Page 94

“Not yet, unfortunately, unless the person is really stupid, which so far they haven’t been. That said, this is a desperate move. They’re looking for social proof in the form of Alden. Whatever they leaked about you, Fen, and Keegan has backfired on them. Child and Family Services is satisfied so far with what you’ve done and what you’re doing with Fen. The press about the three of you has been glowing, and fans are rabid for it. They love seeing you as a dad and in a happy relationship. This person wants to hurt you, Loomis. That much is clear.”

Frustration slams through me.

“But I’ll find them,” he promises, the confidence in his voice reassuring. “Desperation always leads to mistakes, but if he’s using a burner, that explains why I couldn’t track the photos that were initially shared.”

“I’m worried it’s Fen’s mum or my dad. I understand it could be some deranged fan following me about and sparking controversy, but as you said, they want to hurt me, and with that, this feels… personal. More personal than a fan.”

There’s a pause, and I can almost hear Vander shifting gears mentally.

“Well, about Fen’s mother,” he finally says, taking on a completely different note. “That’s what I was planning to call about tonight.”

The air thins around me and Keegan’s hand clutches mine, her fingers cool against my suddenly clammy skin.

“What about her?” My voice sounds distant even to my own ears.

“I found her, Loomis. I’m so sorry, but she’s dead.”

The world tilts and sways as gravity tethers itself around my neck and squeezes, dragging me down and robbing me of air. The only thing keeping me stable is the pressure of Keegan’s hand in mine.

“Who—” I clear my throat. “Who was she?”

“Her name was Elise Braun and she was a twenty-one-year-old exchange student from Munich studying at King’s College in London. She came from a very affluent and traditional family. Old money, old values. When she got pregnant...” Vander pauses. “I’m not sure what happened there, but it seems her family circled the wagons and had Fenric’s name and parentage wiped. Clearly, they didn’t want you as part of it. I’m not even sure they wanted Fenric since they all but erased his record. That’s why it was so difficult to find her.”

“Bloody hell.” My hands meet the top of my head, and I bend forward, pressing them into my knees. “She’s dead?”

“Yes. She died six weeks after leaving Fen with your mother. She had a rare and aggressive form of cancer that had been diagnosed during her pregnancy, and she delayed treatment for him.”

My throat starts to close up, and I gasp, unable to draw in air. “How did you… how did you find her?”

“I had been searching for Fenric’s name since it’s so uncommon, but I switched over to women delivering babies around the time he would have been born, and then I started branching outside of the UK. I found her that way. There was a hospital note the family didn’t wipe, likely an oversight, but it mentions a baby boy, Fenric Loomis Braun.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. I find myself on my feet without remembering standing, pacing the length of the balcony while Keegan watches me with concern and heartbreak etched across her face.

“She knew?” I ask, though the answer is already clear. “She knew she was dying when she left him?”

“Yes,” Vander confirms. “I found her medical records. The prognosis was terminal from the start. The doctors recommended terminating the pregnancy to begin treatment immediately, but it would have only bought her a few extra months, if that, and she refused. Much to the dismay of her family, who apparently fought with the doctors to do it against her wishes. They wouldn’t, obviously. She clearly didn’t want her family to keep Fen. She wanted him with you.”

“Then why not give me his full name? Some documentation? Hell, why not ring the sodding bell and tell my mum everything?”

“Honestly, I have no clue. She was afraid, is my best guess. Maybe she was afraid you’d reject him if you had the option to,or maybe she was afraid of her family somehow being notified and involved. I can’t say, and I’m sorry I don’t have more details. I’m afraid that will likely always remain a mystery to us.”

The implications of her choices cascade through me. She chose Fen’s life over her own. Left him not out of callousness or fear, but out of a desperate kind of love, ensuring he would be with me rather than with grandparents who wanted no part of him. I don’t even recognize her name, and that makes me sick. What kind of bastard was I?

“Fuck,” I breathe, running a hand through my hair. “All this time, I thought?—”

“I know,” Vander says simply.

The things I said about her without knowing.

I feel Keegan beside me before I see her, her arm sliding around my waist, her head resting against my shoulder. She’s trembling with emotion, sniffling lightly as she tries to hide her tears. I lean into her, grateful for the anchor she provides as the foundation of my resentment crumbles around me.

“Do you have... anything of hers?” I ask. “Photos? Posts. Anything I could someday show Fen?”

“Some,” Vander confirms. “Her social media is set to private, but I’ve already accessed it. I just found this late last night, so I’m still working on her university records, her family history, and anything else I can get on her.”

I nod, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. “Thank you, Vander. That seems wholly inadequate but thank you.”

He blows past my gratitude. “Which brings me to my next point. I think you should come home. Tomorrow morning, if possible. I agree that the threat seems personal. You were already spotted all over Key West, so it’s really only a matter of time before they put it together that you’re on Kaplan’s island.”