“He told me he’d kill me and my unborn child, and he’d kill Cassidy.” Mom’s eyes found Cassidy across the table.
“Wait. What? You were pregnant?” Cassidy said.
“We know you had an affair.” Declan’s lips were tight as he glared at her.
Mom sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, then nodded. “Yes. Frank’s note is true. I had an affair. The child?—”
“How do you know about Frank’s ...” Mitch paused, turning his gaze to Rose. “You told her about the notes.”
“Rose has been contacting me for decades,” Mom said. “She told me to listen to that Avenging Angel podcast. So yes, I knew about the notes. Well, not all of them. But that note was correct. My daughter is not Frank’s child.”
“You chose her over us,” I blurted. Unable to contain my anger, I slapped the table.
“No. I didn’t choose my baby over you. I was forced to run.”
Cassidy blinked hard, like she was fighting tears.
“Frank said he’d make Cassidy’s death look like an accident. And Bob ...” Her voice broke. “He said that bastard, Bob, would help him cover it up. Just like he had with the father of my baby … my daughter, Sally.”
“Sally?” Cassidy’s voice broke. “You named your baby Sally.”
Mom’s eyes glistened as she nodded. “Yes. I named her after your mother.”
Cassidy covered her mouth as she sucked in air.
“Sally will be twenty in a couple of months. She lives in Adelaide and is finishing her degree in veterinary medicine. She ...” Mom smiled slightly. “She wanted to come with me, to meet you all. But I thought this was already overwhelming enough. She’ll visit soon, if you’re willing.”
What the fuck. We have another sister?
I clenched my fists. This was all too much.
“Why now?” I asked, my voice hoarse. “Why come back now?”
“Because it’s finally safe.” Mom looked at each of us again. “After I heard that podcast, I knew Frank was in prison and confined to a wheelchair. And I know Bob is on the run, but he can’t protect Frank anymore. For twenty years, I’ve been watching from a distance. Rose has been my lifeline, sending photos, updates, and telling me about your lives. I’ve watched you all grow up, fall in love, and build lives. I’ve been here, just ... hidden.”
Hidden, while we grew up thinking she was dead, or had bailed on us. The word felt like a slap.
“You should’ve come back sooner,” Declan said, but his voice had lost its sharp edge. “You should’ve protected us. We needed you.”
Mom spread her hands on the tabletop. “I saw Frank murder Shane, the father of my baby. I knew what he was capable of. But I also knew he would never touch you boys. You were his legacy. Cassidy was the only one in danger. I left to keep her safe. I couldn’t risk him killing Cassidy and my baby to punish me.”
Cassidy cleared her throat. “You protected me. Even though I wasn’t yours.”
Mom gasped. “You knew?”
“I’ve known since I was fourteen. I overheard you and Frank arguing at the hospital, after I had my appendix out.”
“Oh my god, Cass. I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have heard that.”
“I heard the lot. Including you screaming at Frank that I was your daughter, no matter what, and he’d never change that.”
“Of course, and I meant it.” Mom’s eyes filled with tears. “Your mother was my best friend. When she died while bringing you into the world, part of me died with her.” Mom swallowed hard. “But the moment I held you, I knew. You were hers. But you were mine, too, in every way that mattered.”
Cassidy released a sob, and Xavier pulled her close, running his hand over her hair.
Sapphire’s hand tightened on mine. I gripped back. Hard.
Christ. Frank had wanted to kill my sister. He wasn’t just a bastard. He was a monster.