“Who are you?” Caroline whispered.
Unable to stand the rising tide of emotions, Nightshade met her sister halfway, grabbing her hand. “I’m your sister.”
Caroline's wide blue eyes stretched further. “What?”
The words tumbled out of Nightshade in an uncontrollable rush. “I'm your twin sister. I've been looking for you my whole life. I can't believe we’re finally together. I'm touching you, talking to you in person.”
“How - what - ?” Caroline stuttered.
“You were taken at birth and hidden from us. It was only recently that we discovered he’d hid you.” Nightshade clutched her twin’s hand, desperately seeking her understanding. “I can’t tell you how happy father and I are to finally have you back.”
Caroline blinked and slowly withdrew her hand. “Father?”
Nightshade fought the yawning emptiness left in the lingering absence of her sister’s touch. She wanted to grab Caroline and yank her to her, pull her into a tight hug and never let go. Instead she forced her hands to her sides, not wanting to shock Caroline with any sudden outbursts of emotion. She was having a hard enough time herself dealing with these emotions. After a life built around schedules and training and covert operations, the most emotion she'd had to deal with in the past decade was the rush of adrenaline right before taking out a target.
Or the heavy burden of hate for the man who’d taken her sister and captured her team.
“Maybe you should sit down.” Nightshade gestured to the couch.
“I prefer to stand, actually.” Caroline swayed on her feet and then locked her knees.
Nightshade drew in a breath, proud of her sister’s strength. “Your father isn’t Tom Cotter.”
She braced for her sister’s meltdown. Instead, fire flashed in her sister’s gaze. “What are you talking about?”
“Cotter isn’t your real father. Your father lives here with me. He's raised me and told me stories about when we were born. About our mother and how beautiful she was. And about the man who took you away from us.”
“Are you crazy? My father is Senator Tom Cotter. My mother died in childbirth with me. End of story.” Caroline shook her head and took a small step back, angling her body toward the door.
Nightshade started to follow her and stopped. She’d known this wouldn't be smooth and easy. “I'm telling you the truth. Cotter took you from us when we were born. He hates father and wanted to do anything to hurt him. Mother never recovered from losing you and died a week after leaving hospital.” Leaving Nightshade to grow up without a mother and only her father and her teammates for family.
Tears sprang to Caroline's eyes and she shook her head wildly. “You're not real, this isn't real. You're crazy. I know who my father is. My father loves me and you took me from him. What have you done with Celine? Let me see her.”
“Celine is back in the States.” Unfortunately. As much as Nightshade detested having to get rid of Celine, she’d had to do it. Mankel wouldn’t risk any interference in his plans.
Nightshade had helped her father set up the meet with Mr. Sven, who’d acted as emissary from a Russian aristocrat who had generously agreed to take Celine off their hands and ensure she never made it back home to divulge their location.
But that meet had been completely demolished when TF-S learned of the location and took out Mr. Sven and his men and then rescued Celine. That’s probably how TF-S and Cotter had finally found their location.
“I don’t believe you.” Caroline bolted for the door and Nightshade took off after her, but before she could reach her sister, the door swung open.
Her father filled up the doorframe, his normally unwavering expression a mask of anger. He caught Caroline, wrapping his strong arms around her and held her in place as he glared at Nightshade over her head. “We agreed you wouldn't do this. She's not strong enough to handle it.”
“She is strong enough.”
“Look at her. Does she look like she's handling it well?”
Caroline shook all over and sobbed, trying to fight her way out of Mankel’s embrace. “Let me go!”
Nightshade watched helplessly, fighting the huge pit of desolation ripping open inside. “We're telling you the truth. I know it's hard to take in, but I swear on my life it's the truth.”
Nightshade eased toward them. Maybe she could soothe Caroline. Her sister gave a furious kick, landing a solid blow to Nightshade’s ribs. Searing pain cracked across her torso and she went down to her knees.
“You’re lying! Send me back! Send me home now!”
Nightshade struggled to her feet, fighting off the wave of nausea and pain.
Mankel tightened his grip, locking Caroline in place. “Sorry, I can't do that. He knows that I have you, and now he'll know that you know the truth. If I send you back, he'll have you killed.”
