Page 115 of Jagger

“They tortured both of you and forced you to watch her die.” Hunter gave me a respectful nod.

I hung my head, struggling with the knowledge that her last dying breath had been when in my arms. “Yeah.”

“You’re not to blame,” Bella told me.

“Not the way I see it or her father.”

Shephard looked at me, shaking his head. “Did you know Sheriff Young was her dad?”

“Not before I moved here. But Pops told me as soon as I arrived. That’s why I almost left, but you can’t run from your past.”

“No, you can’t,” Hunter admitted. “All three of us have tried.”

This had occurred so many times when we’d been kids, we needed no words to provide understanding. Our lives had been shaped by countless decisions that hadn’t been our own. Were we to blame for any of them?

“No one will blame you for Sheila’s death other than her father. Losing someone is tough for anyone.” Denise offered a kind smile.

“Yeah, well, that doesn’t give him the right to do what he did,” Hunter snapped.

Shephard put his hand out. “We’re a family. We’ll work through this together.”

A family. I’d done my best over the years to try to forget everyone from my past, including Sheila. But it wasn’t about hating where I’d come from or disliking my heritage. I was proud to have been born into a family who respected honor and integrity.

Even if our father had crossed more than one morally gray line.

However, subjecting Bella and Cally to my mistakes was unforgiveable.

And always would be.

Maybe it really was best to let her go.

The buzz on my phone was the distraction I needed. I headed outside onto the front porch before answering.

“Silencer.”

“It’s done. Confirmation on the woman’s father.”

“His name?”

My source sighed. “That’s breaking protocol.”

“I don’t give a shit. This is important to me personally.”

“Michelangelo Ross. And Silencer? I hope she’s worth it.”

“Yeah, she is.”

I closed my eyes.

There was no mistaking the name or how powerful Mr. Ross had become. He was more influential and dangerous than any mafia organization or cartel. That’s because he was consideredthe head of a First Family, his ancestors arriving centuries before. Not only did his corporation own almost two dozen hospitals throughout the United States, they also owned dozens of other businesses, including pharmaceutical companies and laboratories. In other words, his family could control diseases as well as cures throughout the world if so inspired.

The Brockfords wanted a piece of the pie and would stop at nothing to get it.

Including Joel marrying Ross’ illegitimate daughter.

What if her father came looking for her? Maybe he hadn’t been alerted. It was likely he had no clue he had a daughter, which added to the sense of urgency. Maybe the man should be alerted. If what I suspected was correct, the Brockfords were planning on using the marriage to either get close to the man or challenge his power in their way.

After all, the Brockfords had a powerful group of backers as well.

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