“I knew Gem, he was not someone that would have cared how you would be treated. At that time, I thought of offering my hand to marry you myself, just to keep you out of harm's way,” Travis went on. “But then, Cody said that your father, your real father, was going to come after you sooner or later, as he was already starting to poke his nose around looking for you.
“Your father wanted you back since he never did sign his rights away exactly. He wanted you to be used to get money, and maybe he would have been good for you, but I wasn’t about to risk it,” he went on.
“We also have another uncle, but I didn’t have any luck on finding him. Taylor isn’t one known to . . . live this life. He made sure no ties to him were left out in the open or easily found.”
I felt Zachariah stiffen under me, most likely already piecing things together.
“Did you get a name?” I asked, sitting up a bit straighter.
“Of course,” Travis smiled. “We share the same father.”
A pregnant pause filled the air before Jonas and Zachariah cussed at the same time.
“I killed him,” Travis said. “After meeting him, I knew Cody put him up to being a part in all this, and he wouldn’t stop. Cody promised him money. I offered him his life in turn for keeping you safe, Avidya. Gemini was Aaron's younger brother who tended to do just about anything to get whatever he wanted, money or no money.”
“And my mother?” I asked, fearing the answer.
“Is alive,” Travis said.
