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He nodded. “They’re my mother’s sister and brother-in-law. She had another sister I’ve always liked more who wanted to take me in, but I couldn’t because she was in Class B. My grandfather insisted I live in Class A. They were nice enough, but my governess raised me, for the most part.”
“Your grandfather. You mean Sir Pearce?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said.
I had so many questions, but I wanted to tread carefully. “He’s the one who told you what happened to your parents?”
Dominic nodded. “I know what you’re thinking, but he had no reason to lie to me. He didn’t even want to tell me the truth, but one day when he’d had too much brandy, he admitted it. He’d kept the secret about his son’s crimes from all of Cambria. Everyone thinks he and my mother died of disease.”
“What did he tell you?”
He hesitated. “When he was sober and realized what he’d admitted, he pleaded with me never to tell, to keep the family free from shame.”
“But he told you your father was dead,” I said. “And he’s not. So why are you so sure the rest of his story was true?”
He looked down at the floor. “It was the only time I ever saw him cry.”
“With all due respect,” I said, “he was drunk.”
He sighed. “As I said, you won’t believe me. I don’t know why I’m even trying to explain.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I want to understand. I just don’t know what’s true.”
“Neither do I,” he whispered so softly I could barely hear him.
“Did Pearce tell you any details?”
“No,” he admitted. “Only that my father was responsible for both of their deaths. He never spoke of it again.”
I nodded, grateful that Dominic had confided this much in me. It was almost starting to feel like we weren’t total enemies.
Silence hung between us for a long moment. The boat rolled to the side as we passed over a large wave. Something clattered away from Dominic and across the cabin floor.
We both reached for it.
I grabbed the radio just before he did, my breath catching with the grim realization.
He stared at me with wide, guilty eyes. “I didn’t—it’s not?—”
“Why do you have this?” I got to my knees, leaning over him with the radio in my hands. “What did you do?!”
“Nothing!” He held up his arms, his face pale. “I only hid it down here, but I didn’t talk to anyone, I swear to you.”
I leaned forward, shoving him off the bed pad.
I felt the pad, searching it. When my hands landed on a piece of metal, my stomach grew queasy. I pulled out the pistol with shaking hands. “You stole this too?”
“I didn’t steal anything.” He pulled himself back to a sitting position, trying to back away, but the cabin wall kept him from going anywhere. “If you recall correctly, those were both mine.”
“You could’ve killed me,” I said, getting to my feet. “Was that your plan?”
“No,” he said. “I only meant to protect myself. Those men up there would prefer me dead and you know it.”
I looked down at him, afraid and disappointed, but I understood. I couldn’t deny that I would’ve done the same thing if I’d been the prisoner on this boat. And I definitely would’ve used the radio the first chance I got. “Be honest with me, Dominic. Did you talk to anyone?”
“No. I swear I spoke to no one.”
I frowned. He was either innocent or a good liar. I wanted to believe him, but if he’d said one word on that radio about what had happened here, we’d be dead before we stepped foot inside the city. Every Enforcer in Cambria would be ready for us.
