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Beggars couldn’t be choosers and all that, so I accepted. I had a little money left from my savings, and I’d gladly give him all of it if it meant getting my brother back.
I squinted, comparing the image on the screen to the memory of my brother. The hair was longer but the same color. The bushy beard made it hard to make out facial features, but when I saw the familiar scar over his eyebrow, I was sure it was him.
“Where was this taken?” I tightened my hold on the back of the chair I’d been leaning against. One of the rooms in Carter’s house was an office, housing numerous screens and a few computers, resembling a mini surveillance center.
“New York.”
I jolted. “New York? As in the New York that’s about eight hundred miles east of here?”
“Yup. I don’t have any other footage, though. And no idea what he was doing there. Or why he hasn’t contacted you.”
What the hell are you doing, Archer?
“I need to go to New York.”
Carter stilled. “Do you honestly think you’d be able to find your brother in a city of over eight million people?”
No, I didn’t. But it was killing me to sit here and do nothing when I knew he was only a short flight away. Of course, we had no idea where he’d gone after the surveillance camera captured his image a few days ago. For all we knew, he wasn’t even in New York anymore.
“But how do I find him?”
He cleared his throat. “Have you ever considered that he doesn’t want to be found?”
I’d squashed the thought of Archer deliberately staying away every time it sparked. It hurt too much.
A hand on my arm startled me, and then Carter gently led me out of his office. “Look on the bright side. You know he’s alive.”
But for how long? I let out a bitter laugh. A person didn’t just disappear for shits and giggles. But Carter was right. I couldn’t do a thing. And if Archer wanted to stay away, maybe I should respect his wishes.
If only it wasn’t burning a hole in my chest every time I thought of him out there all by himself. Why didn’t he ask me for help?
Lucius looked up when we came back to the living room, where he’d been helping Sofie paint her unicorn figurines. He had a purple paint smudge on his cheek.
I sank down next to them, and he put his arm around me. I already felt less like I was falling apart.
“What did Carter say?” he asked softly.
“He has footage of Archer in New York.”
Lucius leaned back so he could look at me. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t look for information before everything blew up.” He pressed his lips to mine in a brief kiss.
“Don’t you dare apologize. We don’t even know if Maurizio had anything to do with my brother’s disappearance. Chances are it’s all just a coincidence.” Laying my head on his chest I relaxed against him. “I’ll be okay.”
And I would be. Because he was with me.
Sofie sat down on my lap, holding up one of her unicorns. “You want to help us paint Sparkles? Daddy’s hands are too big. He can’t do the eyes.”
Lucius ruffled her hair, and I laughed when she pouted, smoothing down her locks. I took the paintbrush she held out with a smile. “I’d love to. And lucky for you, my hands are nice and small.”
We spent the rest of the day playing with Sofie, ignoring the real world.
Until Lucius’s phone rang, pulling us back into reality.
“Yeah?”
I’d never get used to the way he answered his phone.
“You want me to what?”
