Previously in this series: After being framed for a crime, Jacob left the Order and the Assassin village. Five years later, the Young Assassin team meet Vex and enter into an agreement with him and his club. After a bombing at the club, it is revealed that Shay Patrick Cormac has escaped the high-security prison he was in…. and is now in the wind. Jacob however, after making a brief appearance at a festival, is still in the wind.

It also appears as though Vex has ulterior motives to helping the Creed.

Please enjoy, and read and review J

….

"You have to tell us the truth Eva, because it's not looking good for Clara…" Evie sighed, having been told Clara's side of the story by Freddie, and the accusation of abuse, "…we believe he killed your Father."

"That man wasn't my Father… a Father wouldn't…" Eva took a deep breath, "… he wouldn't- "

"- take your time Eva. It's all okay."

Eva glanced up at her, before nodding shakily, "At first, it was just how he spoke to me… he used to tell me I was being stupid… just a silly little girl who didn't know what she was talking about… and then it got worse… he would start hitting me."

When the girl fell silent, Evie knelt down in front of her and sighed sadly, "I know you may not want to hear this… but if I were Clara, I would have killed that man. You two are practically sisters."

"Clara wanted to… she said Jacob would approve… But I wouldn't let her, and she wouldn't do anything that I didn't want her to do, you have to believe me!"

Jacob would have approved… he always hated child beaters and often took on cases that dealt with them.

Feeling a pang of sadness, Evie got to her feet and sighed wearily, "Thank you Eva… I'll send someone in with some drinks and food should you wish."

…

"How could a mother let that go on?" Connor exclaimed, once they were all brought up to date on the recent events.

"Maybe she didn't know?" Edward protested.

"No-one can be that naïve!"

"Well, maybe she was too scared to do anything?!"

Arno then decided to pipe up, "Maybe she was in on it? Or maybe she just didn't do anything?"

Silence.

They all knew it was a possibility.

Eventually Kenzi broke the silence. "What the fuck is going on in that house?"

"I don't know…" Ezio muttered, "… but I intend to find out."

…..

"Eva!" Mrs Rookwood exclaimed in relief, "Oh thank God, are you alright darling?"

Ezio hung behind slightly, watching as Eva remained tense, not returning the hug at all…. Which clearly worried Mrs Rookwood.

"Eva, what's wrong? Did they do something to you?"

"… I'd like to go to my room."

"Eva- "

"- please."

Without another word, Eva raced away, pushing past Ezio in her rush.

"What did you do to her?!" Mrs Rookwood snarled at Ezio, all politeness gone from her face.

"We didn't do anything to her."

"How dare you treat my daughter like a common criminal!"

"Your daughter has been stealing from your home, like a common criminal." Ezio retorted, not enjoying how her face fell…. Alright, maybe he enjoyed it a little.

"Impossible! She would never- "

"- Theft, however, is the least of my worries right now." He interrupted, watching as she tensed slightly.

"…. What are you talking about?"

"Eva has… accused your husband of something very serious."

"What… sort of accusations?"

Oh yeah…. She knew something.

"She claims he would beat her."

"T-that is a monstrous thing to say about my husband!"

"So, your daughter is a liar as well as a thief now?"

"How dare you!" Mrs Rookwood snarled in anger, raising her hand and moving to strike Ezio, only to have her wrist grabbed harshly as the assassin glared at her.

But he had to remain calm.

"Signora Rookwood… please tell me the truth."

She was silent, pulling her wrist free and glaring at Ezio, who simply sighed.

"Then you leave no other choice, but to find it myself…. Buonasera."

He made his way out of the room, instantly spotting Vex lounging on one of the antique chairs, his usual mask on and a smug look on his face.

"Go on then…" Ezio sighed loudly, "… what have you found?"

"And people say club owners are worth nothing… my name means so much, that the President of the Bank came out to speak to me." Vex smirked and handed a file over to the Assassin, "I hope this is what you're looking for? I wasn't easy to get it you know."

Ezio took the file and scanned over the words inside, a small smile appearing on his face. "Si… this is it exactly."

"So, I'll be seeing you tonight?"

"Si…. Tonight."

…..

Mister Gorman seemed stunned to see Ezio and Edward seating themselves at his booth, the violin music and the eager tapping of feet echoing throughout the club.

"Steak and fine wine…" Edward smirked, "… how fancy of Vex."

Gorman tried to play it cool, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, acting like he had no idea why they were here.

Silently, Ezio pulled a piece of paper out of the file and pushed it towards the man, who glanced at it and shrugged.

"A bank statement?"

"Howard Rookwood's bank statements."

"… Your point?"

"Howard Rookwood had been sending five hundred pounds a month to, oh look at this…" Edward pretended to be surprised, "… you, Mister Gorman. Looks like a standard case of blackmail to me, especially with the lifestyle you're leading."

"What are you- "

"- You knew what he was doing to his daughter, didn't you?!"

Gorman shrugged, "Yeah, so."

Before he could react, a hand darted out, grabbing him by the neck and pinning him to the table. "So?" Edward snarled in his ear, "What do you mean so?"

"You know what I mean!" Gorman yelped, "You can't say it doesn't happen in the Creed? Masters being a little bit too rough with the people he was in charge of! Wasn't that the real reason behind the Frye brat leaving? Because Daddy used to get a little rough with h-ARGH!"

Edward had to calm down… he knew that… but to this waste of space babble on about things that he didn't understand… it was starting to make his blood boil.

"So, you admit to blackmailing him then?" Ezio asked, acting like nothing was happening as he took a sip of the wine.

"Yes!" Edward allowed Gorman to pull away, smirking as the man glared at him, "But let me give you a little tip about blackmailing…. You've gotta have something truly damaging on your victim in order to make him pay…. check the death records for that family, and you'll see what I mean. Howard never liked it when his children talked back."

"Explain…. Now!"

…..

"You were right…" Leonardo announced as the assassins made their way into his lab, Freddie by his side, "… the Rookwoods did have another daughter, who died when Eva was just a little girl…. Polly Rookwood."

"Really?" Ezio frowned, "I hoped Gorman was just bluffing…. What happened to her?"

At this, Freddie sighed. "She was fourteen and she was said to have fallen down the stairs, leading to a broken neck."

"How convenient."

"Hmmm, bruising to the temporal lobe, on her thighs, her back…"

"Gorman indicated that Howard suffocated her… any signs of that?"

Leo glanced over the autopsy report, before his finger tapped at something on the paper, "Here. Petechial haemorrhage in the eye…. That fits in with suffocation."

"So…. Howard Rookwood was beating his first daughter and kills her in a fit of rage, making it seem like she fell down the stairs." Arno shook his head in dismay, "And then he started on his second daughter?"

"Do you think this is related to Howard's death?"

The Assassin team were silent for a time, before Edward spoke up. "I think so…. Gorman wouldn't have done it, why kill your blackmail victim? I think we can probably rule the children out, so that only leaves…."

Edward stopped, his eyes widening in realisation.

"Oh…. My…. God."