“What did you do to Misty?” I ask, shocked.
“Misty ended up wanting to keep the baby and go home, but I couldn’t let her expose everything we had done. Then, one night, she got her hands on the security guard’s gun. Me and her fought over it, then the gun went off. It was an accident.” She sobs harder, struggling to breathe.
Kane’s hands shake while holding the gun. Audrey closes her eyes, ready to meet her maker.
Knox slowly raises his hand and puts the other over Kane’s gun. “We have her. Don’t do this. Now, put the gun down and let me notify Parker, our contact at the police station.”
Kane shakes his head, pushing the gun into her forehead, making her let out a brief scream. “It’s not enough,” Kane yells, fat tears rolling down his face. “She’ll get out. You know she has money and connections.”
“No, she won’t. Kidnapping and manslaughter—she will do time. Let her live... let her suffer.”
Kane’s eyes are trained on his mother. “She deserves to die,” Kane reiterates.
“She does, but she also deserves to rot in a cell. Death will be an easy way out for her,” Knox replies, desperately trying to stop Kane from doing something he’ll regret.
Lights flick on. Kane’s shoulders slump in defeat as Knox helps him lower the gun.
“Nanny.”
I turn to the softly spoken voice, and nothing could have prepared me for what I see next.
Twenty
Discovery
Zara
A girl glances between everyone.Her eyes return to Audrey. “Why is everyone being so loud? Nanny, why are you crying?”
Audrey rubs her eyes and her face. She clears her throat. “Everything is all right,” she replies.
The girl walks toward us. When I get a better look at her, the wind is knocked out of me, as if I’m dreaming I’m on the merry-go-round. It’s going round and round faster and faster, and all I see is Misty’s face at that age, smiling back at me. The room spins. My knees hit the ground.
My world halts. Misty’s face morphs into the girl’s. She looks like Misty did when she was younger, except for Kane and Knox’s whiskey-colored eyes. This is a dream. It can’t be real. I didn’t think she was alive.
“What’s your name?” I ask her in a small voice.
“Avyanna.”
“That’s a beautiful and unusual name.”
She peers up at Audrey. “Nanny said my mom gave it to me. It means strong and beautiful.”
I breathe out a long breath at the mention of Misty. It’s such a perfect and fitting name. I look up at Kane, who is frozen in place. He looks over every inch of her. His hands tremble, and tears fall.
I bring my eyes back to Avyanna. “I’m your auntie and he,” I say as I glance at Kane, “is your father.”
She peers back at Audrey for reassurance. She nods to Avyanna. “It’s your dad.”
Avyanna stills, her eyes darting between all of us. “It’s okay,” Audrey says softly. A slow smile paints Avyanna’s face as she runs to Kane and leaps into his arms. He goes from frozen to melting into his daughter’s embrace. He cradles her against his chest and kisses the top of her head as more tears stream down his cheeks.
Knox leans down to me and helps me stand on unsteady legs.
Kane keeps looking over Avyanna, checking that she’s real, and then pulls her back into a tighter hug. She giggles. The sound makes my chest constrict.
When Kane puts Avyanna down, Knox steps toward her. He bends down until he’s at her height. “I’m Knox, your uncle. Nice to meet you,” he says as they shake hands.
She smiles. “I have an uncle too!” She peers up at Audrey. “Did you hear that, Nanny?”
