Page 139 of Veil of Silence

“I need to talk to him,” Nora said.

Austin glanced at her. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“Yes,” she answered with hesitation.

He kept hold of her hand as they crossed the clearing, releasing it only when they reached the ambulance. The paramedic finished securing the bandage, then stepped away to speak with another medic.

The boy watched Nora approach. His fingers tightened around the blankets, and wariness settled over his face as if he were preparing for whatever she might say.

Nora stopped in front of him. Anger still lived beneath her relief. So did hurt. But she couldn’t forget the sight of him standing between Cross and Preston on the bridge.

“You saved Preston.”

His gaze dropped. “I almost got him killed.”

“But you didn’t. When it mattered, you chose him.”

“I should have done it sooner.”

Nora sat beside him on the ambulance step. Austin remained a few feet away, close enough that she could feel his presence without feeling watched.

Questions crowded her mind. She still didn’t know the boy’s real name, how he had escaped, or why he had allowed her family to believe he was Christian. Where did she even start?

She cleared her throat before saying, “I found the DNA report.”

He didn’t appear surprised. “I know.”

Her pulse stumbled. “You knew I’d been in your room?”

“I knew when I saw you afterward.” He rubbed his thumb along the edge of the blanket. “You looked at me differently.”

Her lip twitched with a frown. “I didn’t want to.”

“You should have.” Shame roughened his voice. “I lied to you.”

The admission didn’t erase what he’d done. His words couldn’t give her parents back the weeks they had spent believing their son had returned. But the person beside her hadn’t created the nightmare that had swallowed her brother.

This boy had been swallowed by it also.

“Why did you come to us?” she asked.

He stared past her toward the creek. Officers were leading Zander toward a waiting cruiser, his wrists cuffed behind his back.

“I escaped.”

“How did you know where to go?” Nora asked.

His fingers tightened around the blankets. “Your brother told me about you. About all of you.”

The ache beneath Nora’s ribs deepened. “So you came looking for us.”

“I didn’t know anywhere else that might be safe.”

“But when my family thought you were Christian, you let them.”

His face tightened. “I just wanted the chance to feel normal and happy for a while. I should have told you all. I was afraid you’d call the police.” His gaze flicked toward Zander. “They have people inside law enforcement. People with badges. I didn’t know who I could trust.”

“So you let my parents believe their son had come home.” Her throat tightened until she could hardly breathe.