Page 102 of Protected By the Sinner

“Didn’t look like that to me. I could’ve sworn you were in love with him.”

“Can we change the subject, please?”

“Did he hurt you?”

“We wanted different things, and I don’t want to talk about it. Now tell me—did you buy anything for the baby yet?”

Chapter 47

It wasn’t hard to get Elodie’s number, but it was definitely strange when we spoke for the first time.

She didn’t ask why I was calling or how I’d gotten her number. She just said she’d be returning to the U.S. soon.

Without a doubt, it was the craziest conversation I’ve ever had.

At the same time that I had a hundred questions, she gave me no opening—maybe that alone is enough proof we’re related.

In the end, she said outright that she’d only talk to me if I agreed to meet her for lunch.

We never touched on the most important topic: the possibility that we’re siblings, or how she even found me.

Lilly told me not to be so suspicious and to go see her with an open mind—two things that don’t exist in my world. Still, I couldn’t resist the urge to go.

Now, on the plane to New Orleans, I think about what she said about Amber.

Lilly preparing me for the possibility of a third relative made it easier to process—considering how badly I handle surprises.

Of course, long before I called Elodie, I did a deep dive into both of them. There’s nothing Ethan and I can’t uncover if you give us forty-eight hours.

The problem with my own past is that I never had the slightest clue who I was or where I came from. Whoever left me behind only tucked a note with my name inside the basket at the orphanage door.

And now, following the lead of Elodie and Amber, I have a name for the woman who gave birth to me: Estrella De León.

Contrary to what the social worker thought, if I’m really this woman’s son, then my roots aren’t Middle Eastern—they’re Spanish.

I close my eyes for a second and think about everything I went through.

Before I found my final, permanent parents, I went through hell—adopted and returned, shuffled from home to home—until I landed in the one that changed me forever[14].

But from what I’ve found out about the lives of those two, growing up with both a mother and a father wasn’t much better than what I had.

I try to piece together the information I read about the cult.

I’ve had my fair share of lunatics in my life—but never in such an organized fashion.

Religious extremists, fanatics—that’s uncharted territory for me. There’s not much information available about the group they were part of—Children of the Six Enlightened.

Even though it goes against my nature, I shove all those questions to the back of my mind and focus on something that’s bothering me even more right now.

Beau Carmouche-LeBlanc.

A quick search didn’t turn up much about him, though I won’t stop there. I’ve already sent Blood to dig into his life. Not being able to find anything about someone in today’s world—where everything leaves a trace—is never a good sign.

Elodie told me Amber loves him and is pregnant with his child. If they really are my family, I need to make sure he treats her right.

I’ve barely stepped into the hospital before I run into at least ten bodyguards. From what little I’ve uncovered about LeBlanc, there’s no doubt they’re here for Amber’s protection, which instantly makes me respect him.

Men with enemies like ours have to protect their families.