“Jack?” The entire SSI team had been so quiet through the meeting, I’d almost forgotten about them.
“On it.” When he stood behind Nina, he held out his hand.
“Leave it in the bag.”
“Not my first rodeo, Cuz,” Jack grinned, looking so much like his father had when I was a kid that I thought I was having a flashback.
“Force of habit.” It was the only apology he’d get.
While he did that, I asked Nina if I could call her if I had any more questions.
“That’s not a good idea,” John said. “I promised Nina I’d be present anytime you questioned her.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and reminded myself that John had Nina’s best interests at heart.
“Fine. If I have any questions, I’ll call you.”
I had Nina’s number, and everything else I needed to contact her, but I’d play by John’s rules for now.
“Nina, do you have any more questions for us?”
“I have a thousand questions, but the only one that matters is why?”
“Why, what?”
“Why’d they give me away?” Her voice broke.
“We may never know all the answers, but if it makes you feel any better, I don’t think they intended to leave you an orphan.”
If my suspicions were correct, Nina’s parents died trying to expose corrupt CIA officers.
Gibson stood up. “Nina, one last question. Do you have anything from the night they found you, after the fire?”
Did he find something?Or was he grasping at straws?
Nina tilted her head. She worked her lips and stared at the images scattered on the table.
“Just a baby blanket and a teddy bear.”
“Any chance they’re the ones from the photo?” he asked. You had to know him to hear the excitement in his voice.
Fear replaced her curiosity as she asked, “I think so, why?”
Chapter 25
Nina
“Why?” The blanket and teddy bear, I named him Eddy, were the only connection I had to my past, and now that I knew they were from my biological parents, I wouldn’t part with them.
“They may hold a clue,” he said.
“What’d you find?” Austin asked.
“You’re losing your edge, Winchester.” Ryan spread out his arms, indicating the crowd in the room.
“We can trust them,” Austin said.
They argued like the rest of us weren’t in the room.
