Piper (Queen's Birds of Prey #4) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,21

anyone but my mom.”

“There were others born to the women he raped. They’re all dead now, I believe. I can show you where they’re buried if you’d like.” Duncan told him he’d like that, then asked Grant what he meant by there being other children. “The women of the castle were raped daily by not just him, but anyone that came to the castle. Three of them and one that lived here had daughters. But they were killed when they were born. The mothers as well. He wanted sons and nothing more. There were no second chances if someone he’d raped had a daughter.”

“I didn’t know that. I wonder if my mother did.” Grant told Duncan she had known about the ones born within the walls. She’d taken care that the families of the murdered were given money. “She never mentioned it in the books. Not even a little bit of that sort of information.”

“Something else you might not have known is that we all knew who you were and that your mother was keeping you safe.” Duncan looked shocked. Jude asked why no one had said anything. “Dante was good to us all. She never once made any of the people that were hers to protect do anything she’d not do herself. Even going so far as to helping with the dead. We were all loyal to her and only her. Even in her death, she made sure that each and every one of us were able to live out our lives without fear of anyone finding us.”

Duncan stood up and asked to be excused. Grant told him he was sorry as he left them there. Looking over at Jude, Piper asked her if he was all right. He did seem to be really upset about the news.

“Yes. He’s wonderful, as a matter of fact. These things you’re sharing with us, Grant, are things we might never have known. The very fact that you were around much longer than any of us were gives an insight to Dante and her life that we did not know until now.” Jude looked sad herself. “The things she had to endure would have killed a lesser woman, I think. Dante was never perfect, but she was the type of person whose flaws you could ignore because her kindness was so bountiful. We were very lucky to have had someone like her at a time when women were thought of as nothing more than breeding machines. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for sharing. I do hope you’ll continue to do so. Oh, welcome to the family, Grant.”

After Jude went to check on Duncan, Grant looked at Piper. She was sitting there with her head bowed, and he wondered what she might be thinking. He touched his fingers to her chin and lifted her face up to see her. She’d been crying, and Grant felt his own heart take a tight twist at the sight of so many tears.

“I’m sorry.” She shook her head and said it was all right. “Not if I made you cry. I only meant to tell you the stories, and when he asked, I couldn’t have turned him down for any reason.”

“As Jude said, it’s great hearing things that none of us knew. The very fact that you have information she wouldn’t have kept in her diary is wonderful news.” Piper stood, and so did he. “I have to go. I need to catch the next flight out.”

“I’m going.” He could tell she wanted to tell him no. “Please? May I go as well? I’d like to be helpful to you if I can. Staying here, without you, I’ll not know what to do with myself.”

Piper laughed. “I have a feeling you have plenty to do to keep yourself busy. But all right. You can go with me. But you have to do what I tell you. I don’t want you hurt any more than I want to be.” He said he’d do whatever she told him. “Good. I need to talk to my sisters, then we can leave.”

Grant told his mom he’d be back but not to worry. She hugged him several times. Excitement from him having a mate was making her giddy, an emotion he’d never witnessed from his mom before.

Once they were on the plane and in the air, Grant wondered what he would do now that he had a mate. Things, he supposed, would change a great deal for