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“I’m sure it’s fine,” I said, taking a sip and it wasn’t sweet enough for me, but I’d take it like this over it being too sweet.
Boogie laughed and I thought I hid my grimace. He tradedme cups and I drank his, it was perfect.
“Now I know you and Boogie are sweet coffee drinkers,” King said before goingback to the kitchen.
“We can’t all drink it black like our souls!” I yelled.
“Life’s too short to drink bland-ass coffee,” Boogie grimaced as he drank my coffee.
King returned with a tray full of breakfasty stuff and some sugar for Boogie. We dug in, eating in relative silence, and it was comforting until I thought about the file and how I should tell Boogie. Waiting felt wrong even if I knew he might not like what I had to say.
“The Mayor found my family,” I said, as I finished off my eggs.
One looked at me with wide eyes and the other with a stoic expression. Boogie was the guarded one and I instantly felt more nervous.
“Where are they?” King asked.
“They are in Oregon,” I sighed, grabbing a blanket and wishing I had put clothes on for this conversation. “My parents and one of my brothers died of an aggravated assault a few years after I was taken. One of my brothers seems to have done well for himself; he’s got a wife and kids. My youngest brother hasn’t done well, drugs and numerous run-ins with the law.”
“I’m sorry, Doll,” King said, grabbing my hand.
“Are you leaving?” Boogie stared at me.
“No, but I've been thinking about reaching out,” I said, squeezing King's hand. “Even if it's just to say I’m alive.”
Boogie’s brows furrowed and I wondered if he had ever thought about doing the same.
“I think a phone call might be the best place to start,” King said, glancing at Boogie.
“I don’t know if I could ever face them, but just thinking of my brother having kids makes me?—”
“Makes you wonder if you could have a place in the real world,” Boogie whispered.
“Or if it's even worth letting them know I’m alive,” I said truthfully. “I’m not the little girl who was stolen anymore.”
Boogie looked lost in thought, and I knew I just had to ask.
“Do you ever think about finding your family, Boogie?” I asked softly.
“Boogie doesn’t remember his?—”
“Liam Jensen,” Boogie said, interrupting King.
I tensed when he said his real name.
“I thought you didn’t remember who you were?” King looked shocked.
“It just hit me,” Boogie growled.
“That means we can look for you in the missing children's database and?—”
“The mayor found your information and gave me your file,” I interrupted King.
Boogie glared at me. “Don’t tell me anything.”
“I can give you the file and?—”
“No!” he shouted and got off the bed. “They don’t need me tainting their lives or hearing about what their brother and son went through.”
