Page 33 of Cash

“I’ve asked you all here because there is something we need to discuss,” Haizley began. “It’s been a few weeks since everything happened, and I wanted to share some information with both Amber and Dante.”

The two looked at each other. Pippen’s eyes widened, and he turned to Sypher. “Is she?” Sypher nodded but didn’t say anything.

“Am I what?” Amber asked, looking at King, then Haizley before settling back on Pippen.

“Amber, what do you know about your birth?”

She glared at King. “What does any of this have to do with my birth?” She stood, and I followed.

“Sweetheart, just listen.” My hand on her shoulder was meant to ease her racing thoughts, but she shrugged me off.

“What the fuck is going on?”

“Amber, there is no easy way to say this—”

“I’m your brother,” Pippen blurted, interrupting Haizley.

“What?” Amber’s eyes darted around the room. “I don’t have a brother.”

“You do. Amber, Harold Garrison was not your father.”

Amber froze. Her body stiffened, and the color drained from her face. Turning first to me and then King, she dropped into her chair, her hands reaching out to us both. She squeezed my hand, and I placed my other hand over hers.

“He wasn’t?” she whispered. “He wasn’t my father?”

“No, Amber.” She turned at King’s voice. The tears that had formed slipped out.

“Who was he?” she asked Haizley.

I looked across the table. Pippen stared at Amber. His eyes were glassy. He looked like he was ready to leap across the table. Only Sypher held him back.

“You were born in a place called the Trick Pony. In Miami, Florida. A woman by the name of Amelia Scott escaped with you. Her husband ran the Trick Pony,” Haizley explained.

“You were never supposed to be there, Amber,” Sypher spoke. “Amelia knew that and got you out with two other children.”

Amber looked at Pippen. “Were you one of...?” Her voice trailed off, and Pippen shook his head. “No. Crispin Sinclair rescued me. I never knew I had a sister until a few weeks ago.”

“We don’t know how you ended up with Harold. Near as we can tell, Amelia trusted the wrong person, and sadly, she is the only person who could tell us that but she passed away,” Haizley told her.

I studied Amber’s face. Her eyes darted around like a scared rabbit. Moving my chair closer, I slipped my arm around her. “You ok, so far?”

“I-I’m not sure.” Amber looked at Sypher. “You knew?”

He swallowed thickly and nodded. “I knew who you were when Valhalla took you from the hospital in Louisiana. I didn’t know you had a brother, or that it was Dante until just before I went to New York to kill Jane.”

“Jane.” Amber turned to Pippen. “She’s dead?”

When he nodded, she turned to King. “Is that who I was hiding from?”

“Yea.”

“So, I’ve been free for weeks but no one told me?”

“Amber, we wanted to make sure you were truly safe before we told you the truth.”

She glared at Haizley. “How long have you known? I told you things. Things you could have made better.”

“Amber, I only found out just before Danny and Dante came to the clubhouse.” She looked at Sypher, and he nodded. “Danny told me as part of his therapy. I wasn’t able to tell you until he gave me permission.”