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Sinclair smiled. It was a rare thing, and I couldn’t look away.

“She is perfect. Untainted by the world we live in, and if it’s the last thing I do, she will remain that way.”

“Dante told me she calls you Pop-pop.”

“Because I am.”

“I am her grandmother.”

“Whom she doesn’t know.”

Sinclair’s words hung in the air, heavy with accusation and a hint of sadness.

I knew he was right, but it still stung to hear them spoken aloud.

I had made my choices, and now I had to live with the consequences.

“You’re right,” I whispered, my eyes still fixed on the clouds outside. “I abandoned my son to find my daughter. I didn’t know, and I let my desire to find the one child I knew about cloud my judgment. I thought I was doing the right thing.” I turned to face Sinclair, searching for understanding in his eyes. “And in doing so, I abandoned my son.”

“And your daughter.”

“What?” My head snapped up.

“Instead of being with your children, you are here with me on a fool’s errand. Why?”

“You know why.”

“I do, but for a woman who spent the majority of her life looking after and protecting one child while abandoning the other, you do seem to have no problem leaving when the mood suits.”

“I’m looking for a way to get August away from the Brotherhood.”

“Ah yes,” Sinclair scoffed. “The biological father who didn’t even know about his children, and who didn’t even bother looking for you. Tell me, Thena, where does your loyalty end? Because from where I’m sitting, the only person you seem to help is yourself. So that begs the question, why? Why help a man who never looked for you? Why care about children who you claim to love, only to walk away when they need you the most? Why abandon everything for folly when you don’t know where the road will end?”

“You’re right; I made a choice,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil within me. “But it was never about abandoning one child for the other. I had to leave my son to ensure my daughter’s safety. It was the only way.” I paused, gathering my thoughts. “As for August, he may not have known about his children, but that doesn’t make him any less their father. I owe him that much, to help him be a part of their lives if he so chooses.”

Sinclair’s gaze was unwavering, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. “And what about your choices now? You’re here with me, chasing a lead that may very well be a dead end. What about your children, Thena? Who will protect them while you’re off playing hero?”

I took a deep breath, the weight of his words settling on my shoulders. “I know I’ve made mistakes, but I’m trying to makethings right. I can’t change the past, but I can shape the future. My children are safe for now, and I trust those who are watching over them. This lead could be my only chance to free August from the Brotherhood’s grasp. I can’t turn my back on that.”

“The problem with being a martyr, Thena, is generally the martyr dies.”

After landing at Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, Sinclair had a car waiting as we quickly sped from the hangar. After handing me my ass on the plane, the man hadn’t said another word to me. And frankly, I was glad for the silence.

The man always saw too much.

Sometime later, the car slowed in front of a cute little two-story bungalow, something out of the 1920s. The house was overrun with ivy but looked to be in good condition. Stepping out of the car, Sinclair adjusted his suit and sighed. “Welcome to 31 Briar Patch Lane.”

“What are we doing here?” I asked, looking around the abandoned home.

“You said you wanted me to show you where my trail went cold. Well, this is it.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, looking at him. “Who lived here?”

“That’s what I was trying to find out when the occupants disappeared. According to the owner, he rented this house to a young woman. When she failed to pay rent, he entered the house and found two small kids squatting on his property and ran them off. Since then, the house has been vacant.”

“He let two kids just run off. Where were their parents? Did he even bother to call CPS?”

Frowning, he glared at me. “Still concerned for others and not your own, I see.”