Georgiy’s hand lands on the back of my neck and squeezes roughly. It centers me, grounds me. It will be okay. It has to be.
“We don’t know. We don’t have any proof of that.”
“So, they don’t have any information about my…” I breathe in shakily. “Parents?”
“Not yet. Diablo is still working on it. But the site does list the woman who adopted Samvel and Emma. And we have all her information and location.”
My body grows cold, and Georgiy stands up abruptly, stepping near me.
“Her name is Sue Mitchell. She lives in a small town in Alabama.”
“Sue Mitchell?” I roll that name across my tongue. It doesn’t sound familiar. Doesn’t even ring a bell.
“I plan on taking a trip out there—” Anthony begins, but Georgiy cuts him off.
“No, Bane and I will go. Together.”
Anthony eyes him and then me. “Is that what Bane wants?”
Is it? I sit with that a moment, and then nod. Yeah, I do want to go. I want to see this person firsthand. I need to find out how I’m connected to Henry. I want answers.
“Fine, you two can go. I expect full reports as soon as you can. I want to know everything.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Georgiy says.
I peer up at Anthony, and he meets my stare, clearly sensing my unease.
“I feel like…I don’t know, like I’m connected to all this in some way,” I say.
“I don’t blame you,” Anthony says. “Whatever happened in your history. I don’t care.”
It hurts my chest, a pain spreading up to my heart and into my shoulders. I’m tense, upset. My eyes sting, everything turning blurry.
“Come here,” Anthony says gruffly, and I hesitate, but then move, feeling Georgiy’s hand slip from my neck as I do.
I stop in front of Anthony, and he forces me to look at him.
“You know this is not your fault, right?”
“I don’t.”
“It’s not. None of it.”
“It is, though.”
“It’s not.”
I huff at how stubborn he is, and Anthony’s lips twitch.
“Tatum told me he’d do it all over again if it meant having you in his life.”
I gasp at that, my eyes watering even more. Oh Satan, he’s going to make me sob if he keeps this up.
“He meant it. So do I. You’re ours. No matter what,” he says roughly.
It makes me sniffle loudly, and before I know it, I’m wrapped in his arms, squeezed tightly.
“You don’t need to worry about this, about us. You’re part of the Costellos. You’ll always have a place here.”
