Page 123 of Black Sheep

Jesus.

“Why?” I ask my brother.

His face congeals with pain. “He didn’t love any of us. I know that now. But the depth of his hatred for you…I didn’t understand it. Still don’t. Maybe he knew you would become the best of us.”

Air shudders from my lungs. “Bolton—”

“It’s okay. I’m fine with admitting that we weren’t born equal. For what it’s worth, I’m proud of the man you’ve become, brother.”

The pain in my chest is expanding. I don’t know that I’ve moved until the back of my legs meet the sofa. I sink onto it, clutching my pounding head. When I finally raise it, they’re both staring at me.

“And for what it’s worth, I can corroborate everything he’s said,” Fionnella adds.

“How?”

“Jeez, where’s the trust? Okay, I know a guy at a cheeky little government offsite bunker that stores satellite archives. All he needed was a time and date.”

I swallow. Nod. Then ask the question that will seal the nail in my coffin. “Who…who were they?”

“Michael and Camilla.”

The torn gasp behind me sends me to my feet. Cleo stumbles forward from where she was leaning against the wall. Behind me, I hear Fionnella and Bolton charge to their feet too.

“Damn,” Fionnella says under her breath.

Desolate blue eyes, brimming with tears, meet mine. She’s deathly pale and won’t stop shaking. The tears spill down her face, and I die all over again. “Cleo…”

Her gaze shifts to Bolton. “You saved my mother?”

“Yes. I’m…I’m sorry I couldn’t save Michael.”

“Why…why did Finnan want them dead?” she asks.

Bolton snorts. “Why does he do anything? The returning-to-Boston thing was a ruse. Michael was planning to do another deal with General Courtland behind Pa’s back. I guess we all know the outcome.” Bolton’s gaze moves to Cleo. “I’m sorry.”

Agony contorts her face, and she sways where she stands. I catch her by the arms and exhale in relief when she doesn’t recoil from me. I walk her to a seat, and she sits but her attention remains on Bolton. “How did Finnan know my mother was alive?”

“He hit the roof when Ronan told him we hadn’t torched the car like he asked. He had it dredged up a few days later. I didn’t have a lot of options to save your mother’s life besides CPR so I called nine one one. They took her to Saint Jude’s. Tracking her there wasn’t difficult. Sorry.”

She nods, looking down at her linked fingers. “No. Thank you,” she murmurs. “For…for saving her life.” More tears fall.

I reach for her hands. She doesn’t pull away, but she doesn’t engage.

“Cleo.” The eyes that meet mine are as dead as I feel. “I’m sorry, baby.”

She returns to watching her hands.

“Cleo, you have to know that, if Axel had known, he would’ve never driven the car into—”

“Bolton—” I warn.

“What? She needs to know, and you need to stop torturing yourself to death with that thirty-seven-minute piece of film.”

Cleo’s head snaps up. “What did you just say?”

Bolton doesn’t hear her. His gaze is still fixed on me. “You think you’re the only one he sent that video to? Or the only one he uses any of his videos to blackmail?”

Fury finds a way through my ashen void. “Fuck.”

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