"No. Yes." A soft laugh. "I spent weeks thinking I was hiding, thinking I'd managed to disappear. And the whole time, Tristan was watching, making sure I was safe without interfering."
"That sounds like a good brother."
"The best." His eyes met mine. "It also means I've been living in a fantasy, pretending I could just vanish and avoid the consequences indefinitely. But I can't. My family is still out there. Elizabeth is still out there. They all deserve answers."
I didn't say anything. This was his to work through.
"I need to see my parents."
The words hung in the air. I watched him square his shoulders, fear and determination warring across his features.
"Are you sure?"
"No." He shook his head. "But Tristan said they're scared, not angry. And I owe them the truth. Not confrontation. Just conversation. Letting them know I'm alive and why I ran."
"That's a big step."
"I know. And I'm terrified." He reached across the table and took my hand. "But I can't build a new life while the old one is still burning behind me. I have to face it. Face them. Then I can really move forward."
His fingers were warm against mine. I turned my hand over, laced our fingers together.
"I told Ronan," I said.
He went still. "What?"
"Today. He'd been putting things together. Cedric heard you on the phone and started asking questions. Ronan noticed the timing, the changes in me, my reaction to the investigators." I squeezed his hand. "He didn't accuse me of anything. Just gave me the opening. And I took it."
"You told him everything?"
"That I found you. That you've been staying with me. That we're together."
Tobias's face was pale. "What did he say?"
"That he won't tell anyone. That he trusts me." I paused. "That he understands the need for protection from family."
"You believe him?"
"I do." I met his eyes. "I've known him for six years. He won't turn me in."
Tobias was quiet for a moment. Then something shifted in his expression—a hint of mischief breaking through the tension.
"How much is the reward now?" he asked.
"Six hundred thousand."
"That's a lot of money." He tilted his head. "You could just turn me in. Cash the check. I'm about to meet with my family anyway—saves you the trouble of driving me to Tristan's."
"Tobias."
"I'm serious. Think about it." His mouth curved. "If it goes badly with my parents, at least we'd have a nice escape fund. Buy a boat. Sail to Mexico. Start a new life as fugitives."
"You get seasick."
"Minor detail." He was fighting a smile now. "We could buy a very stable boat."
"With six hundred thousand dollars."
"Exactly. See? I'm being practical."
