Page 41 of Twisted Empire

“Hey,” Holand spoke up from where he was lounging in the living room, peeking over the back of the couch and giving my mom a playful scowl. “I don’t needthatmuch taking care of.”

“Dear, if you could tell the difference between an onion and a potato, I’d be shocked.”

I snorted lightly and Holand chuckled, looking back to the television. They seemed like they’d managed to set aside most of the stress that must have been weighing on them after their hasty arrival here and the destruction of the house.

Mom had already started the wheels turning for the insurance. She and Holand had packed their most precious items to keep them close and brought them here anyway, so it hadn’t been quite as big of a blow as if the fire had started while they’d been at work… or asleep and unaware.

I updated her on the assignments I’d been squeezing in around the adventures I’d rather not tell her about, and she described the movie they’d all watched last night, but her gaze kept twitching to me as she added chicken and then veggies to the frying pan.

Finally, she sighed and leaned against the counter with her gaze fixed on me. “I have to admit, I keep thinking about your father and how he was mixed up in these criminal enterprises. Do you have any idea how that happened? Or how far this conspiracy you’ve stumbled on reaches?”

My stomach twisted, but I didn’t want to lie to her any more, not unless I absolutely had to. And she deserved to know the full extent of the danger.

“We’re pretty sure he came across a medical record from one of the patients who received an illegal transplant and noticed discrepancies in the data,” I said. “Somehow he pieced together enough to start tracking down more information at the source. And—it’s a big source. Really, really big. We know for sure now that this business extends across multiple states. It could even involve other countries as well.”

Mom’s jaw tightened. “And you really can’t turn to the police and let them handle it?”

“We’d like to. We’ve been trying to build up enough of a case so that they’ll believe thereisa crime.” I let out my breath in a rush. “I think we’re almost there. In just a couple more days, you might be able to leave here.”

She shook her head, with a distant expression. “I wish your father had never gotten caught up in this mess. Thenyouwouldn’t have either.”

I swallowed thickly. “That’s true, but he was trying to be a hero. Hewouldhave been a hero if he’d gotten far enough. I’m carrying out the work he wanted to do… just in a different way from what I always pictured. I kind of like that.”

“I understand.” Mom reached over to squeeze my hand. “But I still don’t like the idea of you being involved in something so dangerous. It’smyjob to keep you safe.”

I shot her a bittersweet smile. “Not anymore. I’m grown up now—that’s my responsibility.”

She let out a huff. “I just don’t want to see the same thing happen to you that did to him.”

“It won’t,” I said firmly, for both her benefit and my own. “It’s different for me. He was trying to go it alone, but I have a bunch of other people standing with me.”

No way did I want to admit to her how nervous I actually was, how my nerves shivered just remembering the gunfight at the entertainment complex two evenings ago. That would only make her worry more, and she had enough trauma hanging over her head because of me as it was.

Holand switched off the TV and ambled over to the kitchen to prop himself in the doorway. “Some of those people being Logan and his friends, obviously,” he said, and paused. “How is he?”

The strain in his voice and the melancholy shadow that crossed his face brought a fresh lump of guilt into my gut. Logan hadn’t come back to the condo since we’d first dropped everyone off here. I knew he still hadn’t talked to his dad about Yvonne.

His dad had to be able to tell Logan was keeping things from him. I couldn’t imagine how much that would be eating at him with all the things Holanddidknow about his son’s activities now.

But it wasn’t my place to reveal anything Logan wasn’t ready to get into yet.

“He’s doing well, all things considered,” I said, which seemed both accurate and vague enough.

“I gather that he’s been investigating this conspiracy for quite a bit longer than you have. Trying to figure out what happened. He never mentioned anything about it to me at the time.”

My voice softened. “I know. He kept me totally in the dark too.”

Holand pinched the bridge of his nose. “I wish he would turn to me more. I’ve tried to be here for him as much as I can.”

I didn’t know what to tell him, but all of me ached to give him some kind of reassurance.

“He’s put a lot of distance between himself and, well, everyone because he’s been trying to protect everyone he cares about from the fallout,” I said. “Once the mastermind behind all this is arrested and we can breathe easier, I’m sure he’ll open up more.”

At least, looking into Holand’s anguished eyes, I hoped he would. Ultimately, that would come down to Logan and what he felt comfortable with. He’d built a huge wall between him and his dad, and it was hard to say if he’d ever be able to tear it completely down.

Holand gave me a sad but genuine smile. “I’m glad he’s been able to turn to you now, at least a little, along with the guys.”

“Yeah.” I hesitated, and decided that this was one subject I had just as much right to broach as Logan would have. “We’ve gotten pretty close, you know. Even before you and Mom started dating, there was something between us… I’m looking out for him as well as I can. He means an awful lot to me.”

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