Page 96 of Their Domme

Atlas grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Like I said before, Blake is a force of nature. I don’t evenwantto know how they got a sample from you. They mean well, but sometimes they don’t show it in the best ways.”

“Sounds like an understatement considering…” I tipped my head toward the envelope. “Anyway, compared to my past, what's one involuntary medical test? At least it didn’t hurt.” Dark humor was something we apparently had in common because Atlas laughed then, a real laugh, though it was full of just as much pain as amusement. “Think we should open it?” I asked when our laughter died down.

Atlas snagged a chair and sat down beside me. “Whatdoyou remember? I know you said nothing, but was that just because of what Blake did or because you actually don’t recall?”

“Bright lights. A fair. Wondering where my brother was,” I managed before having to clear my throat. “Then a lot of things I’d rather not remember at all but can’t get out of my head. Eventually, I got away and fell in with that crazy lot. Then Nic showed up.”

Silence.

I wasn’t sure what I expected in response to my concise story, but silence wasn’t it. Glancing over, I stilled at the expression on Atlas’ face. He was pale now, and if he hadn’t been sitting down, I would have worried he’d pass out.

“What?”

“A fair?” he choked out. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” I answered slowly, knots twisting in my stomach. “Were you at one too?”

“I was at the fair with my younger brother when he went missing,” Atlas said so softly I wouldn’t have heard him if he hadn’t been near me. “I turned away to get something, then… he was just gone. I spent the whole night looking for him until I got kicked out. I went back the next day to look again, and that’s when I was taken.”

“You?” I asked him, shocked.

Atlas nodded a few times, a solemn look on his face. “But not by this trafficking ring.”

It was easy to read between the lines, but shock filled me nonetheless. “The F?rstners?! They took you, yet you still work with them?”

“It’s complicated.” Atlas managed a weak half smile. “It’s a long story that’s hard to tell. But no matter how I got here, Idolove Blake. Them and the others, they’re all it for me.”

“I couldn’t—”

“I wasn’t taken as young, and like I said, the things that happened to me are complicated. Blake is my nightmares and dreams come to life in so many ways, but there isn’t one day I wouldn’t fight to be right there with them. They fight the same things too.”

“Apparently, we both have a thing for broken people. Makes us feel like a complete mess,” I said, falling back on a weak attempt at humor, then I snagged the envelope off the table and held it out to him. “Together?”

Blood only got people so far, but there was something in my gut that told me I should open it. If we weren’t brothers, then I could move on and so could Atlas. And if we were related… Well, at least I knew Atlas wouldn’t push if I needed time—not more than I could handle anyway. I was sure Blake would be the one to watch out for on that front.

Atlas nodded, and neither of us commented on the other’s shaky hands as we ripped it open and pulled out the papers. I skimmed the report and went for the letter of explanation. My hands went numb, and I heard my heart pounding in my ears.

‘Based on the samples provided, I am one hundred percent confident in saying these two individuals are siblings.’

The silence in the cabin was deafening.

What should I say? What do I do?

The bravery I’d had just moments ago abandoned me in the face of the test results. Luckily, I was saved by dings on both our computers. Letting go of the paper, I whirled around to check the notification on my screen.

“What the fuck?!” I cursed, going up to my computer to check that all the information displayed was correct.

There’s no way.

Oh, this is bad.

This is really, really fucking bad.

“What is it?”

“Check your computer,” I told him curtly, not ready to look at him right now.My brother. I really don’t have time for this.“What did you find?”

“Same thing you did,” Atlas replied grimly, and that was when I looked up, knowing what thought would be reflected back at me. We needed to get back to Ansel’s now.

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