Page 29 of A Raven Realized (The Raven’s Den #5)

Chapter Nineteen

A fter the longest train ride of Simon’s life, they finally handed Warwick over to the people who would see justice served.

It should have felt like an enormous accomplishment, a job well done.

But for something he’d spent a year working toward, it was, quite frankly, a bit of a letdown.

The man was a bloody coward, and on top of that, a bumbling idiot, who had no inkling of the damage he had caused. The worst kind of villain.

But it was done. Now he could finally move forward with his life. There were big changes in store, and Simon was ready for them.

“It’s done,” Timms said, as they walked into the office where Simon had spent much of the last five years of his life. “When are you going to give notice of your resignation.”

“Right now.” A cumbersome weight lifted from his shoulders. He was really going to leave this job.

“Well then, good luck, my friend.” He shook his hand and clapped him on the shoulder.

“It’s been a pleasure working with you, Timms.”

Simon took a moment to gather his thoughts before he knocked on the open door to his boss’s office.

“Do you have a few minutes, Mr. Edwards?”

“The man of the hour! Come in! Have a seat.” Mr. Edwards was the only person who ever seemed to appreciate their work.

Simon settled himself into the chair, feeling both nervous and excited.

“I understand congratulations are in order. Finally got the son of a bitch.”

“That we did,” Simon said with a nod. Pride blossomed in his chest. It was quite an accomplishment.

“I suppose that means you’re leaving us?”

Simon paused. “Does everyone know?”

Mr. Edwards shrugged. “Probably not everyone, but we’re all trained to be observant, so I expect a fair few. You’ve had one foot out the door for at least a year. But are you sure I can’t interest you in a promotion instead? You’ve been an excellent agent, even after your heart was done with it.”

“I’m afraid not. I will finish out the month if you need me to.”

He shook his head. “Get out of here while you can. I’ll make sure there’s a bonus on your final payment for clearing up an unimaginable mess.”

“Thank you, sir. See that Timms gets one too.”

“I’m planning on it. Good luck, Allister.”

A sense of freedom radiated through him as he walked out the doors for the last time.

He filled his lungs and raised his face to the sky, allowing the afternoon sunshine to warm his skin.

He hadn’t realized just how much it had been like a prison for him, but it certainly felt like stepping out of one now.

Nervousness fluttered in his stomach as he approached the gates to Raven House. It was an unfamiliar sensation. He didn’t often get nervous, but it only grew as he neared Ash’s office.

Ash sat behind his desk, going over some kind of paperwork, but then he looked up and his eyes brightened just a bit. Surely that had to be a good sign. “Close the door and have a seat.”

Simon centered himself and did as he was told.

“Well?” Ash raised a brow.

“We did it.” Speaking the words aloud suddenly made it real, and a flurry of emotions welled up within him.

It was finished. Truly finished. A rush of relief washed over him.

“The vicar was the last man, at least the last man that we know of, who was involved in any way. We finally tracked him down and arrested him. He’ll never be a free man again. ”

“And your list?”

“Finished.”

Ash nodded approvingly. “Does that mean you’ll be joining us soon?”

“If you still want me.”

“I do.”

Simon breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good, because I’ve just quit my job.”

“Good man.” Ash smiled his approval and tapped his knuckles on top of the desk.

“So how do we do this? Do I need to kneel or something?”

Ash chuckled. “There’s not some sort of ceremony, Allister. I’m not your king. I want loyalty, not fealty. Besides, we haven’t discussed what you’ll be doing for me yet. How do you know you’re even interested?”

“If you’ll promise that you’ll see my sister is safe and cared for if anything ever happens to me, I’ll do whatever you require of me.”

“Your sister has my protection regardless of whether you work for me or not. Her welfare will not be impacted by what you decide, nor should it play any part in your decision.”

Simon stared at Ash for a moment before he nodded. He didn’t want him there out of obligation, because that would not nurture true loyalty. But Simon still wanted it. There was a kind of energy in the place that called to him. “I understand.”

“So what is it you think you’ll be doing for me?”

Simon shrugged. “I assumed you’d want me standing guard at a door somewhere?”

“I’m sure you’ll do some of that. Everyone on our security team does.

And like you, they all start out thinking that it’s the least meaningful job they could do, but the reality is, it’s the most important job here.

The men guarding the doors ensure, more than anyone else, that these women stay safe. ”

Suddenly, his perception of everything here shifted. He always assumed the women were here to service the men, but he had it backwards. “The gaming hell, this place, the security, is it all actually for the women?”

A fervor shimmered in Ash’s eyes. “Now you’re beginning to understand.”

He’d created an entire system where desperate women were brought in off the streets, cared for, and given a chance at a good life, and it was all funded by the greed of rich men.

It was, quite simply, brilliant. He’d referred to these men as saints.

Apparently, that was more true than he’d imagined.

He wasn’t worthy to be among them, but he wanted to be.

“I would be honored to be a part of this in any way I can.”

Something akin to pride shone in Ash’s eyes.

“I’ve talked it over with my partners, and we think you might be the right person to head up our security team.

McKinnon recently took a different position.

You will, of course, start with a probationary period so we can make sure it’s going to work for everyone involved.

Does that sound like something you’d be interested in? ”

For a moment, Simon was shocked into silence. “Why me? Why not someone who’s been with you? Brennan perhaps?”

Ash shook his head. “Brennan’s a good man, and he’s loyal, but he’s not very good at understanding the consequences of his actions, or seeing the bigger picture.”

“Fogg?”

Ash scoffed. “Not a chance. He may not be a classically trained valet, but he does a damn good job, and he doesn't mind washing blood out of my clothes.”

“You don’t know anything about me, though.”

“Don’t I?”

Of course he did. He would have dug up all kinds of information about him before offering him a position like that. Slowly, Simon nodded. “If you think I’m the right man for the job, I will do my best to live up to that.”

“Good man.”

Excitement thrummed through him. He couldn’t have asked for anything better.

He was just about to stand to leave when he remembered something.

“Oh, before I go, I have something for you. I hope you won’t mind.

Warwick… the vicar Warwick,” he clarified, “was arrested up near your estate, so my partner and I stopped there in want of beds.”

“I don’t mind at all. Those beds ought to get some use. I hope my brother made you welcome.”

Simon nodded. “He did, and so did Maggie.”

“As adorable as ever I presume.”

“She asked me to give you this.” He pulled the folded paper out of his breast pocket and handed it to Ash. “Apparently, Trent says she can’t have her own pony, but one day she hopes to have one that looks exactly like that.”

Ash surveyed the painting with loving pride. That little girl very clearly owned his whole heart. “Thank you for playing the messenger.”

“I get the feeling she knows just who she needs to butter up to get what she wants.”

Ash chuckled. “I believe she does have a birthday coming. Now.” Ash put the painting down. “What about Madelene?”

A fissure opened in Simon’s heart at the mention of her, and pain, sharp and fierce, rushed out. He nearly doubled over with the force of it. “I found her a good home with a woman in Scotland.”

“Scotland?” Ash shrugged. “Well, if you’re quick, you should still be able to make it there and back by Thursday next to meet with my partners and the rest of our team.”

“I’ve already told you. I’m not marriage material.”

“And as I said before, neither am I.”

“You’re a bloody earl.”

He chuckled. “Does this look like an earldom to you? Last I checked, it was a dormitory for the women who dance in my notorious club.”

“She’s safe up there, Ash.”

“Perhaps. But is she happy?”

He didn’t know the answer to that question. But he certainly wasn’t. He doubted his heart would ever fully recover from losing her. Was it possible he could be a husband now? He wasn’t alone anymore. He was part of a team. Ash would see that she was taken care of if something happened to him.

He looked up, and Ash nodded, as if he’d read his thoughts.

Hope gradually filled him, like warmth from a rising sun. Could he really have her?

“It was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes that she cares for you. You need to at least give her the choice, Allister.”

He didn’t know what to say, so he simply nodded. Somehow, he hadn’t realized that coming to work for Ash would allow there to be a choice.

“What if she says no?”

Ash shrugged. “What if she says yes?”

Simon’s heartbeat felt like a stampede and he was overcome with the emotions he’d denied since sending her away. He loved her, and he could finally tell her.

“Thank you.” Simon stood and shook Ash’s hand. “Thank you!”

“Thursday afternoon at three. Don’t be late.”

“I’ll be here. I look forward to meeting the rest of your team when I get back.”

“The rest of our team.”

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