Page 51 of Ghost Among Lies

"I never thought it was a miracle. I knew from the beginning the Astors weren't good people. They tried to play it off like they were doing me a favor, but I could tell there was something off about them. I had every intention of leaving when I turned eighteen, but then I met Benjamin, and I knew I couldn't leave him to be raised by them."

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. "Did they abuse him?"

I was assured I was turning my baby over to a loving family. The adoption agency had nothing but positive things to say about them, and from everything I gathered back then, they were a reputable agency.

"No. Nothing physical but they deprive him of love and attention. He is a prop to them. Nothing more."

Hayes stepped up behind me and placed his hand on my lower back. It was his show of silent support. And I needed it now more than ever.

"Ms. Cassie. Ms. Cassie." A little boy's excitement bounced around the large house. "I finished it ten whole minutes early."

Cassie spun around and tried to block my view of Benjamin, but she was too late. The damage was already done, and there was no mistaking the little boy was my son. Silver hair that matched my own hung down to his icy-blue eyes. The cutest freckles dusted across his nose and were a nice contrast to his pale complexion. He was lanky in a way that hinted to a recent growth spurt. He would easily be taller than me someday. His height was probably the only thing he got from his asshole sperm donor.

"Whoa." Benjamin came to a skidded stop. "I've never met anyone with cool hair like mine." He peeked around Cassie. "Who are you?"

I didn't know what to say. Words were lodged in my throat. Any worry I had that I couldn't care for my son evaporated in thin air. I would love and protect this boy with my life.

"She's a friend, Benny." Cassie didn't have the same trouble speaking. "Why don't you go work on part two for me."

Benny huffed, "You could just say you want grown-up time. You always tell me lying’s bad even if it's done for good reasons."

I had to work hard to hide my smile. The kid was smart and perceptive. I would give him that.

"You're right. Can you please give us some grown-up time? I'll call you down when we're done."

"Okay." Benny spun on his heel and marched away. "But just so you know, I'm going to work on part two because I want to. Not because you want me to."

I waited until my son was out of the room. "He seems happy."

"That's because the Astors don't spend any time with him. I raise him and don't deprive him of the love he deserves."

"How much do you know about Benny's adoption?"

"How about you tell me what you know, and I'll fill in the blanks where I can."

My gut told me we could trust her.

"Have you ever heard of The Givers?"

Cassie's gasp was the confirmation I sought that she could provide us the information we needed to possibly take them down. "I'll take that as a yes."

"If you know about The Givers, then you know just how powerful the Astors are."

"No one is that powerful," Nyx said. "They want you to think so because they have a lot of money, but at the end of the day, they are dirtbag clients of an awful organization."

"No, you don't understand. The Astors aren't clients of The Givers; they are them."

Anita and I shared a look. "What do you mean?" I asked. Could I really have chosen that badly for my child?

"The Givers are made up of five families. They've been operating for generations. This generation of Astors are the first who couldn't have a baby of their own, so they used their network to adopt Benny. But the kicker is, they don't want the other families to know he's not biologically theirs."

My throat bobbed. "Why not?"

"Each generation of families is handpicked to ensure only the best genetics move forward. If they knew Benny didn't come from the Astors, they would get rid of him. They are evil. The Astors included. They ensured they had leverage to hold over my head. If anything happens to Benny, then they will take something from me."

I held up my hand. "What kind of leverage are we talking about?"

Cassie sighed. "My daughter. I got pregnant under their employ. They took my daughter away from me and only let me see her for a few hours every other week. If I don't do what they want, I don't get to see her."