Page 31 of Among the Sins of my Father

I’m plastered to Jericho’s chest when there’s a knock at the door.

“Not now,” Jericho calls out, his voice pulling on the growling and commanding tone that makes me tremble.

“Ah, sir? I mean, Jericho, this is a matter of importance,” Barrett’s voice doesn’t hold any of the commanding tone of Jericho’s. It’s unsure yet persistent.

Jericho lets out a huff of annoyance as I roll off him and he gets to his feet, pulling on a pair of sweatpants as he walks. The door creaks as he swings it open.

“What?” he snaps.

“Sorry, but there’s been some new developments.”

I’m hiding in the bed, sheets drawn to my chin. Barrett can’t see me from the doorway, but I’m still not risking it.

“What is it?” Jericho’s tone is a little gentler this time, but there’s still an element of terseness.

“I believe there’s been some retaliation.”

That pricks my interest and I poke my head over the headboard. “Retaliation?” I question.

Barrett’s eyes slide over to me and a little heat creeps up his cheeks.

“It’s your mother,” Barrett says, focusing back on Jericho. “She’s gone missing.”

“Fuck,” Jericho curses. “You sure?”

Barrett just nods.

“Retaliation from who?” I ask. “You said Dominic was dead.” Just saying the words out loud cause my throat to tighten and my chest to constrict.

Jericho glances my way. “We don’t think he was working alone.” Then he turns back to Barrett. “I’ll be down soon. Get the car ready.”

Barrett nods and Jericho closes the door, walking over to the rack that holds his clothing and sorting through the options until he tugs a shirt over his head.

Slipping from the bed, I wrap my cardigan around my shoulders and walk over to sit on the sofa as he does up the buttons of his shirt.

“Who do you think he was working with?”

Jericho doesn’t look at me as he sits to pull on his shoes. “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“You can’t just push me aside now that you’ve got want you want,” I snap.

Jericho looks up, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“You used to tell me things, you used to listen to me but now that Hope is back, you’re cutting me out of everything again. I’m not some little girl you need to shield from the truth. Tell me things straight. Don’t sugar-coat it or make up some more palatable truth. There’s always something you’re not telling me, something you’re holding back. You won’t even tell me the truth about Dominic. Do you think I won’t be able to handle it?”

Jericho sits back on the sofa, now fully dressed. He chews on his bottom lip, eyes narrowing. “I don’t want you to know all the things I’ve done. I don’t want to be the monster for you. I’d rather you look at me in suspicion than in disgust.”

“It’s a little too late for that.”

His head cocks to the side as though he’s deliberating just how much to tell me, then he sighs deeply before talking.

“We’re not sure who, but we’re pretty certain Dominic had help in acquiring Hope. It seems odd that he was simply able to purchase her with no ties to that world. That’s why we’ve increased the number of guards around here. We also assigned one to my mother, without her knowing. He’s been keeping Barrett informed on her movements. He must have reported something that’s made Barrett suspicious. We’re going to check it out but I’m sure it will be nothing. She’s gone missing before, but she always turns up once she’s sobered up a little.”

“Let me come with you.”

He shakes his head. “Please Berkley, just let me worry about one thing at a time. Having you there would be…” He pauses. The vein beneath his left eye twitches. “Just please stay behind, here, where you’re safe. There are extra guards, cameras in action, and no one can enter the gates unless they work here. It’s the safest place for you to be right now.” He leans over and kisses the tip of my nose. “And it means I won’t need to worry about you.”

I pout. I know it will look childish but I don’t care. “So you just want me to stay here and sit around for you to return like some sort of princess locked in a castle?”

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