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“Your brother hates things like this. Not that he doesn’t agree with the policies we support; he just doesn’t see the point in talking about it. More of a doer. Which is important, but you can’t get permission to do without knowing how to talk the talk first.” Damien shook his head. “Your mother—she has a real knack for playing politics. I can tell you’re her daughter.” He glanced over at me. “You’re becoming an integral part of this family, aren’t you?”
Somehow that question felt more momentous than the actual words he’d used. “I’d like to think so,” I said. “It’s been wonderful having a family, a real one.”
As soon as I said those words, guilt stabbed through my gut. Julius had referred to me as part of the crew’s family. Maybe I wasn’t connected to them by genetics, but my bond with them was at least as real as anything I shared with the Maliks.
“I’m glad you feel that way.” Damien paused for a moment as if deciding what to say next. “We have a long-established legacy among the Maliks, one that goes back generations. I hope that as we become closer, that’s something I can introduce you to. We’d be honored to have you be a part of it.”
Something about his tone set my nerves prickling. I was already part of the family, wasn’t I? The way he phrased it made it sound almost like a cult or something that I’d be indoctrinated into.
He couldn’t mean it like that, though, right? He was just passionate about the family and what they stood for. I’d seen how close-knit and supportive the Maliks were.
“What kind of legacy?” I asked, watching him closely.
“Mostly in standing up for the innocents who need our protection, a lot like you said in there.” He smiled at me. “Dedicating ourselves to the public good has been an ongoing tradition that means a lot to us.”
Was that what the Hunter wanted to warn me about—that my family was dedicated to doing good? Inwardly, I rolled my eyes at that hoarse voice on the telephone with its ominous warnings. Sure, I’d still take a look at the soil, but there’d been no other indications of any kind of threat around the Maliks. Blaze hadn’t even found anything suspicious digging through their internet activity.
“Well, that sounds like the kind of legacy I could get behind,” I said, and my mind leapt to one specific crime I’d hoped he’d have more details about after all his time away from home. “I don’t suppose the investigation into my kidnappers has turned up any new leads? There’s still so much about that situation that I don’t understand.” And still so many people who needed to pay for the lives they’d upended.
My father sighed. “Unfortunately, the path seems to be very cold. Since you escaped without knowing where they’d been holding you before your trip, I think the investigators are stumped on where to even start. And your kidnappers were very effective in covering their tracks.”
His mouth twisted. “The worst menaces in society are getting increasingly difficult to pin down. All the more reason we need to crack down on them more than before. Make it clear that the consequences aren’t worth it, to stop others going down the same path. People who do such horrendous acts should never be allowed out of prison. They should rot and die there.”
Even though I wanted to destroy the people who’d wrenched me from my original life and forced me to become their tool, the vehemence in Damien’s voice made me tense. I couldn’t blame him for being angry, could I? He’d had his daughter ripped away from him, had to think I was dead for all these years. I wanted the people who’d orchestrated that loss dead too.
But there’d been a viciousness that’d crept into his tone that didn’t fit with the upstanding politician he usually presented himself as. He might talk as if his policies were for the greater good, but for him, it was clearly very personal as well. And I got the impression he wasn’t only talking about the specific criminals who’d taken me but all of them.
Including people like me and the Chaos Crew.
I didn’t have time to think of an appropriate response, because my Uber pulled up across from us just then. Damien walked me over and opened the door for me, getting a promise out of me to stop by the house for Sunday brunch. He was the total picture of a reserved gentleman again. His fond wave as he saw me off felt so normal it was hard to believe he’d been wishing death on the entire prison population just minutes ago.
He couldn’t realize how close his claims hit to home, and I hoped he never would.
My phone dinged, breaking me from my reverie. I glanced at the screen and found a text from Julius. Garrison’s contact is willing to meet with you. It’s time to swap some favors.
