Page 24 of Winter's End

He pointed toward the single warehouse door a hundred yards behind us. “Leave individually and take different routes home.”

My eyes widened at the abrupt dismissal. I shoved my new hardware into my pocket and turned to leave when Kellan spoke again.

“Balcom and Chase, may I speak to you privately, please?”

I had been waiting for the inevitable bloodline conversation. My throat sunk to my stomach, but I bobbed my head and stayed in place. Cam stepped closer to me, and we stood side-by-side, heads up and shoulders back like we were about to face a firing squad.

“I’d like you to take a DNA test.”

I blinked back in confusion, knowing why I would need one, but why would Cam?

He looked just as perplexed as I did, his large brows furrowing like dark, knitted caterpillars over bright eyes.

“Travis, I think you’re my nephew.”

When I only blinked, Kellan nodded, more to himself than to me. “So, you knew.”

My thoughts churned into a jumbled mess of disjointed imagery. Did he know where my father was? Could he bring me tohim? Would I be able to get some closure with the man who’d destroyed our family and ruined Devon’s life?

“I’d like a DNA test to confirm before I move forward with sharing any family information. I have the kits here and we can get this done tonight. We should have the results in a day or two.”

If it would get me some answers, I’d do it. I was sick of living in a pseudo-state of being; I needed to know who I was and why we were abandoned all those years ago.

“Why do you need DNA from me?” Cam asked, suspicion coloring his tone.

Kellan scrubbed his hands down his face in obvious discomfort. He steepled his fingers in front of his barrel chest before letting out a steady exhale.

“Because,” he intoned, his dark blue eyes assessing Cam’s light ones. “I think you’re my brother.”

CHAPTER 7

WINTER

“It’s okay to be nervous, baby girl.”

My fingers gripped Basil’s steering wheel tighter as I drove up through the familiar mountain road that led to Rusty’s, a BBQ hole-in-the-wall that was surprisingly delicious and popular among tourists and locals alike.

We were meeting Dad and his girlfriend for lunch. The timing was perfect, truly, with everything else going on in my life. Why wouldn’t I want to meet the secret woman my father had been dating for several years while also married to my mother?

I’d be a hypocrite if I said the open marriage bothered me. It didn’t. I was angry my parents had kept this major relationship choice from me my entire life. They had been absentee parents, but maybe their partners wouldn’t have been. Maybe I could have actually had some semblance of a real home life and a real family.

This was all in my head, naturally. Maybe Dad’s girlfriend was The Good Witch, or maybe she was Cruella. My life wasn’t a children’s animated film, and there were plenty of children like me whose parents had no idea how to love them.

Still, I couldn’t help feeling I had been robbed.

Oh, yeah, and the fact that Dad was a criminal, undoubtedly going to jail when this was all over and I was helping the FBI put him away for said crimes.

I couldn’t possibly feel like a shittier daughter than I did in this moment.

I had to have the awkward “No, I’m not a prostitute, Mom and Dad” conversation with them via text the day after I’d been released from the Sheriff’s department. My phone had been flooded with messages from both of them, checking in on my well-being and demanding to know who’d pressed charges against me.

Apparently, Stanley and Darren had both camped out at the jail when we were first taken, threatening legal consequences and defending our honor. I imagined Logan’s father spoke more “in defense of reputation” rather than any sort of familial duty, which made me feel even more sad for the man.

Funny, Logan’s family only gave a shit about him when he could tarnish their family name, and my family only paid attention when they felt I’d been wronged. Neither was preferable.

Drew leaned over and rested his large palm over my knuckles with a gentle squeeze, reminding me he was here. I managed a small smile as I kept my focus on the road, determined not to fall apart before the lunch date even happened.

I had invited Drew for comfort, not willing to experience the meet-and-greet on my own. Since he was available and needed things to do to pass the time, I wanted him by my side to enjoy this inevitable clusterfuck with me in all its glory.

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