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Although I don’t come here often, her room is burned into my brain. Single bed. Dresser. Nightstand. All in a glistening white. Antiseptic but efficient and newer than lots of other facilities. The day I agreed to have her moved here was one of the hardest of my life. At that point, the best part of my mother was already gone.
I slip in, and I’m startled when a figure rises from the leather armchair in the corner. Fear pierces my heart as I glance over my shoulder. I hope to God Lorcan hasn’t followed me.
“Malik.” I shove my hands into the pockets of my jacket. “What are you doing here? It’s dangerous.”
“Dai Qing sent the SOS to me. I couldn’t stay away. I know how hard this is for you.”
“You shouldn’t be here.” My focus strays to my mother sleeping in the bed. Dai Qing would never come, and the fact Malik has, unasked, is both a blessing and a curse.
“I didn’t like how we left things.”
“Lorcan’s waiting for me outside.”
“What?”
“I got the SOS. I had to get here. They won’t let me leave without an escort. Zhang came after me yesterday.”
Malik crosses the room in a few strides. “Zhang came after you?”
“You must not be in deep enough if you don’t know that.”
Malik’s brow furrows, and he reaches for me. I avoid his touch and shift closer to my mother’s bed.
“I was at the bar when Zhang left his office. He didn’t order anyone after you.”
“Well, it happened.” I yank my hands out of my coat pockets and throw them out wide. “I almost died yesterday.”
“The Donaghey brothers—” He doesn’t finish because my mother twitches in the bed.
I yank the wooden chair closest to her toward the bed and sit down, taking her hand in mine. “Mom?” There’s no response, and her breathing goes back to normal. She gets into such deep sleeps. I rotate toward Malik, my mother’s hand still clutched in mine. “It’s all twisted up. Do you know what the bureau knows? I think Chad and Finn fought at The Cage around the same time. They knew each other. I’m sure of it.”
“You’re not there to dig for that. Going after that kind of information will put you in danger.”
I laugh. “You think I’m not in danger? Jesus, Malik. The games these two men are playing. I have no idea who is telling the truth. Lorcan is convinced Finn killed their father. Finn tells me he didn’t, offered to help me search for someone else. That’s what I’d do if I was guilty. You don’t hide. You offer. You direct. You manipulate.”
Malik’s brow clears, and he shoves his hands into his pockets. “It’s what I’d do.”
“Our file says it was the Russians, right? They aren’t on the radar. I haven’t even met them yet. Why does the bureau think it was them and Lorcan’s not on that trail?”
“Maybe you need to set him on it.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, with no evidence. That’ll go down well. I might as well hold up a sign and ask them both to suspect me.” A stray hair from my ponytail falls into my face, and I push it behind my ear. I’d give anything to talk this through with my mom or my dad. They were full of thoughtful advice as I grew up. Even unraveling this other side of Chad would be helpful. What did they piece together? Why did I know nothing?
“Of the two Donaghey brothers, which one is more likely to be honest?”
“Axel,” my mother murmurs in her sleep. “Axel.”
Malik’s brow creases. “Your father?”
“Yeah,” I say as she stirs in the bed. “She must still have some vivid dreams.”
“Ho-Jun.” She clutches my hand. “Ho-Jun.”
“Who’s that?”
“Chad’s father.” I smooth the black hair that’s fallen across my mother’s forehead. “Shhh.” I run my fingers along her temple. “It’s okay, Mom. It’s okay.” I squeeze her hand. “I’m here, Mom. Kimi is here.”
Her eyes fly open. “Chad. Chad. My Chadwick.” Her dark, wild gaze meets mine. “Where’s Chad?”