“Olive and Vincent Becker were our real parents,” I snap, irritated at his use of that word, even though I know he doesn’t mean to disrespect them. “They were the ones who took us in and loved us. They never treated us any differently than Pen. They supported us and encouraged us. Something our fucking sperm donor would never have done.”
Roman sits up straighter, staring at me. “I know you know who they are. I know you’re hiding shit from me, and I want to know.”
I rub at my throbbing temples. “You have enough crap on your plate. If I’m holding stuff back, it’s to protect you.”
“That’s bullshit, Zayn!” His face contorts and his eyes blaze with anger. “I don’t want to be lied to! I deserve to know the truth.”
“It won’t help.”
“You don’t know that. Maybe they’ve been looking for us, and if we reach out to them?—”
“They didn’t want us!” I bark out a harsh laugh. “This isn’t some fairy tale where we get welcomed back with open arms.”
“Tell me what you’ve discovered.” He crosses his arms, glaring at me. “I want to know.” His features crumple, and pain is etched upon his face. “Ineedto know.”
“This isn’t a good story, Ro.” I don’t want to tell him because it will hurt him, and he’s already in a world of pain.
“Please, Zayn.” His voice is soft. “Please just tell me.”
Slowly, I nod, swallowing thickly. “I’ll tell you what Denton told me, and what I have discovered myself, but not here. Let’s make some breakfast and talk on the terrace.”
We fix breakfast side by side, in silence, both of us consumed in our thoughts. After, we settle at the table outside, talking as we eat.
“You know Denton was awarded guardianship of us and he’s the one who got us out of Wakefield and set us up with this place. What you don’t know is Denton Mathers wasn’t an old friend of Dad’s. That was a lie he concocted to hide the truth. He was part of an elite organization. A group of powerful, wealthy men who come from old money and revere old traditions.”
“Why would he help us? And how did he even know who we were if he wasn’t Dad’s friend?”
“Our bio dad is an elite member, and Denton was involved in our adoption.”
Roman frowns. “Does that mean our bio dad knows about us?”
I nod. “He knows, and he doesn’t care.”
Roman stares at me as if he’s staring through me.
“Our mother died when we were young, and that’s when he gave us up,” I explain. “Denton said he couldn’t cope, but it was bullshit, because our older brothers were taking care of us, and I’m sure they had a nanny. There was no reason we had to be adopted.”
Roman’s eyes bug wide. “We have other brothers?”
I purse my lips, nodding. “We have four older brothers, but I don’t know where they are,” I lie, averting my eyes. I can’t tell him I know exactly where Maverick, Kaiden, Joaquin, and Harley are because he’ll want to meet them, and there is no fucking way I’m letting that happen. Those pricks could easily find us with the financial and technical resources at their disposal, but they couldn’t care less about what happened to us. No one showed up to help us when our parents died in the car crash or when we were put into a group foster home.
“We have to find them!” Color blooms in Ro’s cheeks.
It pains me to see the excitement on his face because it’s so rare, and I wish this was the solution. But it’s always been part of the problem. “They don’t want to be found, Ro. If they wanted to find us, it would be easy because the elite arranged our adoption, but no one has come looking for us.”
“Denton did.”
“Because he discovered the elite had scammed us out of our inheritance and he went behind their back to make things right.”
“I don’t understand.” Ro claws a hand through his brown hair.
“Mom and Dad weren’t in debt. In fact, they’d left substantial savings and instructions in their will confirming everything was left to us. The elite took all the proceeds from our parents’ estate, and they threw us into Wakefield because they didn’t want it coming out they’d arranged an adoption outside of the usual legal channels. That’s why our birth certificates list Oliveand Vincent as our parents even though they weren’t our bio parents.”
I sigh, choosing my next words carefully. I don’t want to freak my brother out, so he can’t know exactly how dangerous the elite is or how precarious the situation could be if they discover what I’m doing. That’s the main reason I have kept my little brother in the dark. If this ends badly, I don’t want it impacting Roman. I will pay the price if the elite discover the truth.
“The elite are a bunch of corrupt bastards, but they’re powerful corrupt bastards,” I continue explaining. “Messing with these people is not an option.”
“Is that how Denton ended up going missing?” Ro asks, starting to look worried.
