Witch’s Promise (Shadowguards #3.5)

15. Sean

Chapter 15

Sean

H e stared at the imposing structure before him, a knot forming in his gut. The night before had been a bust, with Gabe and his team coming up empty-handed despite their best efforts. At least Finn had managed to purge the dark magic from Damian's system, though the man remained in a magically induced coma. Small victories, Sean supposed, but it didn't feel like enough. Not when Jessy was still missing.

Now, standing in front of his childhood home - if you could call it that - Sean felt like he was sixteen again, dreading another "lesson" from his father. The massive building sprawled at the edge of Salem, hidden from prying eyes by old money and even older magic. It was a fortress, a testament to his father's paranoia and power.

"Fuck," Sean muttered, yanking off his motorcycle helmet. His hair was a mess, but that was the least of his worries. He had bigger fish to fry - namely, confronting the man who'd shaped him into a weapon and then acted surprised when that weapon turned on him.

The gate creaked open, a sound that sent shivers down Sean's spine. Some things never changed, it seemed. As he approached the front door, a familiar face greeted him. Flint, one of his father's many lackeys, but one Sean had always had a soft spot for. The guy was alright, just led down the wrong path - not unlike Sean himself.

"Well, well," Flint drawled, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "Long time no see, Sean."

Sean managed a tight smile. "Hey, Flint. Dad around?"

Flint nodded, his expression sobering. "In his office. Fair warning, though - he's in one of his moods."

Great. Just fucking great. Sean steeled himself, nodding his thanks to Flint before stepping into the house. The silence that greeted him was eerie, unsettling. Usually, the place was a hive of activity, full of hushed conversations and the barely contained energy of people planning very bad things. Now, it felt like a tomb.

Sean's footsteps echoed as he made his way up to the second floor, each step feeling heavier than the last. His father's office door loomed before him, an ornate monstrosity that had always seemed designed to intimidate. Sean remembered standing here as a kid, heart pounding, wondering what fresh hell awaited him on the other side.

Some things never changed.

Sean's knuckles rapped against the heavy oak door, the sound echoing in the oppressive silence of the hallway. His father's voice, as cold and commanding as ever, beckoned him inside. Taking a deep breath, Sean pushed open the door, steeling himself for the confrontation to come.

The office was exactly as he remembered it - all dark wood and leather, reeking of old money and even older blood. But something was off. The room felt emptier somehow, missing a key piece of the tableau that had haunted Sean's nightmares for years.

"Where's Riley?" The words tumbled out before Sean could stop them, his eyes scanning the room for his father's ever-present right-hand man.

His father looked up from the papers strewn across his massive desk, genuine surprise flickering across his features. "Sean? What in God's name are you doing here? Alone, no less."

"I need to talk to you about something. Something important."

His father leaned back in his chair, eyebrows raised. "Oh? Have you finally come to your senses? Decided to return to the fold?"

For a split second, Sean saw a flicker of something in his father's eyes. Hope, maybe? The hint of the man he'd been before everything went to shit, before power and paranoia had twisted him into something unrecognizable. It made Sean's chest ache with a longing he thought he'd buried years ago.

"No," Sean said, hating the way his voice caught in his throat. "That's not why I'm here."

The hope in his father's eyes died as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the familiar cold mask. Sean reached into his pocket, fingers closing around the small glass vial. He placed it on the desk between them, the innocuous-looking bottle suddenly feeling like it weighed a ton.

"What's this?" His father asked, though the tightening around his eyes told Sean he already knew.

"You tell me," Sean replied, fighting to keep his voice steady. "It's the same shit we used to use to nullify a magic user's powers. Found it at the scene of an attack last night. The Reed residence."

His father picked up the vial, examining it with a practiced eye. "And you immediately assumed I was involved? I'm hurt, Sean. Truly."

The sarcasm in his father's voice made Sean's blood boil. "Cut the crap, Dad. A girl from the Wisteria coven was taken. This has your fingerprints all over it."

To Sean's surprise, his father's brow furrowed in what looked like genuine confusion. "The Wisteria girl? Sean, I assure you, I had nothing to do with this attack you're describing."

"Bullshit," Sean spat, but a seed of doubt had been planted. His father was many things, but he'd never been a good liar. At least, not to Sean. "If it wasn't you, then who? Riley?"

At the mention of Riley's name, something shifted in his father's expression.

"Riley wasn't here last night," his father said slowly, each word seeming to cost him. "He's been difficult to control lately. Unpredictable."

Sean felt his stomach drop. Riley, going rogue? The man had always been a loose cannon, but he'd been unwaveringly loyal to Sean's father.

"What do you mean, difficult to control?" Sean pressed, leaning forward. "Dad, if Riley's involved in this, we need to find him. Fast."

His father's eyes narrowed, studying Sean with an intensity that made him want to squirm. "We? And who exactly is 'we' in this scenario, Sean? Last I checked, you wanted nothing to do with this family or its business."

"This isn't about us," Sean said, forcing the words past the lump in his throat. "An innocent girl's life is at stake. Whatever beef we have, whatever fucked up history is between us - none of that matters right now."

For a long moment, his father said nothing. He simply stared at Sean, his expression unreadable. When he finally spoke, his voice was softer than Sean had heard it in years.

"You always did have a soft spot for lost causes," his father said, a hint of what might have been fondness coloring his tone. "Alright. I'll look into Riley's whereabouts, see what I can find out. But Sean, I need you to understand something."

Sean tensed, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I made you a promise years ago," his father continued. "That I would leave you and your… interests... alone. I've honored that promise, even when it's been inconvenient. Even when it's cost me."

The implication hung heavy in the air between them. Sean felt a surge of emotion - gratitude, suspicion, a desperate hope he couldn't quite squash - threaten to overwhelm him.

"I know," Sean managed, his voice rough. "And I... I appreciate that. More than you know."

His father nodded, a ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Then trust that I'm telling you the truth now. Whatever happened to the Reed family, to this Wisteria girl - it wasn't sanctioned by me."

Sean wanted to believe him. God, how he wanted to believe that there was still some shred of decency left in the man who'd raised him. But years of disappointment and betrayal had taught him to be wary.

"Okay," Sean said finally. "I hear you. But Dad, if you find out anything about Riley, about where he might have taken Jessy - I need to know. Please."

The plea in his voice was embarrassingly obvious, but Sean couldn't bring himself to care. Not when so much was at stake.

His father regarded him for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "I'll see what I can do. No promises, mind you. But I'll look into it."

Relief washed over Sean, so intense it made him dizzy. "Thank you," he said, meaning it with every fiber of his being. "Really, Dad. Thank you."

As Sean turned to leave, a lifetime of unspoken words and missed opportunities pressing down on him, he paused at the door. Looking back at his father, he saw not the cold, ruthless leader of a criminal empire, but the man who'd taught him to ride a bike. Who'd comforted him after nightmares and praised his first successful spell.

"You know," Sean said, the words feeling like they were being dragged from some deep, hidden part of him, "there's still a chance for us. To work things out, I mean. I know we've both done and said things we can't take back, but... I still want to have a relationship with you, Dad. I know the man who raised me is still in there somewhere."

For a moment, his father's carefully constructed mask slipped. Sean saw a flash of raw emotion - longing, regret, a bone-deep weariness - that made his chest ache.

"Sean, I-" his father started, but seemed to think better of it. Instead, he simply nodded. "Be careful out there. And... keep in touch, will you?"

It wasn't much. It wasn't anywhere close to the reconciliation Sean had dreamed of in his weaker moments. But it was a start. A tiny crack in the wall that had stood between them for so long.

As Sean left the house that had never really been a home, he felt lighter than he had in years. The weight of guilt and unresolved issues still pressed down on him, but now there was something else too. A flicker of hope, fragile but persistent.

Sean's motorcycle rumbled to a stop outside Katelyn and Ricci's modest suburban home. The normalcy of the place felt surreal after the tension-filled meeting with his father. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the conversation to come.

Katelyn opened the door before he could knock, her pregnant belly preceding her. "Jesus, Sean. You look like hell warmed over. Get in here."

Sean managed a weak smile as he stepped inside. "Nice to see you too, Kate."

Once settled in the living room, Katelyn fixed him with a concerned stare. "Alright, spill. What's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Sean ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he'd never quite shaken. "It's been a hell of a night, Kate. There was an attack on the Reed family."

Katelyn's eyes widened. "What? When? Are they okay?"

"Last night," Sean explained, the events tumbling out in a rush. "Gabe's dad was hurt pretty bad, and they took a girl from the Wisteria coven. I've just come from talking to my father about it."

"You went to see your father?" Katelyn's voice was sharp with concern. "Sean, what were you thinking?"

Sean sighed, feeling the weight of his decisions pressing down on him. "I had to, Kate. I found evidence at the scene that pointed to my the organization. I needed answers."

“And?” Katelyn prompted him.

Sean ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he'd never quite shaken. "It was weird, Kate. He seemed genuinely surprised to see me. And when I asked about the attack on the Reeds, he swore he had nothing to do with it."

Katelyn's eyebrows shot up. "And you believe him?"

"I don't know what to believe anymore," Sean admitted, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. "He's always been a manipulative bastard, but this felt different. It was like he was actually worried about something."

"Riley," Katelyn said, her voice hard. It wasn't a question.

Sean nodded. "Yeah. Dad said he's been 'difficult to control' lately. Whatever the fuck that means."

Katelyn's lips pressed into a thin line. "I knew that slimy bastard was up to something. He's been acting strange for weeks now, skulking around and whispering with some of the newer recruits. I never trusted him, Sean. Not with your father, not with the organization, not with any of it."

The vehemence in her voice caught Sean off guard. "Whoa, Kate. I know you and Riley never got along, but this sounds personal. What aren't you telling me?"

Katelyn sighed, her hand unconsciously moving to rest on her swollen belly. "It's nothing concrete. Just a feeling. But Sean, you know as well as I do that Riley's always had his own agenda. If he's gone rogue now..."

She didn't need to finish the thought. Sean knew exactly what Riley was capable of when he put his mind to it. The memory of their last mission together, before Sean had walked away from it all, flashed through his mind. The screams, the blood, the sickening crack of bones breaking under Riley's merciless assault.

"Fuck," Sean muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face.

There was a moment of silence as they both contemplated the gravity of the situation. Then Katelyn's expression softened, turning speculative.

"So," she said, her tone deceptively casual. "You and Gabe. Together again after all these years. How's that going?"

Sean felt his chest tighten at the mention of Gabe's name. "It's not 'going' anywhere, Kate. He needed help, I was there. That's all."

Katelyn's disbelieving snort spoke volumes. "Bullshit. I know you, Sean. You don't just show up out of the blue for anyone. What's really going on?"

Sean squirmed under her scrutiny, feeling like a teenager caught in a lie. "It doesn't matter how I feel. He's clearly moved on. There's this guy on his team, Lucas. They seemed close."

"And how exactly do you know he's moved on?" Katelyn challenged. "Did you ask him? Have an actual conversation about your feelings like adults?"

Sean's silence was answer enough.

Katelyn sighed, exasperation and fondness warring in her expression. "Oh, Sean. You can't just assume things based on what you think you saw. People can be close without being together. And even if there is something between Gabe and this Lucas guy, that doesn't mean Gabe doesn't still have feelings for you."

"It doesn't matter," Sean insisted, hating how petulant he sounded. "I fucked everything up, Kate. I walked away from him, from us. I don't deserve a second chance."

"That's not for you to decide," Katelyn said firmly. "Gabe's a grown man. If he wants to give you another shot, that's his choice. But he can't make that choice if you don't talk to him."

Sean shook his head, panic rising in his chest at the thought. "I can't, Kate. What would I even say? 'Hey, sorry I freaked out about your magic and abandoned you for twenty years. Want to grab coffee?'"

"It's a start," Katelyn said with a shrug. "Look, Sean. I know you're scared. I know you think you don't deserve happiness after everything that's happened. But you can't keep punishing yourself forever."

Her words hit Sean like a physical blow, dredging up all the guilt and self-loathing he'd been carrying for years. "Can't I?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "After everything I've done, Kate... Maybe this is what I deserve. To be alone."

Katelyn's eyes flashed with a mixture of sympathy and frustration. "For fuck's sake, Sean. You were a kid when all that shit went down. A kid who'd been manipulated and abused by his own father. Yes, you made mistakes. Yes, people got hurt. But you've spent the last twenty years trying to make amends. At some point, you have to forgive yourself."

Sean wanted to argue, to list all the reasons why he didn't deserve forgiveness. But the conviction in Katelyn's voice made him pause.

"I don't know how," he admitted, the words feeling like they were being dragged from some deep, hidden part of him. "I don't know how to let go of all this guilt, Kate. It's been a part of me for so long, I'm not sure who I'd be without it."

Katelyn's expression softened. "You'd be Sean. Just Sean. Not the assassin, not the prodigal son, not the guilty survivor. Just a man trying to do better, to be better. And that's more than enough."

The simplicity of her words made Sean's throat tighten with emotion. He blinked hard, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Call him, Sean," Katelyn urged gently. "Ask to meet up. Even if nothing comes of it romantically, you both deserve some closure."

Sean nodded, the idea simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating. "And what about my dad? Riley? This whole mess with the Wisteria girl?"

"Let me handle your father," Katelyn said, her tone brooking no argument. "I'll keep digging, see what I can find out about Riley's whereabouts and activities. You focus on Gabe and helping his team find Jessy. Deal?"

"Deal," Sean agreed, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It wasn't a solution to all his problems, not by a long shot. But for the first time in a long time, he felt like he had a path forward.

As he stood to leave, Katelyn's voice stopped him. "Hey, Sean?"

He turned, raising an eyebrow in question.

Katelyn's smile was soft, tinged with a sisterly affection that made Sean's chest ache. "I'm proud of you, you know. For facing your dad, for trying to help Gabe. You're a good man, Sean. It's about time you started believing it."

The words hit Sean like a sucker punch to the gut, bringing a fresh wave of emotion he wasn't prepared for. He managed a jerky nod, not trusting himself to speak.

As he walked out to his bike, Sean's mind whirled with possibilities and fears. The thought of calling Gabe, of putting himself out there again, made his palms sweat and his heart race. But underneath the anxiety, there was something else. A tiny spark of hope, fragile but persistent.

Maybe Katelyn was right. Maybe it was time to stop running from his past and start facing it head-on. Maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to forgive himself and build something new from the ashes of what he'd lost.