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I take a deep breath. It’s now or never.
“I was an only child. My parents doted on me. And then I was kidnapped,” I say flatly.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your sin to apologize or atone for, Nico.” I lean back in my chair, my plate now empty. “After Velvet, Harlow’s mom, and DHMC rescued me, I was brought to the casino, the basement. I woke up on a cot, confused, my mind fuzzy from the drugs.” When Nico winces, I reach across the table and grab his hand. “It’s not your fault. Anyway, Velvet went back, and I never saw her again. But Harlow was there, always. We called my family.” I sigh, remembering. “I was so excited because I thought they’d come get me as fast as they could. But that’s not what happened.”
Nico rises from the table and carries our dishes to the sink. He rinses them but looks over his shoulder. “What did happen?”
Pain lances my heart. I thought I’d gotten over it, the rejection, the grief, but I guess I haven’t. Maybe I never will.
“My dad answered the phone. At first, he sounded happy to hear from me. He asked me about what happened, and I told him. Every single detail. By the time I was done, he was crying. That’s when my mom spoke for the first time during the call. She very politely said that she wasn’t sure who I was, but that she and her husband didn’t have a daughter, that their daughter died the night she was kidnapped. I begged her to stop lying, to recognize that I was her little girl, but it didn’t matter. The last words she spoke to me were ‘I hope you’re able to find people to love your damaged soul.”
“Jesus.”
“Harlow was screaming into the phone as my mother hung up. I was sobbing. From that moment on, Harlow became my family.”
“We’re a pair, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, but we’re a perfect pair.”
CHAPTER20
Nico
“Are you sure about this?”
I nod at Story. She arrived a few hours ago, but I just got up the nerve to ask her for this favor. I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do or not, but I have to try. If for no other reason than to help Peppermint.
“Just keep it to yourself, please.”
“Nico, I might need to bring Harlow in on this one. If shit goes south, and it often does with our crew, P’s gonna need her.”
I sigh. She’s right. “Fine. But only Harlow.”
“Got it.”
We spend the next two hours doing what we do every day: digging as deep as we can into anything that could lead us to Nicholi. We have yet to connect the Bends to any of this, and my twisted brother seems to have gone underground. Not that I’m complaining, but it doesn’t quite sit right.
Nicholi doesn’t run and hide, he creates chaos.
“Hey Story.”
I turn toward the door and whistle at Peppermint as she walks in.
“Hey P,” she responds without looking away from the computer.
“I see you’re still hard at work, so I won’t keep you. I’ve gotta run to the casino for a bit, check in with the staff, and then I’m meeting Nate at the clubhouse so he can do a blood draw.”
“I don’t like you going out alone,” I remind her.
“Which is why two of the security team from out front will follow me the entire time… like a child.”
“Is Gill going, or will he still be here?” I much prefer he’s with her rather than me. She’s carrying precious cargo after all.
Peppermint rolls her eyes. “I’ll take him with me if that will make you feel better.”
“It will.”
