Chapter Thirteen Hollis
Chapter Thirteen
Hollis
“Who’s Tristan’s father? Why couldn’t you raise him? Is my grandfather still alive?” Something told me I was pushing my luck in asking my mother those questions, but I had to try.
“My father died years ago.” My mother’s hazel eyes flicked to Reed standing quietly off to my side.
She’d likely clam up in front of him; she’d probably already said more than intended as it was.
“Once you were all eighteen, I told you the truth—that Tristan was your brother, not your grandfather’s adopted son.
And I didn’t tell you who his father was before, so why in the world would I tell you now? ”
“Are you really saying I grew up knowing Tristan, just not that he was my own blood?”
“I am. No one outside your siblings and father know the truth,” she said calmly.
“Well, and now your team,” she added bitterly.
“The less anyone knows about Tristan, the safer it is all around. That holds true now, just as it did last week, last year, and last bloody . . .” There was a slightly exasperated expression parked on her face, as if she was annoyed to be wasting her breath and time. “You get the idea.”
“You’re kidding me.” Reed stepped forward. “Your son’s father’s identity is a secret even from your other children?”
“You’re no one to judge,” she deflected while looking him up and down. From his sneakers to his dark denim on up to the snug fit of his sleeves around his biceps. “We’re done with this conversation, along with the idea my daughter is leaving here with a high school dropout.”
“Excuse me?” The words burst fast from his lips, but his body remained locked tight and rigid.
“I don’t know who you think you are,” I interjected before she could spew any good cop, bad cop venom toward the man who was only there to do his job, “but I—”
“It’s okay,” Reed cut in, even going as far as to reach for me. His fingers skimmed down to my wrist before he held it, urging me to face him and ignore her. I could easily do that, no problem. “If she doesn’t want you to leave with my team, then that’s all the more reason why you should.”
Relief loosened the hard knot in my stomach, untangling my nerves a bit at his words. Thank God. Before I could verbalize my gratitude, my brother strolled in.
“You can’t be serious about leaving with them.” Gideon peered at Reed’s hold on my wrist before aligning himself with the woman he’d just protected me from pre–vault visit.
“I am serious.” I swallowed, and Reed unhanded me so we could face the two problems in the way of my escape.
Reed may not have liked me, but he clearly wouldn’t be bullied by my family and took his assignment to help me seriously. I owed him for this, especially after placing him in an awkward position last night with the whole sleeping-together question.
Gideon’s jaw flexed as he approached us.
He bent his head down, eyeing me while trying to rally, to get his breathing under control.
This was the first time I’d seen him unhinged.
I didn’t recall him even being so bullish back on the street.
“You can’t leave. We’re stronger together.
You’re in this mess because you went to Rome without me. So do you really think—”
“You don’t know that for sure.” Reed came to my defense and even went so far as extending his arm between my brother and I, then protectively guided me behind him. “You have no clue why she was there, and maybe she didn’t tell you for a good reason.”
“The threat is still out there, and—”
“That threat let her go, did they not?” Reed wasted no time in interrupting Gideon again, and when I peeked around Reed’s hard frame, it was clear Gideon wasn’t used to anyone confronting him like this. “Why take her and release her?”
Million-dollar question. Or, in my family’s case, a multi-billion-dollar one.
“I have no damn idea, but neither do you. No guarantees they won’t come after her again, and she’s safer here.” My brother attempted to get by Reed, but he moved right along with him, blocking me with his body.
“I have no plans to argue with you,” Reed said steadily, lifting his hands. “Hollis is not your prisoner, but if you try and make her one, I won’t hesitate to do what I do best, which is hostage rescue.”
I still couldn’t believe we’d gone from arguing about letting me leave with him, to him being a champion for exactly that.
When neither my brother nor mother spoke this time, I hesitantly rounded Reed’s guard. The second Gideon’s eyes connected with mine, it was easy to see that my decision was hurting my brother more than my mother.
“We don’t know if you went missing because you were searching for a book that no longer even exists.
” The corner of Gideon’s mouth lifted into a partial sneer, clear contempt for my twin at sharing that information with me.
“Julian shouldn’t have put those ideas in your head when you’re currently . . .”
Yeah, best not to finish that sentence. “And it’s better to leave me in the dark?
” I set my hand on my chest. “I’m already deep in that dark place in my head, and I’ll never escape if you keep secrets from me.
” I stared at our mother next, because those words were mostly for her after our brief conversation before Gideon breezed in full of vinegar and animosity toward the hero at my side.
“No one in this room did this to you.” Gideon crossed his arms, the vein at the side of his neck visible. “You can trust me. All of us here.”
“What about our cousins?” I challenged. “Uncles and aunts? Heck, what if one of them stole the book in 1992 and then burnt the place down themselves?”
“I’m looking into everyone, believe me,” Gideon remarked.
“Until I can clear you from my own list, then your family and anyone who operates with you all remain a suspect,” Reed said. “My team will run our own investigation free and clear of any potential interference from you and your family.”
“Looks like I need to make another call to President Bennett,” my mother warned, lifting her chin like he was beneath her, and after her heinous comment to him a few minutes ago, it was clear she believed that.
So help me, if I was ever like her before, then maybe I—
“Go ahead,” Reed said, interrupting my thoughts. “Once we’re off your premises, you have no say or authority over us or what we do.”
My mother had no response to that. Good.
Reed turned toward me, clearly not intimidated by the two powerhouses trying to control the situation. “This is what you want?” He went so far as to take hold of both my wrists as if he didn’t despise me. “You’re sure?”
“Stay,” Gideon said in a clipped tone, like a plea, before I could answer Reed. “I promise, I will find who did this to you.”
“I believe you will,” I forced out as Reed unhanded me. “But if they can’t be here with us, then neither can I.” A slight tremor moved through me as I finally peeled my eyes away from the man who was becoming my rock, and shifted to my brother.
Gideon rested a fist over his heart and ground out, “I may come across as ruthless and heartless to you, but I’d go to hell and back for you. Tell me you know that, that you believe me. I’ve only ever tried to keep you safe, to protect you.”
I couldn’t get the words out because I didn’t know what to believe. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I also didn’t know him.
He tore both hands through his hair, something I’d only seen Julian do since waking up here yesterday. He was . . . rattled.
Catalina gripped his forearm and squeezed. “If your sister doesn’t want to be with us, then so be it.” She let him go, gave me one last look, then muttered on her way out, “Just like my father, I swear . . .”
Gideon faced forward, eyes boring into Reed now as he stroked his cheek and jawline with his knuckles. The man looked like he was contemplating murder. Target acquired.
He erased the space between them as if ready to start his trail of dead bodies here with Reed.
“If something happens to my sister under your watch, so help me . . .” Gideon’s voice dropped so low and deep that it even scared me as he grated out, “I won’t hesitate to slit your throat and cut out your heart.”