Page 118 of Tethered Souls

“You sold me!”

“I saved you! Do you know how many assassins make it past their thirtieth birthday?”

“You! Aaron –”

“Aaron’s dead.”

My mouth goes slack, the air rushing out of my lungs. My brother and I were never close, but – “When?” I croak.

“Two weeks ago. Three days before he turned thirty.”

I step back. I want to sit down to process this sudden news, but I don't. “Why didn't you tell me?” I demand.Why didn’t Lou?

“I didn't think you'd care.”

“You didn't think – He was my brother!”

“You two hated each other.”

I open my mouth, my emotions boiling and bubbling, but there’s no substance in the froth. Just pretty air. He’s right. We hated each other. There wasn’t one quality I liked about him. But he was still my brother.

“I have to go,” I say. I can’t stand to be in this damn house anymore.

“Micha,” he says softly, and fuck me, I turn back to him.

“What?”

“When your mother died…”

My throat tightens at the mention of her. Stefaan never mentions her. After she died giving birth to Lou, he was never the same. He turned distant. Cruel.

“I know I haven’t been the best father.”

I barely just bite back my snort.

“But I do care about you.” He pauses. “So if you need help with anything…”

“Like if I run?” I ask, a sarcastic bite to my words, but everything in my soul is in that question. I don’t want to run. I just want him to be there for me, to be the father he stopped being sixteen years ago.

His piercing eyes hold mine. Honest. No lie. “Then we'll kill Khalid and pretend to search for you.”

I stumble back, shocked and reeling. “Just…just protect Lou,” I say. “Don't drag her into this fucking life.” My throat burning, I open his door and walk out.

My hands are still shaking by the time I make it to my car. I shove the key into the ignition and throw it into drive, but then I hesitate.

I don't have to go back to St. Augustine, Florida. I could run. With the Blacks only pretending to look for me, I could hide from Varius. I’m tempted. I’m so fucking tempted with the blackmailer hanging over me.

Maybe I can run until I figure out who it is. Wait until I have evidence of my innocence before going back to Varius. It’ll be safer…

But I can't.

I know in my heart that that would break him.

He’ll never trust me again if I abandon him, regardless of the reason. And he is worth risking it all for...

So I press my foot onto the accelerator and speed home. Although the two-week deadline to grab the ledger is no longer hanging over me with Dayne having dealt with his stalker, if Varius is already suspicious of me, I don’t have long before his paranoia poisons everything between us.

Will I find the blackmailer in time?