CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

" H ow long do I have to stay here?" Brooklyn asked the federal agent, Michael Davies.

"Honestly, I wouldn't be planning to go anywhere soon." Michael gave her a sideways look.

"You think I'm lying."

"Not up to me to decide. This has gone all the way to the top. For obvious reasons. My job is to keep you alive," he replied.

Brooklyn was going out of her mind.

They'd put her in a hotel room in NYC after she'd done the media interview outside BioZen, and dozens of people had been in to speak to her.

Over and over, she'd told them what she knew and who she'd been working for.

She told them everything except about the serum.

Well, that and what she assumed was teleportation.

Brooklyn didn't want vampires to be hurt either, but she couldn't stand by while they hurt innocent human beings.

To the Moretti's, a royal family member was worth more than any other. She disagreed. Even world leaders were replaceable. No life was worth more.

Ever.

She had a strong sense of justice, so couldn't in all conscience sit back and let them just die.

She'd let Brad die.

She wouldn't do it again.

And while she was grieving whatever it was that she and Logan had, the truth had always been that he would reject her as soon as he knew she'd killed her brother.

So would her parents.

Except now she could look at herself in the mirror.

How many people had she saved by speaking out? Millions. Possibly billions.

At the cost of her heart.

But by saving her soul.

The feds had taken her phone away and given her a new device and number. Fortunately, she had an excellent memory.

So she'd message Logan.

A moment of weakness.

His silence said it all, and she'd expected nothing less. But she was sorry.

Very.

Brooklyn walked to the window and sipped her coffee as she stared at the NYC skyline. Logan would hate her. She'd done the worst possible thing in his mind.

My job is to keep you alive.

Millions of people around the world, including humans and vampires, were calling on her death. Some called her a hero. Others, a traitor.

Even humans were saying that.

TikTok scared her. There was a whole #vamptok section here people were coordinating packs to hunt vampires and put them in zoos.

One billionaire was offering huge sums of money for vampires to work in his security team.

It was the good, the bad, and the ugly of humanity.

Logan had been right.

As the TV in the background broadcast the protests going on outside the White House and important landmarks around the world, Brooklyn nursed her mug against her chest and wished she could turn back time.

She was alone.

Her life was in danger.

And she had lost Logan.

Now she had a phone call to make to her family that would change her life even more. As if being in protective custody wasn't enough.

"Make your call," Michael said, opening the door. "I'll be back in ten minutes."

Brooklyn nodded and waited for the click.

Then she dialed her parents' number.

"Hello," her dad answered.

"Hi, Dad," Brooklyn said, closing her eyes.

"Brook! Honey, it's Brooklyn. Oh, my god are you okay?" her father cried.

She heard her mom arrive.

"Brooky, baby. Are you okay? Oh God, this is terrible. Is it true?"

She let them get it all out.

"Yes. It's true. I have been working for the vampire family," she replied.

"Oh, my god. Did they hurt you?"

Only my heart which his broken. But then again, she'd done that to herself.

It was hard to justify the lives she'd probably saved against losing a man who could never want her.

"No. They're very nice. I wish the world knew what I know." She said, walking to the bed and sitting down.

"But they blew up the building. You were right to tell people," her father said. "They're dangerous."

It wasn't that straightforward.

She didn't want to tell anyone about the serum. Her knowledge would put millions in danger. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt.

"Dad. Mom. I didn't ring about the vampires," Brooklyn said.

"Oh," her mom said.

"I wish I could do this in person, but I am not sure when I will be able to...well, I'm in protective custody for obvious reasons."

"My god, what does that mean?"

Brooklyn dropped her head and rubbed her forehead. "Mom. Please. I don't know. But I need to tell you about Brad."

Silence.

"Your brother?"

She nodded into the empty room. "Yes."

Tears filled her eyes as that day returned to her consciousness as if she was there. Running across the grass to pick up the mysterious little bottle.

Climbing up in the treehouse.

"I took his nose spray, Mom." Her voice cracked, and she began to sob. "I killed him. I'm so sorry. So damn sorry."

When the line was quiet, she began to shake.

"Are you there?"

"Brook," her dad said softly. "You didn't kill your brother. Is that what you think?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I had his spray in the treehouse."

More silence.

She had to get it out.

"Brad dropped it on the ground, and I just wanted to know what it was," she sobbed.

"Oh, baby," her mom cried.

"If it had been in his room, you could have saved him." Brooklyn cried. "I killed him. Oh, god. I killed him."

"Sweetheart no," her mom cried again. "You brought the spray to us. Brad had a blood clot that no one could have predicted. The spray would not have saved his life."

She blinked.

What? The new information raced through her mind. No one had told her that. She'd believed all these years that it was the missing spray.

She sniffed. "A blood clot?"

"Yes," her father said.

"Why didn't..."

"You were a little girl. We weren't going to give you all the gory details about your twin dying. I guess as the years went by, we never thought it was necessary."

"You didn't think I killed him?" Brooklyn said, aware of how stupid the question sounded now.

Yet...the guilt and emotions she'd carried around with her were still in every pore and cell of her body. As if it were a fact.

"Never. Ever," her mom said.

"Never, darling," her dad said.

She crumpled onto the floor, the phone against her ear.

"Come home, Brook. Please," her mom cried.

Tears poured down her face as she gulped in air.

"I'll try. I'm just not sure if I can," she said. "I love you. I love you both."

"We love you too, baby."

She hung up and stared at the carpet.

What have I done?