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“Oh, you don’t know the half of it,” I tell him when we ascend the stairs to the Chapel. He furrows his brows at me in question, but we reach the door before he can reply.
Walking inside, Alpha sits at the head of the table. Loki is sitting to his left where Swift normally sits, typing furiously on his computer, having it turned to allow Alpha a view of the screen. My mind shifts to if that’s any indication of where Alpha’s thoughts of VP are heading. If he’s even thinking that far ahead.
But that’s not what we’re here to talk about right now, so I close the door behind me. Clover sits on a chair, swinging from side to side playfully. Maverick sits beside her, grabbing her chair and stopping her movements. She scowls at him, and he chuckles in response. I slide into the seat to the right of Alpha.
Alpha reaches out for my hand as Loki glances over the top of his laptop, giving me a single head bob in confirmation of the information. I turn to Maverick and Clover, see the folder on the table in front of Alpha, and reach for it.
“Is it just me, or is itrealfucking tense in here?” Clover chuckles to herself before Maverick sits forward, noticing the folder.
“Haven, why do you have a folder with the Rojas Cartel logo printed on it?” Mav asks, his eyes shifting to Alpha.
Straightening out my shoulders, I sigh. “I think it is best to tell you my history first.”
Maverick’s brows scrunch, but he nods.
Clearing my throat, I lean forward, my hands in tight balls onthe table. “When I was nine, my father was in debt. He was doing dirty work with company funds and got caught. So my family was struggling for money. I don’t know how he found them, but somehow, my father was put in contact with The Nest, the training facility that made me into an assassin.”
Maverick shakes his head like he’s confused. “I don’t understand. What does The Nest have to do with anything? Why did he take you there?”
“He didn’t take me there, Mav. Hesoldme to them for five hundred thousand dollars to help him, my mother, and my little brother get back on their feet.”
Mav and Clover both gasp.
“Jesus Christ, what kind of father does that?” Mav asks.
My stomach twists before I turn to Alpha for reassurance, and he gives me a nod. I turn back to Maverick, sliding the folder closer to him. “Turns out he’s the same father who raised you.”
Maverick jerks his head back, and his hand flies to the file.
Clover stands, throwing her hands in the air. “I knew it!” she yells.
I widen my eyes as she begins to pace while Maverick frantically reads the file, his breathing becoming quicker and quicker. I slide my hand out, resting on his back, but he jerks away from my touch. So I back off. “Sorry, I—”
“How long have you known?” he blurts out, louder than I think even he meant to.
Clover stops pacing, staring at our brother.
I exhale softly. “I found out when I went back to take out The Nest. I found the file. Alpha was with me.”
Maverick turns to Alpha for confirmation. “It’s true, Mav, and trust me, Haven was just as shocked as you are.”
“I’m not shocked. I felt it. I knew there was something about you, Haven. I could feel it,” Clover states happily. “Also, I have a freaking sister. How cool is that? I can’twaitto put this onInsta!”
Maverick closes the folder with force, scrunching his eyes closed while rubbing his temple, effectively ignoring Clover. “The Nest killed my father because he came back to get you?”
I dip my chin. “I believe so, yes.”
He lets out a bemused laugh, though it sounds more like a manic scoff. “I spentyearssearching for reasons why he just up and left us. Mom never knew the reason before she died. All this time, he was not the person I thought he was. Jesus Christ, I joined Defiance to try to find a reason why he left. Try to figure out why he went missing along with my sister. Now you’re telling me it was all his fault?”
Clover slides into the seat next to Maverick, reaching for his hands and forcing him to look at her. “Dad’s been gone for years. You need to stop focusing on him and focus on the fact that we have a sister right here… right in front of us.”
A switch flips inside Maverick’s brain, and he turns to face me. A slow smile crosses his face, and he stands, making his way over to me. I rise to meet him, and he shakes his head. “You’re my older sister, the one who went missing.”
I reach out for his hands, taking them in mine. “I am. You’re my little brother. The one I used to push around in his stroller and feed him his bottle when Mom was busy.”
Maverick’s nostrils flare, and I feel his hands trembling against mine. “I never thought I would see you again.”
“I was so brainwashed, I didn’t even remember your name… Jesse. But I remember you now.”
