Page 65 of Hidden Heir

“When this whole mess with the Irish came up, I knew I had no choice. Deep down, I knew that if anything happened to me you would be able to keep her safe. But I was also terrified that you could be associated with them in some way. So I didn’t say anything. I had to protect her, you must understand that.”

Leon remains silent.

“Then when I learned how you made your money, I knew I was right to keep it from you.” I blink and everything blurs. “But now it doesn’t matter because she’s going to grow up without me anyway. I’ve failed her so terribly. I couldn’t save Ant from himself and now this.”

“Oh, Brooke.” Leon’s voice cracks. “She’s my, mydaughter.” Leon blinks and a tear rolls down his bruised cheek. “My work… I would never put her in danger, you have to know that. The moment you walked into my home I wanted to protect both of you. I would never do anything to hurt either one of you. Brooke, I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” I gasp, wiping at my eyes, and barely feeling the sting of salty tears in old wounds. “I kept your daughter from you.”

“I did everything I could to make you feel safe but I’ve been blind to my role in the danger.” He shakes his head. “I have a daughter.”

For the first time since we were reunited, Leon smiles regretfully. I’m struck with how my decision to keep Tiffany a secret robbed him of time with his daughter. He seems to understand, but there’s pain behind his smile.

My eyes drift closed and Tiffany fills my thoughts, along with Ant. Ant, who sold me out and did god knows what with my child. Seeing him die was horrific and upsetting, but now I just feel cold. He let me down, right until the very end. He was a selfish prick and part of me wishes he had died sooner. It would have saved me a lot of pain.

“Brooke?”

I open my eyes to see Leon gazing down at me. “You really don’t know where the drugs are?”

I shake my head. “If I knew, I would have told them. I’m not built for this.” I glance down at my bruised body, and an ache of fear curls in my gut. “I would have told them if I knew. I never would have put you through all of this intentionally.”

“Do you think Ant really stole them?”

“Given how he sold me to save himself, yes, I believe so. An innocent man wouldn’t do that, right?”

“But this is your brother.”

I nod. “I’m pretty sure his greed would have forced him to point them in the direction of the money, not at me.”

“So…” Leon presses a palm to his temple. “My head is so fucked right now. Your brother stole the shipment and hid it. So why didn’t he claim it then run?”

“You met him. He wasn’t the brightest bulb.”

I watch Leon’s face twist as if he’s chasing a thought he can’t quite catch. “ They found him trying to score drugs yet he claimed he didn’t know where the shipment was.” He’squestioning his own thoughts, thoughts I’ve danced around myself for hours and hours, but there’s no answer. At least not one I can find.

“Unless he honestly didn’t know. Maybe someone moved them. Did he have a truck in his name, something that could have been impounded without you being aware?”

“No.”

“A storage unit?”

I snort softly, then break into a flurry of coughs. “Not a chance.”

“No car, no storage. What about his apartment?”

“He fled that place and came to me,” I remind Leon. “He begged to stay and I let him. All of his shit went to my?—”

I jolt upward suddenly, pain gripping my chest from the inside and squeezing around my heart like a fist has punched down my throat.

“What is it?” Leon gently touches my lower back.

I turn to face him. “I know where the drugs are.”

His brow lifts. “Where?”

“They’re gone. Fuck!” I suddenly realize where my bastard brother hid the stolen drugs. In the same second I also realize that they cannot save us from this hell.

“What are you talking about?”

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