Page 61 of Tristano

“Please leave all your electronics in the basket,” Bastiano asks, placing his own in there.

Tris does the same, holding his hand out for mine. I give him the burner he gave me.

“We really should replace my real cell phone,” I murmur to him.

“As soon as we leave here,” he promises.

We are all about to take a seat, but commotion from the hall draws us back out there.

“About time you let me in,” a woman says as she pushes her way inside past a guard I hadn’t even noticed was standing there before.

“Don’t mind her, she’s a little hangry is all,” a tall man with a deep voice and a slight accent says as he walks in behind her.

“I’m used to her moods.” Tristano smirks as he calls out.

The woman spots me right away and walks toward me. I summon all the courage I have and step forward, meeting her halfway.

“Hi, I’m Serena,” I say as I hold out my hand.

“I’m Greer, and that’s my husband Killian. Nice to meet you,” she says as she takes my hand.

“You too.”

I turn to her husband to shake his hand, only to realize he’s holding a car seat.

“Oh,” I say, shaking my head, laughing. “I don’t know how I missed you carrying that.”

Killian smirks as he sets the car seat on the foyer table, pushing the handle back. “It’s alright.”

“Congratulations on your newest addition,” I tell them both before turning toward Greer. “You look fantastic.”

“Thank you.” She pushes her hair behind her shoulders. “I’m tired as hell, but this little guy is worth it.”

“I’ll take him so you guys can talk. I need some nephew cuddles.” Sofia steps forward, taking the baby from the seat, floating down the hall.

“She has one of her own. I’m sure Izzy is here too helping her. I saw Giovanni when we pulled up,” Tris whispers as the others file back into the room.

I trail behind them, taking a deep breath. Once I’m inside the room again, the once-large meeting room seems much smaller.

I swallow hard as everything hits me all at once.

This is fucking real. I’m standing here surrounded by all the faces the police trained me were my enemies.

“Are you okay?” Tristano murmurs, as he catches me off guard, placing his hand on my lower back.

I didn’t even hear him approach.

“I’m good.” I smile weakly.

“Uh-huh,” he mutters before turning toward everyone else.

He leads me to a seat, helping me sit before taking a device and scanning the room. Once he’s done, he takes the place next to me, slipping his hand into mine.

“Shall we begin?” Killian asks.

Bastiano tilts his head toward me. “Start from the beginning, Serena, and don’t leave anything out.”

Taking a deep breath, I squeeze Tristano’s hand hoping to stop the shaking. He gives me a reassuring smile, so I start talking. Once I open my mouth, everything comes out. I tell them about how I had been tracking the disappearances and took them to my uncle, only to be told that I didn’t have enough, and how that led to me being taken. I relay every single detail that I can remember up until Tristano and everyone saved all of us.

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