Page 19 of Born into Darkness

“You can probably find it on Google Maps. I’ll be sure and ask my brother why he never thought to look there.”

Her smile grows before she takes another bite of food. I can’t imagine not having her here with me, but I’d give anything if I could magically whisk her somewhere far away. I eat the last bite of my lunch while I watch her finish up hers, making sure she eats everything and then drinks half the bottle of water. I try to get her to drink more, but she refuses to cut into my ration.

When we’re both finished, she rests her head against my shoulder and starts teaching me the newest batch of signs. I’m intrigued by ASL, and I’m in awe of how graceful she makes the movements look. I’m not used to my fingers feeling clumsy, but there’s an obvious difference between the fluid movements Talia makes and my awkward beginner’s fingers.

“You make it look so pretty,” I tell her, trying to read the sentence she’s fingerspelling for me.

“I’ve been doing it pretty much my whole life. My parents hired a live-in tutor to teach us, and the rest of our family would come over for lessons. It took the adults a lot longer to learn,” she says with a grin. “Bran and I would come up with our own signs for things, and it used to drive everyone crazy.” She laughs at the memory, and I smile at the image that comes to mind.

“How long did your tutor live with you?”

“Long enough for one of my dad’s top men to fall completely in love with her. After that, she kept teaching us, but she no longer slept at our house. Ilya doesn’t live far away on the property so it all worked out. I’m glad they got married because now we still get to see her all the time. She’s really sweet, and she was always so patient with us, and when Bran couldn’t communicate at all, it was Lily who helped him to not be scared. She told him that his name means Raven in Irish, and she introduced us to Celtic mythology. We loved it when she’d sign us stories before bed about Bran mac Feabhail and his voyage to the Otherworld.”

She lets out a soft laugh at the memory. “He’s loved ravens ever since, has several of them tattooed on his body, and it’s in his name sign.”

I watch as she signs the letter B, keeping it close to her mouth before bringing her thumb and index finger together in a couple of quick taps, almost like a bird beak opening and closing. I copy it, and she smiles.

As a pianist, I can’t imagine my life without sound, but from everything Talia’s told me, Bran seems like he handled everything exceedingly well.

“Do you know who his birth parents were?”

“No, we never could figure out who they were. My mom runs a women’s shelter in the city, and someone left Bran outside of it one day. She saw him peeking in through the window, and when she went out to invite him and his mom in, it was just him—three years old, way too thin, dirty clothes, and scared to death of everything and everyone.”

“Who would do that?” I ask, not even able to imagine a scenario where I’d ever let my son go.

“I don’t know. I heard my parents talking about it later. The security footage showed a white sedan pulling up at the curb. Bran gets out, and they quickly drive off. The plates were stolen, and the driver’s face is concealed behind a ski mask. When I got older, I was furious on his behalf for a long time, but then I started thinking that maybe the driver was his mom and she felt this was her only option. I don’t know. I try to give her the benefit of the doubt.”

“You’re very sweet,” I tell her, and she lets out a small huff of air.

“No, I’m not. I just really love my brother and can’t imagine my life without him. If she hadn’t dropped him off, then he wouldn’t be a part of my family, so really I’m just selfish.”

I take her hand and squeeze it. “You’re not selfish. You are a really great sister, though.”

“Bran’s come to peace with it. Well, as much as he can, but I know he still wonders about who his birth parents were. The police did an investigation, but if our Bratva couldn’t find anything, then we knew there was no way in hell they’d be able to.”

“Did your parents have a hard time getting the adoption approved?”

“No. They didn’t have anyone contesting it, and the system is already overflowing with kids who need homes. My dad can look presentable when he needs to,” she says with a laugh. “They hired an amazing lawyer, and the suit my dad wore covered up most of his tattoos. I think maybe some bribes were made. My parents were willing to do whatever it took to adopt Bran and bring him into our family.”

I can’t help but wonder if Bran will like me. He and Talia are obviously close, and I’m guessing if Bran doesn’t give his approval, it’ll make Talia think twice about me.

When I’m quiet for several more minutes, Talia asks, “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m wondering if Bran will like me.”

She tilts her head so she can smile up at me. “Of course he will.”

“But will he approve of me dating his sister?”

A pink blush spreads up her cheeks. “Are we dating, Max?”

I laugh and wave a hand at the room we’re in. “We’re already living together, Talia.”

She smiles and leans her head back against my shoulder so I can’t see her when she confesses, “I’ve never dated anyone.”

“Me either.”

This time her laugh is more of a disbelieving huff. “I think we’re thinking of two different things.”

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