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ChapterThirty-Seven
Eden
I felt the wind my father’s movement created as he rushed me.
He placed his hands on my shoulders, stepping in between myself and Dominik as he gazed into my eyes. The fear in his face was evident. It was so odd, seeing the strongest man I knew cower away from a voice with no name.
But I wouldn’t allow his fear to ruin my determination.
“This is too dangerous, Eden. Okay? This is my mess to clean up. I should be the one doing this, not you.”
I smiled softly. “With what skill set, Dad? I mean, I hate to be that person, but you’re a mechanic. At least I understand the legal steps we can take to make sure this happens the right way.”
He shook his head. “Please, do your old man some good. Let the guys handle this. You and Em just come home and we can--”
“Home?” Emily asked. “Home? To the apartment that was ransacked or the house that was shot to hell? Where exactly is ‘home’ right now, Dad?”
I sighed heavily as I gathered my words. “How about you let me make my own decisions for a little while, yeah? Because I really do have a feeling that my decisions won’t get us shot at.”
“Eden,” Mom hissed.
I stepped away from Dad and pointed at her face. “You don’t get a say in any of this, either. Now, I understand hiding the fact that we were in WITSEC from us. There was no reason for Em and me to know that because it wasn’t as if our names and careers and lives had to change because of it. But--”
“Your names?” Em asked. “Are… your names not really your names?”
Dom sniggered. “No wonder my research team couldn’t find much on you two.”
Dad shot him a look before he rushed over to my sister. “We will always be your parents, sweetheart. We will always be Mom and Dad, even if our names aren’t Clyde and Claudia. Okay?”
Em tucked herself closer to Jackson. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Let’s see if we can get some things from your place and you can come stay with me.”
“You aren’t taking my daughter anywhere,” Mom glowered.
I stepped in front of her before she had a moment to interject. “We’re grown women who know how to take care of ourselves. And if she feels safe with Jackson? Then that’s who she goes with.”
Mom shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t even know who you are anymore some days, you know that?”
I nodded. “That makes two of us, then.”
Then, I pivoted on my heels and faced Dominik.
“We need to know everything that’s going on as best as we can so that we can protect ourselves. I’ve got nothing without information,” I said.
Dominik drew in a deep breath. “Once we get to a point where using our cell phones are safe again, I’ll have Jackson tell the research team to use their encrypted servers to research the Beauregards.”
“You have encrypted servers here?” Em asked.
Jackson chuckled. “We deal with a lot of high-profile clients. We use our encrypted servers as a way to upcharge our fees.”
“Huh,” she said, “that’s actually really smart.”
Dominik smirked. “I know. It was my idea.”
Jackson rolled his eyes. “I brought it to you, and you implemented it. Don’t you dare take all the credit for that shit.”
I tried my best to keep my laughter at bay. “The power of knowledge is a great weapon to wield. So, let’s get out of here and figure out our next moves. Do you think we’re in burner phone territory?”
