Page 93 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown

“I don’t know what to do,” I whisper. “I don’t know what to do or feel. I feel so lost, so numb. I wasn’t expecting this.”

And now I’m just rambling about anything, trying to fill the silence around us. I thought I wanted quiet, but I don’t. I don’t want to have to think about my father’s death or anything related to it.

“You’re going to get through this. You are strong, and I’m going to be here for you every step of the way,” Kieran tells me. “It’s going to be hard in the beginning, but you will come through this.”

I shake my head, his hand still touching my cheek. “I don’t know.”

“No,” he sternly says. “You are not going to think of anything else but getting through this. I won’t accept anything else.”

Sighing, I close my eyes and lean into his hand. I wish it were that easy to just forget about everything and push through it all, but it’s not. It feels like there is a big hole in my life, a big missing piece and I don’t know how to function.

“What did your father’s friend have to say?” Kieran asks.

“I don’t want to talk about this,” my voice cracks.

Silence fills the air around us as I look at him. He has a small smile on his face as he looks right back at me.

“Adeline,” he gently says. “I heard the news, but I need to know what your father’s friend said.”

“Why?” I pull my face out of his hand. “Why do you need to know right now?”

“Because the things I’ve heard aren’t adding up. I need to know so I can understand,” he explains.

I shake my head and wrap my arms around myself. I can’t believe he is trying to ask me this right now.

“Please, Sweets. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t have a reason.” He takes a step toward me. “Please just let me know how he was behaving and what he said.”

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and slowly let it out.

“Flynn looked uncomfortable when he was telling us. He looked sad, but there was something off about him, or I think there was,” I say. “But I was also in shock so I’m not a reliable source.”

“And what did he say?”

I think back to the words Flynn said in the kitchen, the words that changed my mother’s and my life forever.

“He said he regrets to inform us that they lost my father while hunting. That was it,” I tell him.

“And there was nothing else?” Kieran asks.

“Wait!” I raise my hand. “He turned to me, and I remember the regret and sorrow across his face. Why regret? I understand the sorrow since they were best friends. Maybe he couldn’t save him, and that’s why. But then he said something to me, but I didn’t hear a word.”

Now I really wish I would have read his lips or heard what he said.

“Regret,” Kieran mumbles. “It could be because he wasn’t able to save him, but it could also be something else.”

My eyebrows pull together. “What do you mean?”

“Hear me out, okay?” Kieran looks at me.

What could he possibly say that would make me not want to hear him out?

“I don’t think it was an accident. I think he was murdered,” Kieran says, and everything around me stops once again.

CHAPTER 26

Iopen and close my mouth several times, not believing what I’m hearing.

“Murder?” I whisper.