Page 106 of The Devil's Den

Matteo sits quietly next to me, while Emma places some tea and coffee on the end table beside my…my dad. My God, I’ll never get used to it. I’ve come from having a monster for a father to meeting this man, who’s actually how a dad should be. I can tell how fond Noah, his only other child, is of him. He’s eleven and has his mother’s hair.

Noah bites into a muffin, crumbs flying out everywhere as he sits in the same love seat as his mom.

Emma tsks. “There are plates right on the table.”

He reaches for one. “Sorry, Ma.”

“Please don’t judge me based on this animal I raised. You’d think he was raised by wolves.”

I laugh. “I think he’s sweet. I’m happy to have a brother.” Here I thought I’d never have a biological sibling after finding out that Robby and I weren’t related, but here I am in the same room with one.

“See, Ma?” He chews, crumbs stuck to his teeth. “Sweet.”

She rolls her eyes on a laugh. “Let’s go get you cleaned up.”

“Fiiine!” He gets up, and they leave me with Dad and Matteo.

Once they’re out of sight, Dad sighs. “Your mom is gone, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, she’s gone.” The heartache, it catches me again, and I miss her even though I don’t really remember her.

“I tried so hard to find you two.” He faces me, leaving the album on his lap. “But there were no cameras that caught what happened. Nothing to go on, the cops said. Just Mom’s car with no fingerprints besides hers.” He places both of his palms on mine. “What happened to you, sweetheart? Who took you?”

“Believe me, you don’t want to hear that. It’s enough to know we were taken by very bad people, who did very bad things.”

With those simple words, he breaks down, his body rocking with a deepened cry, a hand covering his face while the other is still holding on to me—the daughter he lost but the one who found him.

After a few more moments, he clears his throat and wipes at his eyes. “I’msosorry.” He sniffles. “We have to report this to the police.”

“We can’t, Da-Dad,” I breathe, swallowing the nerves lodged in my throat.

He seems to like me calling him that because his face brightens.

“The mob is involved, sir,” Matteo explains. “It’d be too dangerous. But we took care of it. It’s over.”

He shakes his head with disgust, his expression hardening with a loud exhale, and he’s not a hard man to begin with. “I wish there was something, anything I could do.”

“Just finding you is enough, Dad.” My tearful words echo into his heart, mirroring our pain reflected in his eyes.

When we first came inside, we told them who we were, and that Matteo’s brothers helped us find him. I didn’t want to say too much with Noah there, and I think that’s why Emma took him away. She knew we needed the time to speak openly.

“So, Emma knows everything about Mom and me?” I ask.

“Oh, yeah, I had told her fairly quickly once we met years after you two were gone. I was so heartbroken, just a wreck…” His face falls. “She found me drunk in a bar, to the point I couldn’t even walk. She made sure I got home safe.” He nods slowly. “I did that a lot back then. You know? She helped me cope.”

“I’m sorry.” My brows bunch.

He pats my hand, his eyes that of a broken man, bruised by the loss he’s had to endure. “You and your mom, that’s who I’m sorry for.” A defeated sigh falls out of him. “I’ll always love your mom. She was a wonderful woman, and she loved youverymuch.”

“Thanks for that, and for these pictures.” I can’t manage to stop smiling. “You sure I’m allowed to keep them?”

“Oh, yeah. They’re yours.” He pauses, his eyes searching mine. “You think you could come by tomorrow too?”

“Yeah, Dad…” I throw my arms around him. “I’d love that.”

“Good. Good.” He squeezes me tight. “Oh, I just remembered.” He grins as he pitches back. “I’ve got some videos of you and your mom that you just have to see! Give me a minute to get them.” He stands, clapping his hands. “Don’t go, okay?” He observes me nervously.

“I’ll be right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

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