5-Sadie

"Just a few more steps, Claudia," the physical therapist encourages Mom as she walks from the bathroom toward the bed.

It's been two weeks since Mom woke up from the coma. The therapist has been helping Mom relearn basic skills, like walking. Mom started by walking for two minutes at a time and is up to ten minutes. She's been pushing herself too hard. She's exhausted after each session, her legs and arms shaking from the amount of energy she's using. I'm worried she's doing it to keep her mind focused on one thing—getting back home.

Since our little moment, Mom hasn't mentioned Jo. I don't know if I should be grateful or worried.

"You're getting better each day!" the therapist exclaims as she assists Mom back into bed.

I roll my eyes. This chick is way too enthusiastic.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and check the screen.

Donnie: Is this a good time?

I look up to see Mom smiling and chatting with the therapist.

Today is a good day.

Me: Yep.

Donnie was discharged from the hospital three days after he was admitted. Thankfully, he only needed a few stitches on the back of his head. I haven't seen much of him since I have either been at home with Abuela and Sophia or working in the evenings.

Yes, I am still working, much to Javi's and Donnie's protests. With danger still lurking, they suggested I take some personal time off until the situation was resolved. I argued that someone has to make money. It's not going to be made on its own. And that was the end of the conversation.

"Tomorrow, we'll work on a few core exercises and—" A knock at the door cuts off the therapist.

"Come in," I call out.

The door opens and Donnie steps through.

My man.

Donnie's taut muscles ripple across his chest and shoulders, straining against his fitted, sleeveless, navy-blue hoodie. When he walks, the muscles in his thick thighs look like they're trying to rip through his gray track pants. I mean, for Christ's sake, he looks like Henry Cavill in Man of Steel. What high school student looks like that?

He grins.

As my eyes linger on his body a little longer than they should, I want to wrap myself around him like a koala bear and beg him to take me against the wall. My eyes travel back to his face to see his grin grow bigger.

I playfully roll my eyes.

Donnie steps further into the room and greets Mom with a hug. My gaze follows the therapist as she scans my man up and down like he's her next meal. I laugh, wondering what Tia would do if she were here. She would probably say, "I will cut a bitch."

I clear my throat, getting her attention. Her face turns bright red, and she casts her eyes to the floor, telling Mom she'll see her tomorrow as she walks out of the room.

"Be nice," Donnie whispers with a sexy, ridiculous grin.

"Shut up," I reply with a low chuckle and stand up to hug him.

"Don't worry, baby. I'm all yours," he whispers in my ear, squeezing me tight.

Smart ass.

"How are you doing?" he asks in a more serious tone.

I hug him tighter, soaking up his warmth. Donnie quiets my thoughts and eases my soul with his presence. Sometimes it scares me how dependent I can be on his love. No matter how many states will be between us, his light will guide me through the current that prevents me from swimming to shore. He's my lifeline, and that scares the shit out of me.

"I'm fine," I respond. He stares at me, searching for a sign of deceit, but when he comes up empty, he smiles and kisses the tip of my nose.

"Mija, this game is not going to play itself," Mom chastises in a teasing tone.

Donnie lightly chuckles and squeezes my hips, pushing me forward to Mom.

We talk and play dominos until a knock at the door interrupts our game. My breath catches when Javi peeks around the corner of the doorframe. Donnie squeezes my knee, letting me know he's here for me. I flash him a smile and rise from the chair.

"Can I come in?" Javi asks with familiarity in his tone.

I shift my gaze to Mom, who looks like she knows him. That was not the expression I was expecting. Mom turns to me and gives me a tight smile.

"Come in," I reply, my voice breaking. It's eerie how much Javi looks like Jo. He's wearing black slacks and a crisp baby blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He has several tattoos on his neck that travel down to his arms. He wears his badge proudly on his belt.

My half-brother looks like a badass.

"I wanted to talk to you about the case," he says, pointing to the chair beside Donnie and taking a seat.

"What case?" Mom asks.

Javi looks at me, clearly confused, and I shrug.

I haven't spoken to Mom about my kidnapping and gaining a half-brother. She wasn't ready to hear all the bad shit that went down right after she had been in a coma. Jo's death was enough to break her.

Javi nods in understanding as if he can read my mind.

Javi sighs and rubs his hands up and down his face before facing Mom. "A few months ago, your daughter and her best friend Tia were kidnapped and tortured by her ex-boyfriend and his cousin. After learning that our father was dead, the Romano brothers sent out an order to have Sadie killed. Tia was just collateral damage."

Donnie holds my hands as Javi details the events of that day and the new threat from the Romano brothers. I feel my heart's muscles tighten like a boa constrictor has wrapped around it as I watch the tears silently fall from Mom's eyes. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words flow out. Then with a little more strength, she asks, "What happened to my son?" Her voice comes out hoarse, barely audible.

Javi appears taken aback by her question. She didn't seem surprised at the words "our father" words that hinted that Javi is my half-brother.

"Josiah was keeping an eye on Sadie to ensure her safety. He was instructed to report to me every day. I knew something was wrong when my calls went unanswered and he never met at our rendezvous point. We received an anonymous tip that a body was found in the alleyway a few blocks from the police station. When I arrived on the scene, Josiah was announced dead." Javi swallows.

Time stands still like never before.

Darkness descends over Mom's face. My eyes well up, picturing Jo alone, not knowing his life would be cut short.

Javi clears his throat as he continues. "For several months, I've been working on a drug and gambling ring case that involved your husband. Jo's name came through the FBI database when we ran a check for known relatives. Looking further into him, I put two and two together and realized that Jo and Sadie are my half-siblings."

Mom sits silently with a blank expression swept over her.

"That same day, I was alerted that Jo was going to jail for assault and battery. I visited Jo when he was being transferred to a psychiatric hospital," he continues.

What?

"I looked further into his background and learned about his mental health disorder. Josiah didn't belong in jail. I made a deal with him that I would clear his record if he became our informant."

Freedom.What Jo always wanted.

"So, Jo knew this whole time who you were?" I ask, trying not to fall apart. Donnie's touch is the only thing that anchors me in place.

"Yes," Javi says solemnly. His face is full of regret, but I can see the pain masked underneath.

Donnie pulls me onto his lap and wraps his arms tightly around me, offering me the comfort I need.

"During our investigation, we discovered that Christian and Hector worked with the Romano brothers," Javi continues. "They were connected to several homicides as persons of interest last summer. We kept my identity a secret because you were tied to them, and we had to ensure your safety. Your fa—our father got caught up with the most dangerous drug lord in the country."

"Ay Dios mio." Mom sucks in a breath, tears falling freely down her face.

Javi rubs his hands over his head and down his face. The pure agony on his face breaks a piece of me each time I see it.

I'm not the only one hurting by Jo's death. I had the honor to know my Jo, whereas Javi didn't get the chance to. I can only imagine the look Jo had on his face when he learned Javi was his half-brother. He'd always wanted a brother.

Javi turns to face me with glossy eyes. "Sadie, you have to believe me that I didn't know Jo killed our father and disappeared until it was too late. Had I known, you would've never gotten hurt. I'm so sorry. I failed you both."

"It's not your fault," I try to reassure him, but my voice comes out shaky.

"What now?" Donnie asks, still holding onto me with a tight grip.

"Agents will be your shadow 24/7 until we close this investigation." He looks at me and then at Donnie. "Never go anywhere alone and check in with me daily, Sadie. I need you to tell me if you see anything suspicious or hear anything that could help the case. I will do everything I can to keep you safe."

The pressure builds in my chest. To learn my brother was murdered, my ex was supposedly involved in several homicides, and my father wanted to sell me to save himself is overwhelming.

What fucking twilight zone did I end up in?

Javi leans forward, his hands clasped between his legs, and says, "There's something else you need to know."

I tense.

"We have a reason to believe that Elisa, Jo's ex-girlfriend, is alive." Donnie's body goes rigid against me.

Mom sucks in a breath.

All the oxygen is sucked out of my lungs; I can't breathe. How is that possible? There's no fucking way she's alive. Jo said he found her.

"We believe her death was staged." Javi answers my unspoken question, but before I can ask why, he continues. "It didn't make sense why the brothers went after Jo, especially when our father was already dead. But then we found a connection."

It takes Javi a long moment to speak again.

"Elisa is their sister."

Say what?

My thoughts can't form into the words I desperately want to say. I feel the walls closing in on me. I become restless, unable to find a comfortable position in Donnie's lap. I try to scramble away from him as I battle against the waves of anxious energy coursing through my body, but Donnie keeps his hold on me.

"What does this have to do with my husband?" Mom asks without emotion.

Javi glances at her. "Desperation. He went to Jo's apartment the night Elisa was found dead. We assumed he was looking for money or something to sell. But instead of finding Jo, he ran into Elisa."

I can't imagine what was going through her mind when he showed up at their apartment. She must've been so scared. Elisa was aware of Dad's treatment toward us and begged Jo to report him to the police, but Jo knew it wouldn't do any good since Mom would drop the charges anyway.

"We believe that he either attacked or threatened her in some way, triggering her reaction to asking her brothers for help."

There's a slight pause before he speaks again.

"When we spoke to her mother, she mentioned that Elisa was very close to her brothers but would keep them at a distance, knowing what they were involved in. They honored her request to stay away unless she needed them." Javi leans back. "That doesn't explain how she could be alive," Donnie says as his fingers trace over the scar on my hip that Frankie left behind.

"When I looked for her autopsy report, there was no record of it anywhere."

"But she was buried." Mom's voice is soft and distant.

"Was she?" Javi glances between Mom and me. "Did you see her get buried?"

Come to think of it, there was never a funeral. Wait. Why didn't she tell Jo how dangerous her brothers were, or did she tell him and he chose to ignore it?

I shake my head and respond, "No, because they didn't have a funeral for her because it would be too hard on the family. They wanted to grieve privately." That whole week was a shitshow. When we got the call about her death, we searched the entire damn city for Jo, but he was already long gone. I didn't have the opportunity to give my condolences to her family since I was trying to dodge each hit from Dad that came my way.

"So, who's in the grave?" I chew my nails until there is nothing left, a nervous habit whenever I am freaking the fuck out.

"No one. It was empty—no casket, no body."

What the fuck?

"Does her mother know?" I ask, and Donnie slowly removes my fingers from my mouth.

"No, she doesn't, and we want to keep it that way for now," Javi stresses at the same time his phone goes off.

He takes a minute to read the text and then tucks his phone away. "I have to head out, but I need you to be extra vigilant." Javi stares me down. "I will keep you both updated as the case goes on." He glances between me and Mom.

"We'll get justice for Josiah," Javi says with determination as he stands. "I promise you."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." There is a tonelessness to Mom's voice.

Javi doesn't respond verbally, but the silent communication between the two of them seems to be enough for Javi to accept.

I remove myself from Donnie's arms and wrap my arms around Javi's waist without hesitation. His body stiffens, but he soon relaxes and wraps his arms around me, kissing the top of my head the way Jo always did.

"I'll be in touch, little sis." I close my eyes, holding back the tears that are begging to be let loose.

"Please stay safe," he says in a strained whisper.