Page 41 of The Broker

Isaac’s back began to sweat, and his hands began to tremble.

“Nn… No, he’s not. I’m an only child.”

Matteo moved closer to Isaac and took his hand in his. “You may have changed your last name, but I’ve known the truth about you and your family and the real reason that you ran off since the day that I took you in.”

Of course, he did. Matteo knew everything. There wasn’t a man alive who was able to keep secrets from this man—except for Edwin, apparently.

“Wh… what do you mean?”

It was a futile attempt. What was the point in denying the truth? The man clearly knew all about him and had known for years. But, still, a part of him was having difficulty admitting the truth to himself.

“I know that your father passed away when you were very young and that you and your older brother went to live with your uncle after that. Your brother was not a very nice kid. He fell in with a rough crowd, did some very bad things, then got thrownin prison, leaving you alone with your alcoholic uncle—the man who continued to physically abuse you until one day, he decided to pimp you out to his friends in exchange for cash for booze. I also know that you killed that man in self-defense and then took off and were living on the streets until I eventually found you.” Matteo rubbed Isaac’s hand in his. “And I don’t judge you for anything that you did. In fact, I think you are very brave for having survived such conditions and still turned out to be the exceptional young man that you are today.”

Hearing Matteo’s kind words, Isaac couldn’t help but fall in love with the man even more. It wasn’t a love that one would share with a romantic partner, but a love of respect and adoration. Here was a man who opened his heart and his home to someone he didn’t even know, giving Isaac the help that he needed and a chance to better his life. Without Matteo’s kind heart and generous nature, Isaac wasn’t sure where he’d be.

But with all the love came back all the pain.

Isaac leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the man he thought of as a father. Slowly, all the painful memories flooded back into his mind. The abuse, the pain, the betrayal, the fight to survive alone on the streets. It was all too much for him.

He leaned into Matteo’s warmth and tried to lose himself in his strength.

“Don’t worry, my boy. You’re safe now.”

Yes, he was safe here with them… but what about all those women? What about the women who hadn’t been taken yet? How safe were they?

Isaac peeled himself away from his rock and wiped away some of his tears. Anger returned in full force.

“What is it you need me to do?”

Matteo looked at him hesitantly. “No. I think it’s probably best if we leave you out of this one.”

Isaac shook his head. No. His brother needed to be stopped. He couldn’t be allowed to continue this horrific scam of kidnapping, rape, and abduction.

“Not going to happen,” Isaac said, sitting up straighter and looking Matteo straight in the eye. Matteo needed to see his strength and resolve, or else he wouldn’t allow him to participate in his brother’s capture.

Isaac stared as Matteo struggled with his decision. “Well, we don’t know where your brother is running this operation. We know it’s somewhere in the Netherlands, but not sure where.”

“So, how do I help you find the guy?” Isaac asked, still unsure how he could be of any use tracking down his brother.

“You speak to your uncle.”

Isaac’s blood went cold. His heart stopped in his chest, and his mind began to pull itself away once again.

He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself.

He wasn’t a kid. That sick fuck didn’t hold any power over him anymore. Yet, why was the mere mention of his name sending him into a panic attack?

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, then opened his eyes to respond.

“I haven’t seen that bastard since he left me at that house with those guys. I have no idea if he’s still alive or drank himself to death.”

“Actually, six months after you came to live here, your uncle was arrested for smuggling heroin.”

Isaac’s mouth dropped open.

“He became a smuggler?”

Matteo shrugged his shoulder. “That’s what the evidence against him suggested. Then amazingly, each time his parole came up, he was caught smuggling heroin into the prison—once again, that’s what the evidence suggested.”

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