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Frown deepening as confusion washed over him, he hesitated for a moment as his mind raced. “Ending what? What’s going on?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“You seem to know things about me, like my phone number and where I live, so let me ask you this. Do you know what I do for a living, Chance?” he asked, straightening on his stool.
“You’re an Enforcer, and an ex-Marine. Yes, I know. I’m proud of you, brother. You’ve done amazing things with your life.”
“Seems you know all about me, but I know nothing about you.” Closing his eyes when his words came out bitter, he shook his head, frustrated that he let his emotions show so clearly. “If you know what I do, then you know whatever you’re mixed up in, I can help.”
“I appreciate that, Noah,” Chance replied, his voice quiet. “Maybe more than you know. But you can’t help with this. Look, I have to go. Just stop looking for me. Please. And never, ever call this number. If you do, I’ll have to change it. I promise, when this is all over, I’ll call you again.”
Before Noah could reply, the line went dead. Pulling the phone away from his ear, he resisted the urge to chuck it at the wall. The fuck had that been about? His twin brother had known about him the whole time—not only remembered him, but knew where he was and how to get ahold of him—but hadn’t once attempted to call him?
Not only that, but told Noah to stop looking for him.
All those years Noah spent feeling that ache in his chest, the longing for whatever the missing piece was that he had. All those years, his lion pined for their brother, always pacing and agitated, so worked up over not having Chance close.
All those years, Noah felt like he was a heartbeat away from losing his mind, not realizing that what he was missing was his twin brother—and then that twin calls him and tells him to stop looking for him. There was obviously a reason for it that he didn’t want to tell him, but Noah still felt like his brother just told him he wanted nothing to do with him—and never had, since he’d been able to get ahold of him at any time.
It doesn’t make sense, his lion said, pacing furiously. Something is going on we don’t know about.
Clearly, he retorted sarcastically. But I still think that’s a fucked up way to say hello after twenty-two years of silence.
Don’t give up on him. He’ll come around. He’ll call again.
Noah exhaled heavily. No, he wouldn’t give up on Chance. That wasn’t in his nature. And from his twin’s words, there was something he was trying to finish before he let Noah into his life. It wasn’t like he was actually telling him to get lost, even though it felt like it. So, he’d abide by his brother’s wishes for now, but he wasn’t going to let him just disappear all over again.
“Noah? What’s wrong?”
Glancing up at Lily’s words, he tried to force a smile as she walked toward him, but judging by her frown, it didn’t work. Blowing out a breath as she stopped in front of him, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her to stand between his legs and hugging her tightly.
“Chance just called me. He knew about me, Lily. He remembered. He had my phone number and he knows where I live. He knows I was a Marine and that I’m an Enforcer. But he never once tried to reach out to me.”
She pulled back, her eyes searching his. “He called you?”
“Yeah. Said he somehow knew I was looking for him and asked me to stop. Said he was almost at the end of something and he didn’t want to lead someone to me, but that’s all I could get out of him. Told me to stop looking and to not call him on that number. He said he’d call me when he could, and then he hung up.”
Eyes widening as she stiffened, she sank her teeth into her lower lip while her blue eyes filled with guilt. “I’m so sorry, Noah. That was me. I looked for him. I know you said not to yet, but I knew it was important to you, and—”
Reaching up, he put a finger against her lips, halting her rapid speech. He took her hand as he shook his head at her. “I already knew. I saw the tab on your laptop and got curious. But you weren’t the only one who looked for him today, Lily.”
“You tried, too?”
Smiling, a small, wry quirk of his lips, he shrugged. “That’s what I was doing the whole time I was in Blake’s office. I’m not a hacker like you, though. I didn’t know what I was doing at all.”
She sighed as she squeezed his hand. “It’s not like I had any luck with it, either. It’s like he doesn’t exist.”
“I have the feeling he’s mixed up in something he shouldn’t be mixed up in. I offered to help, but he said no. I’m going to do as he asked, but I won’t let this go forever. I’ll track him down if I have to, if too much time passes and he still doesn’t call.”
“I’m sorry you’re left with more questions than answers. And I’ll help you track him down if he waits too long. He might have said not to call that number, but you didn’t mention him saying not to trace it.”
He raised his eyebrows as a slow smile turned his lips up. “You’re one hell of a woman, did you know that?”
“I’m glad you think so,” she replied, leaning in to kiss him. “If you’re not ready to cook r
ight now, I’m okay with waiting. I’m not hungry yet, and I thought maybe you’d like to see the box. It might be the perfect distraction, because I can see worry over Chance still lurking in your eyes.”
“The box? Oh, the one I carried in. Yeah, that’s fine, as long as you’re sure you’re not hungry yet. I don’t mind cooking.”
