Carter Reed 2 (Carter Reed #2)(64)

“You’re Andrea’s father.”

His wife gasped. Her hand pressed against her mouth.

They both looked middle class, but I remembered the headlines. He was a wealthy hotelier. “Andrea said she was adopted,” I said softly. That couldn’t be true, though.

“Oh, dear.” His wife sounded stricken. She looked up at him. “Edward, she remembers you. You said she wouldn’t.”

He touched her shoulder and squeezed it. “Because I didn’t think she would. That’s a good memory of yours,” he said to me.

I was still filling in the pieces. But the more he spoke, the more memories came to light. They had started to fit into place.

“I couldn’t remember Andrea because she didn’t grow up with me, did she?” I asked. “You took her early. When she was little.”

“She was five. That’s when I stepped in. I had to. Cora was abusive, and I tried with you, but your brother wouldn’t allow it.”

AJ. Relief crashed over me, but a surge of anger was on its tail. “You—she came to me declaring that AJ had kidnapped me. You knew better. You let her think that.”

He shook his head.

My voice rose. “Don’t lie to me. She took away his memory. He cared for me and loved me. He did the best he could. He should be honored, not disgraced, and you could’ve stopped all of it. You could’ve—you offered to take me. Why didn’t you bring him, too? Why did you keep all of us apart?”

“I…” His voice cracked. “I couldn’t, Ally.”

I hissed and stepped back at that name. I felt slapped across the face.

He didn’t seem to notice. He was still shaking his head, a hand cupping the side of his face like he was in pain. “Aaron was in the system. He was a lot older than both of you girls. If he’d come with me, it would’ve been years before everything was approved. His dad—your dad too—he was long gone, and Cora had kicked Aaron out. She denied he was hers, though it was plain as day. All three of you—Aaron, Andy, and you—you all had the same dark eyes. They all came from her, but I couldn’t stay. If I’d waited too long with Andy, she would’ve changed her mind. Once I got the go-ahead, I fled. Aaron couldn’t come with us, and he wouldn’t let us take you without him… So we left you behind. We always wondered what had happened to you. Went back every year or so, but you were already gone.”

“Andrea thinks you adopted her.”

He lifted a shoulder. A defeated air hung over him. “It was easier to lie to her about the whole thing than admit the truth. She would’ve looked at me like you’re doing now.”

“And what was that lie, exactly?” A voice behind them spoke up.

Andrea had gotten out of bed. She’d wrapped a blanket over her shoulders, and she clutched it in front of her.

Her hair was still matted in blood. Her skin was pale, but she looked at her father with the same heated emotion that I had. The strength of that anger brought some color to her cheeks, though she swayed on her feet for a beat.

The nurse stepped close to her, and at the same moment her parents did. Andrea shot out her hand and hissed, “Don’t. Don’t touch me.”

The nurse held her arm as her parents stepped away.

“You’re my father? For real?”

He looked at the floor. “Yes.” His voice was thick. “I’m sorry, honey—”

“Stop,” she hissed again. “No more lies, Dad. This is my sister, and thinking over everything, you were never supportive of me finding her. You told me she was probably dead. That’s what you—you tried to convince me of it, but I knew I had a sister. She gave me a drawing, and I had that. There were two sets of thumbprints. Mom, you told me it was a friend, but I remembered it wasn’t. All this time, you guys were trying to bury Ally. That’s why I couldn’t remember her, because I was gone. I thought…” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “No. And her brother. I was convinced he took her from us. You told me you knew there was abuse. But it wasn’t him; it was our mom. You let me think it was him.”

She looked at her father as if he’d plunged a dagger into her back. A tug of sympathy rose up in me. She felt betrayed, and she had a right to, but this was her father. He was her flesh and blood. I’d give anything to know who mine was. No. I’d give anything just to have AJ back for five minutes.

Clearing my throat and watching all eyes swing toward me, I asked, “Is she still alive?”

“Oh, no.” The wife began sputtering.

He shook his head, eyes panicked. “No, no. I won’t let you look for her.”

So she was.

She was alive.

“Is she still there?”

Andrea’s mom paled even more. Her hand went to her chest, and she whirled to her husband. “Edward, they cannot—”

He touched her arm, quieting her plea, and looked at me. “Young lady, you cannot go looking for her. Corelea was a spiteful and dangerous mother to you then. I shudder at the thought of what she’d do now, if she could get her hooks in you.”

“Or me, you mean.” Andrea moved forward to stand beside me. She tightened the blanket around her. “You mean if my mother had her hooks in me? Because we have money, Daddy. You have money. I have an inheritance. How would you feel if all of that was squandered away? Everything you worked for, all your life, was ripped away? How would that make you feel?”