"Very much so," I agreed.
"And Hans Getzoff?" Forrest asked.
"Also dead," I said regretfully. "Hypnos killed him."
Forrest closed his eyes for a few moments and shook his head. Evidently he wasn't questioning my claim. Didn't think I was blaming Hypnos for something I'd done.
"One of your associates?" I asked.
"In a manner of speaking," he said, opening his eyes and locking his gaze on mine. "We worked closely together. He was close to figuring out who Hypnos and Zeus were. Closer than you might have realized. He was reluctant to attend that dinner but I encouraged him to. We needed answers."
Forrest used him for bait as well, or another step in the investigation. It came to the same thing. Getzoff was still dead.
"Why didn't you tell us you were going after Auggie's abusers?" Cass asked.
"Because I didn't want either of you involved," Forrest said simply. "And yet, here you are. Perhaps I was naive in trying to keep you out."
"For what it's worth, I've been trying to keep them from getting involved myself," I said. "Your sons are determined."
Forrest gave Cass a fond glance. "That they are. They get that from both their parents. It caused many a fight before Emily insisted I leave."
Cass blinked at him a couple of times. "Mom asked you to leave?"
"She did." Forrest agreed. "She asked me to go and give her some breathing space. I respected her wishes. The next thing I knew, she'd changed you boys’ last name to hers." He pressed his lips together until they were white. "I know she didn't give you access to your trust funds yet because every cent is still in there."
"Trust fund?" Cass shook his head. "I didn't know I had one."
"You both do," Forrest said, his brow creasing as he frowned. "Every birthday and Christmas I put money in there, as well as sending presents."
His words hung in the air before Cass whispered, "We didn't get any presents. Mom must have thrown them out."
A flash of anger crossed Forrest's features, but he quickly schooled it away, containing himself again. Anger at his ex-wife wouldn't benefit his relationship with either of his sons, even if it was justified.
I felt sorry for him, but more so for Cass and Jules. They must have grown up thinking their father was someone he wasn't, at least to some extent.
"It seems we have some time to make up," Forrest said.
"I guess so," Cass said awkwardly.
The whole floor full of carpet had been pulled out from under his feet. He was trying to keep his balance.
Honestly though, this was a lot better than thinking their father was a monster. Right?
"Was this why you moved to New York?" Cass asked.
"To hunt down Augustus' abusers, or to spend more time with you and your brother?" Forrest asked. "I moved for both reason, but mostly the latter. I wanted to reach out to yousooner. I would have, but Julius made it clear you didn't want me to."
"I would have been open to it," Cass said uncertainly.
It was easy to say that now. He might have felt differently if Forrest tried before. There was no way of knowing. I don't suppose it mattered much. The past was the past. We couldn't do anything to change it.
Although I expected Cass to yell at Jules later for saying that to their father. When that conversation happened, I'd have to make sure there were no sharp implements for either of them to use.
Or heavy, blunt ones.
Or industrial-sized vats of boiling hot water.
Not even a bath with acid.
