Page 178 of The Silent Note

“Finn, enough with the silent, loner bull! You need to start telling ussomething,” I burst out.

“Whatever it is, we can figure it out together.”

Still, Finn doesn’t break his silence.

Dutch moves in closer. “I wouldn’t push if it wasn’t important, but this concerns the girls’ safety. I need to know what dad told you. Please.”

Finn and I both startle.

I didn’t know ‘please’ was in Dutch’s vocabulary.

Finn finally cracks.

“Dad didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already suspect,” he says, his eyes on the floor.

“What do you mean?”

“You know I’m adopted.”

“Whaat?” I gasp. “You’re adopted?”

Finn smiles a little.

Dutch rolls his eyes.

My brother continues, “There are some things I haven’t told you. About me. About… Jinx.”

My eyebrows fly all the way up to my forehead. “Jinx? What does any of this have to do with her?”

Dutch looks skeptical. “We can talk about Jinx later. For now, let’s focus on dad.”

Finn does that internal debate thing where his jaw clenches and he looks like he’s at war with himself.

“Spit it out, Finn!” I demand. “What was so bad that dad practically disowned you?—”

“Dad lied.” Finn glares at me like I punched the truth out of him.

“About…” Dutch prompts.

Damn. It’s like pulling teeth.

Finn closes his eyes and the words seep out like he already regrets it. “About where I came from.”

“You’re kidding.” I distinctly remember dad coming home with Finn and telling us he was our new brother, adopted from China.

“Where did you come from then?” Dutch demands.

“Not… through a regular agency.”

“You’re saying dad’s your actual biological father?” I gawk. That makes what he did tonight twice as sickening.

“Or that he kidnapped you?” Dutch quirks an eyebrow.

“Hehidme.” Finn looks up, his eyes colliding with mine.

“From who?”

“Not from,” Finn corrects me. “For.”

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