Page 179 of The Echo of Forever

At the mention of Solomon’s name, something in Velma changed. Her eyes widened, then narrowed, her mouth twisting into an expression of raw fury that seemed to surprise even Demetrius.

“Don’t mention him to me!” she snapped, the force of her anger momentarily overriding her fear.

I pressed my palms against the screen, wishing I could be in that room, wishing I could feel the energy shifting in theair. There was history there, something deep and painful that neither Demetrius nor I had known about. I could almost taste the reason before she spoke it.

“He made me believe he loved me!” Velma continued, her gaze unfocused now, looking at something beyond Demetrius, beyond the room. “I sold out my own brother for him. Lost my very best friend for him. I did things I’m not proud of, but I never meant to hurt Forever.”

She shook her head vigorously, tears streaming freely down her face now.

“That night…” she began, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. “That night, I was only supposed to pretend to be his assistant, but she recognized me, and there was nothing I could do after that. Had I known how she knew who I was, maybe I could’ve done more. But Solomon had sent me with guards. One of them knocked her over the head before she realized it. They left her where she could be found, took me home, and I never heard about it again. Solomon cut me off. He sent his little minion to meet with me every time I requested to see him.”

She continued rambling, her words coming faster now, desperation evident in every syllable. But I could barely process what she was saying. He had used her. Used her to hide his own involvement, to maintain distance between themselves and the violence they orchestrated. And he’d probably been doing it for as long as she’d fallen into his clutches.

My stomach churned with disgust and a strange, twisted pity. Velma had betrayed us, yes, but she’d also been betrayed herself. Manipulated through her emotions into becoming someone she likely never imagined she could be.

Demetrius’s voice pulled me back to the screen.

“Have you been helping him traffic women?”

Velma immediately shook her head, denial quick on her lips. But even through the video feed, I could see the lie in her eyes. Demetrius saw it too.

“Lie again and I’ll cut your fucking tongue out,” he said, his voice eerily calm. “Did you help traffic women?”

A deep sob tore from Velma’s chest, her entire body shaking with it.

“Yes,” she admitted finally. “But only rejectors. Only those who wouldn’t be missed.” She looked up at Demetrius, her expression begging for understanding. “I stopped after Gerald was murdered, because it was him at the forefront of it. I swear.”

Not just rejectors.People who wouldn’t be missed. As if that made it better. As if there was any justification for selling human beings. And the revelation about Gerald added another layer to the family’s tragedy. Had he really been involved in trafficking, too? A dead man couldn’t tell his side of the story, but it was too bad that it wouldn’t work in her favor.

Demetrius stood slowly, his shoulders rising and falling with a deep sigh as he raised his gun and fired one shot to the head.

“Go home, my forever,” he said, addressing me directly while still staring down at his aunt’s lifeless body. “I promise to come home to you soon.”

The feed cut abruptly, the screen going black. I stood there for a moment, my reflection staring back at me from the darkened monitor. My face was composed, showing none of the turmoil inside me. Because, despite everything Velma had done, despite her role in my suffering, I couldn’t deny the complexity of emotions swirling within me. Relief that justice had been served. Grief for what her betrayal meant for the family, especially G. And beneath it all, a deepening resolve to see this through to the end, to bring down Solomon first. Then work to dismantle the trafficking operation.

I turned away from the screen, nodding briefly to the guards as I exited the security house and walked home. Along the way, I noticed what I hadn’t on my way out. There were armed guards positioned outside every residence, their presence more than likely ensuring everyone remained inside. Leaving no chance for interruption.

This is bad, I thought as I closed our front door behind me, leaning against it for a moment.

The repercussions of tonight would affect the family for a while, probably just as Gerald’s murder had. Both times, connected to me, but there was no going back now.

CHAPTER 48

ECHO

The sun bledorange across the sky as I sat silently beside G on her porch, both of us wrapped in the silence that follows confession. I still felt weighed down by what I’d done just hours before. Not with regret, but with the finality of it all. My aunt was gone, and there was no taking that shit back.

G rocked steadily in her chair. The stroke had weakened her left side, but she would bounce back. I had faith in that.

“I didn’t want to hurt you, G,” I finally said, breaking the silence. “But knowing she played a part in hurting Forever is an unforgivable offense.”

The rocking paused for a beat before resuming.

“You think I don’t know that, Meechie? There were signs Velma had secrets, but I never thought they were that deep. Not even when Tristian came here and pointed it out.”

I turned to look at her properly, vaguely remembering Forever mentioning Tristian coming to her. But not all the details.

“I could’ve forgiven her working with Solomon,” I admitted, not surprised by my own words. “But never for hurting my wife. Never for making Forever lose our baby. Never for sparking her memories loss.”