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Malachi frowned at his laptop. He was looking for information on his biological father and the community he’d led, known simply as ‘Jade.’ He would’ve expected to find more—had found more the last time he’d searched—but some of the links to articles he’d bookmarked no longer worked.
On a whim, he’d tried Rebecca James, too. Not that he’d expected much. It had been ten years since he made his last attempt to look up his mom. Nothing new turned up, just the same articles from when his father was arrested, and the cult broken up.
“Jade?” Kevin’s voice spoke from behind him, and he minimized the search window. He hadn’t heard him approach. The kid had skills. He’d make an excellent stalker. Shaking off the disturbing thought, he grabbed his cup and stood to refill it.
“It’s nothing.”
“If you’re trying to get more information about them, I can help.”
There was no arguing that. The kid was better at finding things online than Malachi was, but did he want him digging around in his past? Not really. Malachi filled his mug and faced Kevin. “All right.” It was work-related, and he couldn’t ignore the connection despite his strong desire to do just that. “See what you can find about them. I think the poacher might’ve restarted that community. Possibly with a new name.”
“How did you make that connection?”
He took a sip of his bitter brew and debated lying, but couldn’t do so in good conscience, so he reached into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the cold stone. Some things couldn’t be hidden. Pulling it from his pocket he tossed it to Kevin. “It was left in the cabin.”
“A gemstone pointed you in that direction? Sounds like a leap.”
“It may be.” He could be wrong, but it wasn’t likely. His past had come back to haunt him, and now he had to expose it to the light.
Kevin sat at his own computer. “I’ll let you know what I find.”
Less than thirty minutes later as Malachi was reading a recent article about his biological father’s release from prison, Kevin let out a strangled sound.
“You look just like him.”
Malachi sighed but said nothing. Not what he expected. He’d figured Kevin would find articles, but he hadn’t counted on the pictures. Yes, he did look like Ezekiel James.
“Is he your father, Malachi?”
No sense in denying it. The pictures spoke for themselves. “Use that big brain of yours and figure it out, Kev.”
“No need to get snippy. I’m trying to help.”
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you, but I never expected this to be something I’d be forced to share with my coworkers.” He scrubbed a hand across his face. “His name is Ezekiel. Mine is Malachi. You know I grew up in foster care. I made the connection to the Jade.”
“So, he is.”
“Yes. Ezekiel James is my biological father. And there may be a connection to the poacher-turned-wildlife trafficker who stayed in cabin seven.” No need for Kevin to know that the connection was Malachi’s own mother. His privacy had been compromised enough for one day. Some things should remain buried in the past.
Cate looked at Penny sleeping so peacefully atop her lap. She hated to disturb her, but she needed to eat dinner soon. A knock at the door solved the problem for her as Penny hopped down, so she could properly hide from their company. Cate peered out her window before opening the door wide. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”
“Is that any way to greet your brother?”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes then hugged Grayson’s wife, Jenna. “It’s good to see you both. But what are you doing here?”
“We were in the area, so thought we’d stop by.”
“Come on in. I’ll make some tea. If I drink coffee now, I’ll be up all night. I can make some for you though, if you want.”
“Water will do. Thanks, sis.”
“I’ll help you make the tea.” Jenna followed her into the tiny kitchen.
“I’m not buying that you two were in the area, so what’s going on?” Cate filled a pot with water and set out two mugs.
Jenna grabbed the box of chamomile tea and put a bag in each cup. “Gavin called him about some guy you’re supposedly seeing.”
Cate let out a huff. “I knew it. The two of them refuse to let me take care of myself.”
