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Epilogue

Berlin

Six Months Later

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Sitting on the couch, I flipped through the stations, landing on the news. The camera was zoomed in on Virgo's face as he sulked in his chair. He was wearing the same jet black suit I had always seen him in, with his yellow handkerchief tucked into his breast pocket.

The camera panned the room, coming back to a closeup on Virgo's eyes. Even right then, knowing he was behind a screen, miles away, I still felt this sense of uneasiness, as if he could see me through the glass.

“Alleged mob boss, Virgo Berchello, was arraigned today on charges that range from money laundering, to tax fraud, sex trafficking, and murder. Italian officials speculate he could be responsible for over two dozen disappearances between three different countries. Multiple women were removed from the dwelling, names of the victims are being kept private to protect their identities. Authorities are still looking for several names associated with the Canary. Vinchenzo Manziolla, Alfred-Blue- Fiozza, Dominic Bianchi. . .” Pictures of the men came across the screen, making my heart flutter with a stilling fear. 'If you see these men, they are considered armed and dangerous. Contact your local authorities immediately.”

They could come looking for me. . .

Virgo's face popped back onto the screen, causing the news anchor's voice to fade as I zoned out. It was unsettling to see his face again, to know that even after being imprisoned for months, he still had this halo of dark dust floating around his head. The way he glared at the judge as he read the charges, the way he held himself like he was an innocent man being wrongfully accused, it just made me sick.

The front door opened and Bentley stepped inside, carrying a plastic bag of groceries. “Hey,” he said, glancing at the television, “What are they saying?”

“Who cares, so long as he spends the rest of his life in prison. I can't watch this anymore, I hate seeing his face.” Hitting the power button on the remote, I tossed it onto the coffee table.

“What about your sister and brother? Were you able to find any information?”

Shrugging a shoulder, I furrowed my brows. “Nothing yet. I'm hoping that as the trial moves forward there's stuff that comes out I can use. I don't even know where to begin.”

“Don't worry, you'll find them, I know you will.”

Forcing a smile, I pulled my gaze off of his. “The thing I keep wondering is what happens if I do? Will they remember me? Hazel might, she was older, but Jonas was barely one. And what would I tell them?”

Tilting his head, Bentley softened his eyes. “You'd tell them the truth, because they'd be old enough to understand it.”

“Yeah, I just don't know if I'd want to tell them the entire truth, or if finding them would really do any good for them at all.”

It was hard to imagine exactly what I would say to them if I ever did find them. A part of me thought that they might just be better off where they are. From what Salt knew about that day, my siblings were adopted by a family who couldn't afford to go through all the legal loop holes, but that was it. He didn't know where they actually went, if they stayed in the states or were sent someplace else.

Maybe it's better if I never find them?

If they had no memory of that day, no memory of me or the life they used to have, what good would it do for me come in out of nowhere and shatter their world?

I would take the bubble they had been living in and literally pop it with a hot needle. They would learn the dark history of their real family, and I couldn't even begin to think about how that might impact their future.

They could be living happy lives, with opportunities, education, loving parents. . . Inserting myself could destroy all of that. But I wouldn't really know what to do until I found them.

Once I knew where they were and how they were living, then and only then would I know. Until that moment, I was still going to look. It couldn't hurt to just search.

Shaking my head, I pushed the thoughts away. “What do you got there?” I asked.

“Well, I have something that might brighten your day a little.” Smirking, he flashed his teeth as his brows bounced high.

“Oh yeah, and what's that?” I asked, pulling my feet up and tucking them under my legs.

Reaching into the bag, he rummaged around. “Let's see. . .” Pulling out a large chocolate bar, he held it high above his head as if it was made of gold. “I got you this.”

Throwing it underhand across the room, I caught it. Gripping the edges, I was about to tear it open when I noticed someone already had. Pushing the sides apart, I looked inside the wrapper and saw that there were a few squares missing.

“You ate some already? Seriously?”

“What?” he asked, shrugging a shoulder. “I got hungry.”