“Because I need everyone to think you’re missing.”
“What? Why?”
“Hey, boss? You got company,” Liam called from down the hall.
“Who is it?”
“Sal.”
Cian moved off the desk and grabbed my wrist. He dragged me down the hall and pushed me into my room. “Stay here.”
“You can’t be serious,” I gasped.
“Caity, Sal knew about the files.”
My body froze. He knew? My brother knew what was there, and he let me move into that house? Let me move my daughter into that house?
“Please, just stay here.”
I sank down onto the bed. He was no better than my father. All this time I thought he was different. That he cared about me. That he would never put me in danger. That he would never put my daughter in danger.
“Will you stay here?” Cian asked, crouching in front of me. His hand cupped my cheek tenderly. I nodded, afraid to speak. Afraid that if I said anything, it would come out in a sob.
Cian left the room, locking the door behind him. And I sat staring at the floor, wondering how my life had turned out this way. When would my life be mine to live?
I heard Sal and Cian yelling, and once again my curiosity got the better of me. I opened the door and stepped into the hall. I leaned against the wall and listened to them argue, wondering if I should just tell them all the truth.
“Have you fuckin’ found her yet?” my brother asked.
“No. I followed the men through the street cameras until they left the city. I have no idea who they work for. I’ve got facial recognition software running on the pictures I took, but it takes time.”
“She’s my baby sister, Ci.”
Guilt washed over me, knowing my brother was suffering in my absence. How could I think he was anything like our father? Family meant everything to Sal, especially since finding his son. I wondered how he would react to finding his daughter.
I’d given Brian the information I found about Morgan Delany in Rosewood, Virginia. I hadn’t heard back from him, but I knew he’d tell Sal eventually. Maybe I should tell him the truth. Maybe coming from me, it wouldn’t hurt as much.
I straightened away from the wall, set on walking out there, when I heard a whispered hiss, “Don’t do it, Caity.”
I turned around and found Liam glaring at me.
“He deserves to know I’m okay.”
“He deserved to know what you found when you found it.”
“Better late than never.” I took a step, and Liam grabbed my arm. “Now is not a better time. Cian has a plan; you need to trust him.”
“Maybe it’s time they trusted me,” I snapped. I wrenched my arm from Liam’s grasp and sprinted down the hall. “I’m right here, Sal.”
Sal’s head snapped in my direction before he looked back at Cian. Without warning, he punched Cian so hard that it knocked him on his ass. He pulled the gun he always carried and pointed it at Cian.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t fuckin’ kill you right now.”
“SAL, STOP!” I rushed over in front of him and pushed the gun out of the way. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“What the fuck are you doing here, Caity? We thought you’d been fuckin’ kidnapped.”
“Sal, put the gun away.”
