Page 182 of Capturing You

His questions must’ve shown in his expression because hers darkened. “It’s a long story.”

He made a show of glancing around the hospital room. His gaze caught on Grandmother, who didn’t look away.

He wasn’t sure how to feel about her now that he knew she’d been lying to him for years. He focused on Rosie again. “I have nowhere else to be.”

Brooklynn stood from her chair. “I’ll step outside.”

“Stay.” Realizing how like a command that sounded, he added, “Please?”

“I don’t mind,” Rosie said.

Grandmother shrugged. She looked tired this morning, or maybeworriedwas the right word.

“Okay, then.” Brooklynn moved to the end of the bed. “Take my seat, Mrs. Ballentine.”

“Thank you, dear.” Grandmother rounded the bed and settled on the chair beside Forbes.

He turned his attention to his sister, who perched on the edge of his bed and held his hand.

She took a deep breath and blew it out. “That terrible day, after I got you hidden in the cubby hole by the fireplace, I headed for my bedroom to hide behind my wardrobe. But Dad was coming up the center stairs, talking to the people who’d come.”

“How did you know they were bad?”

“I knew something was going on down at the dock. I’d asked Dad about it, and he told me to stay away from there. But I didn’t. I watched. I had a feeling… I couldn’t imagine Dad was involved in anything illegal, so I couldn’t reconcile what was happening. That day, I’d been looking out my window when I saw those guys coming, I just had a feeling something bad was about to happen.”

She’d known? She’d never said a word. Of course, he’d been eight—not exactly old enough to understand any of it.

“They were coming, and I was afraid they’d see me if I tried to get to my room, so I slipped down the back stairs. I listened through the cupboard door. There were so many voices. I decided I’d just hide in the stairwell until they were gone. I should have stayed there.”

She should have. If she had, they’d have been together all these years. He couldn’t help the harshness in his voice when he demanded, “Why didn’t you?”

She didn’t shrink from his anger, just lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “I heard the gunshots, and I…I panicked. I ran down the hall toward the door, just wanting out of the house. But the front was being guarded, and through the windows, I could see men in the backyard. There were so many people there, it was…” She took a breath and glanced around the room. “I haven’t talked about it much. It feels weird to relive it after trying to forget for so many years.”

Forbes understood that. He’d felt the same way when he’d told Brooklynn about that night.

“Where did you go?”

“The living room was empty, so I opened the hidden door and went to the basement. I didn’t turn on the lights and sliced my hand on one of Dad’s tools.”

That explained the blood.

“I escaped out the side and into the woods. I made it to the cave.”

“You hid there?”

“I should have, but I was afraid. I thought if I could get to the beach, I could climb the headland and run into town for help. But someone saw me.”

Picturing what she described, his heart pounded as if Rosie were in danger at that moment. “Were you hurt? Did they try to kill you?”

She shook her head and took another deep breath, as if it took courage to relate the story. Which he understood, except she was to the end of it now. What was so scary?

“I think…I realize in retrospect what happened, but I didn’t know at the time. I swear I didn’t have any idea.”

“What are you talking about?”

“He let me go.”

Forbes jerked, sending a shot of pain to his shoulder. “Who? Why?”