Page 99 of Kylie

I didn’t care about the conversation because I couldn’t take my eyes off my mother, couldn’t understand how she was possibly here. She’d been gone for so long…

“Cicily Rose,” the stranger said simply.

The terseness of his tone had me glancing over.

“What about her?” Brantley prompted.

My mother looked away from Jessie and me, her attention shifting to Brantley. “He’s got her.”

“Who’s got her?”

The man beside my mother said, “Martin Calloway.”

If Gage hadn’t been standing behind me, there was a strong possibility I would have fallen. My knees went weak, and I swayed, grateful that he was there to catch me.

“Who is she?” Travis asked.

I glanced between my mother and the man with her, waiting for them to answer. It took a moment, but finally the man took a deep breath and said, “She’s my daughter⁠—”

“Our daughter,” my mother corrected.

Wait. What now?

Gage hooked his hand around my elbow. I assumed that was his way of letting me know I was swaying again. I braced my knees and stood up straight.

“—and that bastard took her,” the man continued over her.

“You have to find her,” my mother added.

“How long has he had her?” Reese asked.

“A week and a half.”

I looked up at Gage, frowning. If he’d had her for a week and a half…

Brantley sounded angry when he said, “And you’re just tellin’ us now?”

“He threatened to kill her if we didn’t back off.”

“Will you find her?” Meredith asked.

Before anyone else could answer, I stepped forward. “Of course they will.”

Because if my mother had another daughter, that would make her my sister. And I would be damned if I’d let Martin Calloway do to her what that bastard did to me.

And it dawned on me that this changed everything. I couldn’t wait for Travis or Gage to help me exact vengeance on that bastard. We needed to do this the right way. At least until we found Cicily Rose.

I turned to the one man I trusted to find her before anyone else could. “Please, Brantley,” I pleaded.

He nodded, then looked at my mother and the man. “Yeah. We’ll help.”

I didn’t realize I was holding my breath, but I released it in a rush. When Gage twined his fingers with mine, I gripped him firmly, grateful for his strength and support.

Travis

“Let’s take this back to our house,” Gage said from behind me.

I stepped back, turning to look at him. I noticed he was holding Kylie’s hand, their fingers twined. She looked as though a stiff wind could knock her down. Probably had something to do with her mother’s miraculous reappearance after so damn long.