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A beat of silence stretches between us, heavy and pulsing with things neither of us wants to say.

“How much did Caleb and Jake tell you about her childhood?”

“Enough to know it was rough.”

“More than rough. She shouldn’t have been born.”

“That’s a little harsh.”

“It’s not a judgment. It’s a fact. Delilah has her medical records.”

My stomach twists. Birth records? How could they have gotten access to something like that?

“I thought her mom and dad didn’t want her when she was seven.”

“They didn’t want her, period. They were teenagers who tried to leave her at the hospital. And their parents weren’t much better. They were the leaders in a pseudo-Christian cult.”

That explains her reaction to the Bible. The tension in her spine every time Scripture comes up.

“Some people don’t deserve kids,” I growl, heat rising in my throat.

He nods once. “What about the woman who took her under her wing? Has she mentioned her?”

“Don’t think so.”

He lifts the lid of the grill and flips it back. “Delilah managed to locate the adoption records and found an alias. Leslie Duke. She matches the description of a woman who stole over a quarter of a million from a dying widower three decades ago. She passed herself off as a caregiver from a Catholic charity then drained his bank account. She was gone before anyone realized.”

This is who was supposed to be taking care of Samantha? “She was a fraudster?”

He sips his coffee and nods. “The charity didn’t exist, and neither did Leslie Duke.”

“Where is she now?”

He shrugs lightly. “Jake and Delilah are following a few trails. Miami is her favorite haunt. Lots of rich elderly men.”

I run my hand over my face. “This isn’t easy to navigate. She’s infuriating and manipulative, but she’s also…” I grope around for the right word. “Helpless.”

Luke graces me with a clipped nod. “So stop reacting to emotions and your mood. Think aboutherfuture.”

“What future? She should be injailfor what she’s done.”

“And we’ll have to deal with that, but right now, Hightower’s concern is for her immediate well-being.”

“Even though she’s not a member of Hightower?”

He scratches behind his ear. “With the right training she could be a force for good.”

My jaw slackens. “That’s why you got involved? You want torecruither? She’s wanted by the FBI, right? How is that going to work out for you?”

He laughs quietly. “Our involvement was as much a surprise to us as it was to you. But the more we learn about Samantha Duke, the more intriguing she is.”

On that, I have to agree wholeheartedly.

It’s whether she can get out of this mess without permanently losing her freedom that I’m not sure of.

Samantha

I lock the bathroom door behind me, grateful for the excuse to get out from under Adena’s stare.