Page 174 of The Secrets She Keeps

“Who? And why were you with the Colesons?”

“Because...,” a voice said behind Brianna. Brianna turned. They were there. They’d just come in. Brianna’sothersisters. “Meet our older sister, Murdoch.”

It was Eden. And she had a look in her eyes that had Brianna stepping back. “Timothy Grundenman’s oldest daughter.”

“I see,” Detective Lake said. He shook his head. “No. Actually I don’t see. But I’m sure someone will fill me in. Tell us, did you know what Daddy was up to?”

“No. I didn’t. He didn’t talk about anything like that with me. He mostly just told me what he thought I should be doing with my life. We weren’t close. I didn’t even know he was my father until about six years ago. But what about Leena?”

“Who is Leena?” Detective Lake asked.

Didn’t they know Timothy had a little girl? Didn’t birth certificates or something like that show up? Brianna didn’t really know how it worked. Jack had never talked about the TSP with her very much.

Brianna had already started this. It was time to finish it. Do what she had to do. Who cared what the world thought about Timothy being her father? It was already out there now. It didn’t change whoshewas or anything. It wouldn’t look good on Eden, Samia, or Summer either. But who cared? What she cared about was that little girl. “Angelina. She’s eight. She’s my little sister. And Timothy took her away from me tonight. She was staying with me while she was on spring break. She’s out there right now. With Timothy. Someone needs to help her. Help me find my little sister. Please. She’s just a little girl.”

Her eyes met Eden’s. Eden’s were huge. And the same color as Brianna’s own. “She’s our little sister, Eden, and I don’t know where she is. I don’t know what to do.”

141

Powell just waited.Sitting in the same chair she’d sat in while she’d waited for Haldyn. She just waited. Her mother came in, while they had her father in the back getting a CT scan or something. Powell was just as terrified for her father as she was Gunnar. They’d hit him so hard.

Her mom came to her. She wrapped her arms around Powell and just held her. Powell had been processed again. Like she had after the abduction. The scrubs she wore now belonged to her cousin Turner’s wife. Her mom wore sweatpants and a T-shirt withColeson Chaosand a cartoon duck on the front. “Mom, where did you get that?”

“Joy. She stayed with me, while they…processed me. Took my clothes. But those men didn’t really get close to me. I’m not sure why the TSP needed my clothes. Come here, baby girl. I’m sorry I just left you there.”

“You didn’t leave me, Heather got you out.” Powell pulled in a deep breath. She understood now. “There really is…a difference.”

“Seems like she’s good at that,” her mom said. “Has anyone said anything about how Gunnar is doing yet? Or Heather?”

Powell just shook her head, as some of Heather’s family came in. They looked…angry. And worried. “Nothing yet.”

“That girl…I owe her everything. And I’m not going to forget it. She just appeared out of nowhere. I’m not even certain how she knew?—”

“When that man made me call her. I was trying to send her messages to get help. I did not expect her to walk in by herself. I thought he was dead,” Powell said, the words just coming out. “I thought Gunnar was dead, and I would never get a chance to tell him how much I loved him. Never get…to be with him. And all I could think about was his baby and how I wanted him to see his baby. And I still?—”

“I know.” Her mom had the same memories in her eyes. “I know.”

“He’s still in there, and I just don’t know if he’s going to be okay. And I’m terrified.”

“I know. All…we can ever do, sweetheart, is just get through.”

Cara was there, next to her. Cara held Ember now. Powell…before she even realized she was doing it, she held out her arms. “Can I hold her? Just for a little while?”

“She just fell asleep. She’s a night owl like Aunt Heather. She also sleeps like a zombie—like Aunt Heather too.” Cara lowered her to Powell’s lap carefully. “Is your arm okay?”

“It will be.”

“Gunnar will be okay too. He’s really strong, you know.” Cara sank into the chair next to her and adjusted the blanket over Heather’s sleeping baby. There was drool on the baby’s little chin. Powell wiped it carefully with the rag that seemed to accompany Ember everywhere. “I’m glad you’re okay. You really scared us.”

“Scared me too.”

Cara hugged her gently. “It’ll all be okay in the morning. You’ll see. We know who the bad guys are now. Aunt Heatheralways says that’s half the battle. Knowing your enemy and everything. And you really can’t defeat the shadows without the light. I’m not really sure what she means by that, though. Aunt Heather can be kind of weird sometimes.”

Alex sank down on the other side of Cara, while Mac seemed to prowl everywhere, like he had while they’d waited for Haldyn before.

There was purple and pink glitter-covered duct tape on Mac’s shoe. She almost said something about it, but why did duct tape matter in the grander scheme of things?

There were people in and out again. Waiting.

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