looks at me with curiously furrowed brows but says nothing.

“My life is very dangerous, Jett. I should never have come here.”

“Don’t you dare say that,” He takes me by the shoulders. I lift my head to look at him. “You have no idea how much it killed Dad, not knowing where you were all those years. He searched all that time for you, and he never gave up. None of us had any idea Celia had joined up with those crazy bastards. However, the fact they’ve been on our case for the past couple of years makes a lot of sense now.”

He strokes my face with the back of his hand. “Whoever you are, whatever you do, you are my sister, and I would both kill and die for you.”

“And I would for you. You know that, don’t you? I’d do anything for you, Jett. No matter what that was.”

“I know.” He tells me softly.

“I love you, Jett. All I want is to be here with you, Dad, the kids, but I’m scared that me being here will put you all in danger.”

“Let me worry about that.” He pulls me into his arms, and I melt into him, my big brother. God, how I’ve missed him. “I love you. Nothin’ is gonna happen.”

“Please don’t tell anybody what I told you. Not even Dad. It’s the only way to protect everyone. You have no idea what could come our way if just one other person finds out who I really am. I already have people trying to find me so they can use me as a weapon. I’m no one’s weapon, Jett.”

Trust me, I even have Mafia Don’s working to find out who The Exorcist is. Everyone wants a piece of the assassin they think they can control.

They have no damn clue.

No one controls me.

That and they’re so stupid they’ve never thought to look for a woman.

Who would really believe a woman could be capable of what I do for a living?

My grandfather, Apollo, Shepard’s father, used to tell me that a man who underestimates a woman’s true skills is a foolish man indeed and that man deserved everything he got.

Not that I remember him much, but he spoke sense.

“Promise me, Jett.”

“I promise.” He whispers.