Page 123 of Ashes

I glanced his way to find his face twisted in confusion, his brows furrowed.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I know.”

One of his brows lifted. “Know what?”

“I know what really happened to my parents,” I finally confessed.

He blinked and shook his head, still seeming confused about where my confession would lead.

I closed my eyes briefly before I scanned his features as I told him what I’d discovered he’d kept from me. “I know the fire wasn’t an accident,” I continued and his face fell, visible distress painted all over it. “I know that you kept the truth from me to protect me, but you should have told me. You should have told me the truth about Barrera.”

He winced and averted his gaze. He stayed quiet, and I thought he’d change subjects like he always did in the past when I asked about them.

But this time I knew the truth.

He let out a deep sigh and brought his knees up, resting his forearms on them. He wrung his hands together and finally spoke, “Your father and I worked on an important case that involved bringing down a very dangerous man. He’s a difficult criminal to catch and when we got too close, he wanted to make sure that whatever lead your father had was buried with him.” His throat jumped with a swallow. “I didn’t want to tell you because you were too young and you’d just lost the two most important people inyour life. I didn’t want you to foster hate for a man who isn’t worth your time.”

That’s too late, isn’t it.

He finally looked at me again. “It’s my job to protect you and it’s been the greatest gift life could have given me, but I should have told you and I’m sorry I didn’t do it sooner.”

“I had him, you know. He was right there…” I trailed off. I didn’t regret letting him go because Sienna was the only person of importance at the time, but I still couldn’t help but think about all the what-ifs.

“He’s not worth it, trust me.”

Something about Noah’s statement sent my subconscious whirling with more questions, but I ignored it, my mind reeling back to why I was at the hospital in the first place.

I rested my head against the wall behind me. “She has to make it.”

“She sounds like a fighter,” he said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and bringing me in closer to him. “She’ll make it.”

Tears stung the back of my eyes. She would, shehadto.

“Mr. Brown?”

I stiffened at the sight of the doctor stepping out of the room Sienna was in. Her expression was unreadable as she approached me and fear gripped my lungs.

My breathing halted as I launched to my feet. “Please,”my voice cracked. I cleared my throat and spoke again. “Tell me it’s good news. Tell me my wife is okay.”

She gave me a soft smile, but it did nothing to reassure me. Her smile could mean two things. Either Sienna was okay and I would get my wife back. Or it could simply be to help soften the stabbing blow a devastating news would bring.

“I’m Dr. Alaoui, the physician that’s in charge of your wife. She’s stable now, but we’re keeping her for observation. She’s extremely lucky you got there when you did and?—”

I closed my eyes, a sudden rush of relief sweeping over me. I didn’t hear anything else she said. The only words I could focus on were that she was okay.

It was all that mattered.

I met the doctor’s eyes. “When can I see her?”

“She’s resting right now, but you can go in whenever you’re ready.”

She’d barely finished her sentence and I was already making my way to Sienna. I paused when I reached her hospital room, steeling myself to go in.

What if she doesn’t want me here?

I heard footsteps behind me and turned to find Noah had followed me.

“Is there anything I can get you before I leave?”