The door to the limo flew open, and the driver said, “Welcome home, Mr. Battle.”
“Thank you.”
Drake exited the car without answering my question. He gripped the hood and then bent down to offer his hand to me. Such a gentleman. He always put me first, but it was my turn to take care of him.
CHAPTER 26
DRAKE
Olivia followed me into the house, the doors opening for us. Lovelace greeted me, and just hearing her voice sent a wave of terror through my body. Bracing my weight against the wall, I held on to it for support.
Lovelace was the reason for Tate’s death. If I hadn’t created a monster, no one would have wanted to steal her. And he would still be alive.
“Hey, Drake.” Olivia clutched my arm, invading my senses with her sweet perfume. “Do you need help getting upstairs?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m fine.”
“You’re not even close to fine.” She dabbed at her eyes and blinked away a few tears. “Come upstairs with me. I’ll run you a bath.”
I didn’t take baths, but sitting in a vat of warm water sounded good at that moment. My muscles ached. So did my joints, which popped if I moved too quickly. Every bone in my body felt broken.
And my face?
I didn’t need to look in the mirror to know I had a busted lip. A fractured orbital bone and a slew of wounds.
Olivia slipped her fingers between mine, and the sudden spark of electricity jolted me out of my dark thoughts. I looked at her through swollen eyes. She stared back, with more tears sliding down her cheeks.
I made a promise to Tate.
I told her the truth.
And since I was upholding my end of the deal, I had to tell her everything. “I recently found your biological father. Until then, I didn’t know who he was, only that you and Tate didn’t share any DNA.”
Her entire body shook at the news. I pulled her head to my chest, even though it hurt like hell, and held her until the last sob escaped her throat.
Olivia peeked up at me, her eyes red-rimmed and glassy. “Tate was my brother. He took care of me. Whenever I needed him, he was there.”
“DNA changes nothing. Tate is still your brother. Your family. Don’t let the facts change anything.”
She bobbed her head. “So, who’s my dad?”
“His name is Cian Doyle. He lives in Beacon Bay with his sons and a daughter. You’ve met your half-sister already.”
“I did. When?”
“Ella Doyle. Sonny and Aiden’s girlfriend. The blonde.”
“Seriously? She’s my sister?”
I nodded. “Ella is two years older than you. And you have three older brothers named Killian, Rowan, and Sullivan. I found your biological father when the police arrested Killian for attempted manslaughter. I just had to wait until his DNA was on file to get a match.”
Her eyes widened. “Manslaughter?”
“Attempted. His lawyer got him off. He’s out of prison now.”
“Wow,” she mouthed. “So my real family… are not good people. Are they?”
I shook my head. “Cian Doyle runs one of the largest crime families in the country. Your family is from Dublin. Ella just came back from there after your father sent her away to keep her away from Sonny and Aiden. And to avoid a mafia war.”
