Chapter 9

nine

LIAM

While Paul read the report, Amy chatted happily about Christmas. I answered her questions but kept glancing across the table at her uncle. The document would upset most people, and his pale skin told me he was struggling with what he was reading.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

He looked up at me, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still. The sadness and confusion in his gaze tugged at something deep inside me. I noticed the way his lips parted slightly, as if he was about to say something but then thought better of it. The way his dark hair fell across his forehead made him look both boyish and incredibly endearing.

His hand trembled as he closed the report. "There's a lot to think about. I'll finish reading the document later."

"Did you know you were adopted?"

"No."

I'd forgotten how powerful one word could be. Everything Paul's parents had told him about his life was a lie. " I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you, but it's important to know the truth."

"Because of Alex Quinn?"

"He was shot by a terrorist organization. They know who you are and where you live. I'm offering you and Amy a chance to be safe."

Paul looked at his niece.

Amy walked toward me with a glass of water. "This is for you."

I took the glass before the water sloshed over the sides. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said in a sing-song voice. "Would you like another gingerbread man?"

I shook my head. "No, thanks. But I would like to see more of your pictures. Do you have any you can show me?"

Amy's smile was instant. "I'll be back soon." She raced out of the kitchen and away from the next part of the conversation.

I took Paul's glass of water off the counter and handed it to him. "If you'd prefer a cup of coffee, I could make you one."

"This will be okay. What do you mean by ‘a chance to be safe'?" he whispered. "Do you think the terrorists will hurt us?"

I wasn't sure how to tell Paul the Haqani Army had already threatened them. "One person on Alex's team was badly injured after a car accident. The FBI's certain the terrorist group was involved in the incident. Three of the team have moved their families to other locations because of death threats, and Alex was shot. A few days ago, the same group sent an email to Alex telling him his brother was next."

Paul dropped his head to his chest and took a deep breath. When he looked up, there were tears in his eyes. "Did he know he had a brother?"

"No."

"So there's still a chance I'm not related to him?"

"A small chance."

Paul stared at his birth certificate. "I'm four years younger than him. If Alex is my brother, I don't understand why his parents wouldn't want me. It doesn't make sense."

"A lot of things in life don't make sense, but that's the way they are. Regardless of whether you're related to Alex or not, you were adopted. Your birth mother has the same name as Alex's mom. Your father wasn't registered on your birth certificate, but that's not uncommon."

"Are you sure you have the right person? Mom and Dad never told me I was adopted."

My gaze dropped to the adoption papers. "Do you have any aunts or uncles you could talk to?"

"My aunt's at work. I'll call her later tonight." Paul crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You know more about Alex's family than I do. Why do you think I was adopted?"

I couldn't hear Amy, and that was a good thing. Paul needed time to come to terms with what the FBI had discovered. "Alex's mother was in an abusive relationship. When her husband brutally assaulted her, she had to spend time in the hospital. After she was discharged, she filed divorce papers. By the time you were born, her husband was in prison and she was officially separated. My guess is that she didn't want your biological father to find you. Adoption was the only way she could keep you safe."

"Has anyone spoken to the woman who's supposed to be my biological mother?"

And there it was. Out of everything I could tell Paul, this was the hardest. No one apart from Alex's mother knew the truth about his birth. And she'd gone to her grave with the secrets of the past wrapped tightly around her.

I studied Paul's face. His blue eyes were wary. "The woman who could be your biological mother is dead. She died of cancer two years ago. No one knows where her ex-husband's living. The only way to verify if you are Alex's brother is to do a DNA test."

"Has Alex had his DNA tested?"

I nodded. "He wants to find out the truth as much as you do. Even if we fast-track the test, it'll be at least two weeks before you get the results."

"What happens while we're waiting?"

"We keep you and Amy safe."

Paul frowned. "The project Alex's working on must be important."

"It is. We've already spoken to the other people in Alex's team and their families. The FBI wants to make sure no one else gets hurt."

"How will you do that if you don't know who or where the terrorists are?"

I knew he wouldn't like what I had to say next. "You could stay here, but my recommendation is to leave Milwaukee."

"I can't leave. I have a lot of customers who are waiting for their Christmas cakes."

"It's not safe for you here." I took a photograph out of another folder. "This is the picture the terrorists sent Alex."

Paul looked at the photo. It showed him pushing a cart around a grocery store. His startled gaze connected with mine. "Someone has been following me?"

I nodded. "They aren't the only people who have been watching you. After Alex was shot, we placed agents outside your house day and night."

Paul's mouth dropped open. "I didn't know they were there."

"They did their job well, then." I leaned forward, hoping Paul realized how important it was for him to leave Milwaukee. "The safe house is in Colorado. It'll be better than staying here."

Paul's gaze rested on Amy's paintings.

I could almost see the cogs of his brain working, trying to figure out what was the best thing to do.

"Okay." He sighed. "Amy and I will go to Colorado. How do we get there?"

I let go of the breath I was holding. Even if he didn't believe it, he'd made the right decision. "We won't be able to make tonight's flight, but there's another one tomorrow morning. If it's okay with you, I'll sleep on the sofa. I don't want to go too far away in case something happens."

"I've got a spare bedroom. You can use that." Paul handed me the photo. "How long do you think we'll be away from Milwaukee?"

"I don't know. Depending on what happens, you might be gone for Christmas."

His eyes widened. "What will I tell my friends?"

"You could tell them you're taking a vacation, but don't mention Alex's name. From now on, you need to be extremely careful what you say. We don't know who's involved in the terrorist group."

Amy ran into the kitchen. She took one look at Paul's face and skidded to a stop. "Are you okay?"

"I will be soon. Mr. Nelson's taking us somewhere special tomorrow. Do you want to help me pack our bags? "

Amy's big blue eyes settled on me. "Can I bring my pictures and Dolly, Mr. Nelson?"

"You can bring whatever you like," I said quietly. "And if it's okay with your uncle, you can call me Liam."

Amy's big blue eyes stared up at Paul. "Is it okay?"

Paul nodded.

"I can call you Liam," Amy said proudly. "Now we're real friends."

Paul looked as though he was about to burst into tears.

"It'll be okay," I said. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

The look he sent me wasn't reassuring. Paul didn't believe me, and I didn't blame him.