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Easier said than done. Jackson kept the thought to himself, though he figured Luke had the same one. They grew up with English, and the old man taught them everything he knew about helping those in need while keeping a low, almost covert, profile. They eventually learned about his involvement with the CIA, operating under the moniker Legend, but he never shared the details of his work. Either he was bound by Agency confidentiality, or he didn’t want to relive that time of his life. Jackson was never sure of the reason for his secrecy, but they respected his privacy enough not to push him to share.

“Easton is on his way to Reagan’s mother’s house, right?”

Luke nodded. “He’s going to check in once he makes sure she’s alright.”

“Good. I think he should question her about her relationship with Gish. I doubt he shared with her what he was doing, but they were close enough to create a daughter together. She may know more than we realize.”

“Her name is Traci Dunlap. She was Traci Bell at the time of Reagan’s birth. Reagan’s original birth certificate lists her as a Barlowe, but she legally changed her name to Bell when she was eighteen. Traci married Randall Dunlap when Reagan was eight years old. There was a petition filed for Randall to formally adopt Reagan, but it was withdrawn not long after.”

“Gish probably put a stop to it. Even if Reagan doesn’t want anything to do with him, I doubt he’d be on board with another man becoming her father. But if he was trying to shield them from his life as Legend, why not let her be adopted or why let her have his name?” Jackson started to pace as he ran through scenarios in his mind.

“And why the annulment?”

Jackson skidded to a stop, his eyes piercing his brother. “What are you talking about?”

“English and Traci were married after Reagan was born, but about six years later, they had the marriage annulled. There’s no record of him having anything to do with them after that. Two years later, Traci marries Dunlap. He was a beat cop up until he retired. His background check is clean. Commendations and promotions. If English had to choose a man to raise his daughter in his absence, Dunlap seems to be a good one.”

“So Gish ended the marriage and walked away, but he wasn’t ready to give up on Reagan completely. Why? If she was important to him, why not tell us about her? And why cut all contact with her?”

“That’s what I would like to know.” Reagan stood in the waiting room doorway. She looked like a warrior with her eyes sparking in anger and her fists resting on her hips. “I don’t appreciate you two talking about me or my mother like we’re suspects in a criminal case. If there’s something you want to know, then ask. Otherwise, mind your own business.”

Reagan whirled around on her heel and stormed out of the room, leaving Jackson surprised again. He’d never heard her enter, and he had no idea how much of their conversation she’d heard. Not many people had the ability to sneak up on him and Luke. If this wasn’t one time he wished she hadn’t overheard them, he would have been impressed.

“What do we do now?” Luke asked.

Jackson stared at the door as if he could still see Reagan making her dramatic exit. “You and the boys keep on with the investigation. I’ll take care of damage control.”

∞∞∞

Reagan closed her eyes and sighed as her call went straight to her mother’s voicemail. She waited for Traci Dunlap’s voice to chirp her greeting and instructions for the caller. Reagan was almost ready to hang up when she heard the beep signaling her to leave a message.

“Mom, call me when you get this. I’m fine, but I need to talk to you. I don’t want to go into it over voicemail. It’s too crazy for you to believe, but…I don’t know what to do or…Mom, call when as soon as you can. Tell Dad I love him. I love you, too.”

Ending the call and pocketing her cell, she paced the green space outside the hospital. The sign identified it as a meditation garden, but she was too keyed up to appreciate it. There wasn’t enough meditation time in a day to could make her calm right now. She felt as if her body was torn along a perforated line right down the middle. Part of her wanted to demand answers and not back down until she got them. The other part wanted to run and hide. If she couldn’t be found, someone else would have to step up to do what these strangers were asking her to do.

She needed to talk it out like when she was figuring out a plot point for a book, and her mother was usually her sounding board. The “boys” — she felt ridiculous calling them that in her head when they obviously had outgrown the boy stage long ago — thought her mother had answers, but she didn’t want to believe it. It would mean her mother had kept something very important from her. She’d managed to deal with English’s betrayal. She couldn’t bear it if her mother had deceived her too.

From what she’d overheard, the so-called boys were confused by English’s actions too. Only they didn’t seem as bitter as she was, and they were more in the loop. They may have questions of their own, but she was certain they could answer most of hers. She had a feeling they wouldn’t tell her anything though. They didn’t trust her. They were keeping an eye on her for a reason, and it had to do with more than her medical proxy for English.

She shoved her hands roughly through her hair and held the tangled strands from her face. A sudden thought stopped her pacing. So far, she’d taken everything coming from Becky and the boys at face value. What if they were the ones she couldn’t trust? What if they were the reasons English was attacked? If this was a book she was writing, it’s the type of twist she would add to the plot, but that was fiction. This was real life, even if it felt more like a scene from a TV crime drama.

“We’re not going to hurt you.”

She spun around, her heart leaping into her throat. He was one of the men she’d caught talking about her, the same one who fought the men at her house. Even if she hadn’t seen firsthand how well he could handle himself, she would have no doubt he could do battle with anyone and come out unscathed. Insanely tall, muscular and intimidating, he was someone she would rather have as an ally than an enemy.

His narrow eyes watched her intently. He probably hoped to put her at ease with his words, but his stance and countenance achieved the opposite.

She studied him intently. “I think maybe it’s time you tell me your name.”

“Jackson Moore. Becky said you’d already met my brother Luke, though I don’t think you were properly introduced. I have two more brothers. Easton and Ben. You’ll likely meet them later. I know you have no reason to trust us, but we have no intention of hurting you.”

“Why were you at my house?” She already knew the answer, but she wanted to see how much he would tell her.

“To protect you.”

“Right. Because English told you to. Only he’s in a coma, so forgive me if I’m struggling with how it happened.”

“He left us a message before he slipped into a coma. Our security cameras caught it. My brothers and I didn’t know what it meant, but Becky knew. It’s how we came to look for you and how I came to your house.”