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I was going to spend this entire encounter acting like a woman who I didn’t know—one who was so far from the woman I had become. I’d created a story to explain the time I’d been away from this family, and if I ever told them the truth…
Well, I didn’t know if I could ever tell them the truth about myself. It was hard not to imagine that if I tried, I’d lose them all.
I looked around at all the cousins, aunts, and uncles, then toward Grandma Ruby and Grandpa Bo who stood tall and held her. Then, I turned my attention to my parents, standing side-by-side with Carter in front of them.
Damien’s face had become a rigid mask of determination. “We’re going to bring the people who kidnapped you to justice,” he swore.
My heart skipped a beat as I absorbed that promise. Maybe he knew more about my kidnappers than I’d expected. If it’d been personal—and how could it not be to some extent, with the lengths they’d gone to in order to steal me away—he must know who at least some of his enemies were.
“I don’t know how much help I’m going to be in accomplishing that,” I said, sucking my lower lip under my teeth. I knew more than I was going to admit, but I couldn’t lay everything on the table. Not yet. I needed to know what information would be the most useful in finding the people responsible without jeopardizing my own secrets. “I was isolated from everyone except for the few people who were looking after me, and when I realized what was going on, the situation had turned so dangerous I couldn’t stay to find out anything that’d help track them down.”
My father frowned. “What about those people who looked after you?” he asked, tightening his jaw, but he loosened it with a deep breath and shook his head. “You were around them a lot. I’m sure there are some things that you discovered, even if you don’t realize it.”
“Well,” I said with a wince, “the woman who spent the most time caring for me was killed by some other group of criminals, so she’s out of the picture. That’s when I ran. It must have been some kind of gang war or something.”
I shuddered, completely for effect. That was how a normal person would react when thinking of a murder, right?
Damien stared off at a place on the wall for a moment, his expression pensive. Was he angry because I couldn’t provide him with a lead, or was it more than that? Did he have ideas about who might have been involved that he didn’t want to share with me out of fear of re-traumatizing me?
I had to show I was at least a little more resilient than that. “If you have any leads or ideas about the investigation, I’d really like to be a part of it,” I said, struggling to hit the right level of enthusiasm. “I want to know the reason I was taken as much as you do.”
My father rested his hand on my back with a reassuring pat, though his face was still serious. “There’s no need for that. I’m sorry for badgering you about it at all. You’ve been through enough already. The investigators will want to talk to you, of course, and get any details you can offer, but I’ll make sure it ends there.”
How did I convince him that I wanted to be a part of this investigation? “I’m honestly happy to help however I can. I want to see these people brought to justice too.” Preferably by my own hand, I added silently. “Please don’t worry about it being an imposition.”
Damien’s jaw flexed, but the smile held in place. “Enough on this awful subject,” he said, squeezing my shoulder lightly. “Let’s focus on everything good that’s come out of today. We have you back with us—nothing could be more worth celebrating than that. Why don’t we go sit down to lunch and we can talk more there, about lighter subjects.”
I couldn’t continue pushing without sounding suspicious, so I simply nodded and let my gaze slip over the gathered family members again. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you all better.”
As everyone streamed into the hall, heading for the dining room, I caught a glimpse of another shadow crossing Damien’s face, there just for a moment before he caught my eyes and aimed another smile at me.
Something was bothering him. Was it just that I hadn’t offered a clear path to finding the criminals he must want to bring to justice more than any before?
Or was there something more going on here that I was missing?
