Page 84 of The Devil's Secret

“Yeah.” His face sparks with a grin, registering the shock on my face. “That’s how I ended up working for them.” His head tilts toward Enzo. “I had to leave the army because of it, then a buddy of mine, who I met at basic training, was already working for them, so he put in a good word for me. They tested me hard.” He lifts a chin to Enzo. “But I’m here.” He grins at him.

“Damn, man,” Enzo chimes in with a smirk. “I almost didn’t vote for you. You were too fucking pretty. I was kinda worried you were gonna take all the ladies away from me.”

“Hey!” I giggle.

He raises his hands up. “That was way before I fell madly in love with your crazy—” I glare playfully at him. “Let a man finish. Damn. Crazy, yet absolutely beautiful ass.”

“I don’t want to hear about you loving my sister’s ass.” Elliot gags.

As we all laugh together, I remember that even in the darkest of days, the light shines just enough to remind us it’s there after all.

An hour later, a doctor finally walks out. Her long, white coat hits past her ankles, her black-trimmed glasses perched on her slim nose.

“Mr. Cavaleri,” she greets him with a serious expression, her dark brown hair wrapped neatly into a bun. “Are you the mother?” Her attention reverts to me.

“Yes.” My pulse slams with a heavy pounding.

“Your son is stable right now. He had developed RSV, a respiratory virus, that then resulted in what’s called bronchiolitis. That can sometimes happen and is what caused the low oxygen. He’s sleeping at the moment, and once he’s awake, you may go see him.”

“Will he pull through this?” I ask, my tone etched with worry.

“With the medication we’ve given him, you’ll be able to bring your son home very soon.”

My knees buckle, and I hold on to Enzo for relief as the doctor leaves us with a tight smile.

“She must think I’m the worst mother.” My tears soak through his shirt as I hide in it.

“Nah, baby. She doesn’t.” He tips my chin up with the back of his hand. “She knows he was taken from you. She won’t be calling the authorities. I took care of everything.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” I wince. “I could only imagine what they put him through.”

He leads me back to the chair, and as we’re all seated, I turn to Elliot. “Oh God, we have to call Mom! Did you tell her I’m alive yet?”

Instead of appearing ecstatic, his face falls, or more like shatters. He can’t even look at me anymore.

“What is it, Elliot?” My heart pounds. “Tell me.”

His throat bobs. “I-I’m sorry, Jade.” Twined between each syllable is unexplained grief. I slap a hand over my racing heart, sharp stabbing hitting the middle of my chest.

“No,” I cry, tears welling. “Don’t. Please.” Teardrops pour down my cheeks. “Don’t you say it.”

But he does. “I-I’m so sorry, but Mom died two years ago from a brain aneurysm. She didn’t suffer. I swear.”

I slap a shuddering hand over my mouth, my vision swimming with too much sorrow to see anything beyond the need to scream, to cry with the worst kind of pain.

“She never gave up that you were alive. Not once.” He’s off the chair, kneeling in front of me, his hand on my knee as I hide the tears behind my palms. “She always thought you were somewhere she couldn’t reach. Always talked about you. Drove the cops crazy every damn day. She loved you, Jade.Ilove you.”

She’s gone. She’s never going to know I made it out. That I’m alive. She’s never going to meet her grandson.

Enzo’s touch strokes up my arm, as my sobs get louder, the storm of my anguish raging with deep turmoil, wrecking me until I can no longer contain it. For the first time in the past nine years, I let it out. I cry, really cry. I cry for all the losses I’ve had, for all the bottled-up agony—sobbing, it all pours out.

Heavy. Loud. Unafraid.

I cry for my mother.

For myself.

For all of us.

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