“My name’s Ruby, and that puppy’s name is Bo.”

Still no answer. If only Melanie were here. She’d know how to talk to these kids.

“If you can tell me your name, we can call your parents. I’m sure they’ll want to know where you are.”

Again, nothing.

So I sat with him, just let him feel my presence. Sometimes that was all I could do. Made me feel pretty useless.

A few minutes later, Ryan came to the door. “Joe and Marj have arrived. They’ll be here in about fifteen minutes.”

I stood. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I told the boy. “Stay here with Marabel and the others, okay?”

He didn’t respond, but he did give me a slight nod of his head. I smiled at him and secretly jumped up and down in my mind. I’d gotten through to him. This was the first time he’d responded in any way to any of us.

I walked into the kitchen with Ryan. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“Yeah. This concerns you as much as any of us.”

“I’m not sure it does. This is family stuff, Ryan. I’m not family.”

“You will be.”

I hadn’t yet given him an answer to his proposal. We’d been interrupted.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to be there if Jade and Melanie aren’t. This is between you, your siblings, and your father.”

“I want you there, Ruby. I need you there.”

“I want to be there,” I said. “But it’s not fair to the others.”

He sighed. “All right.” He pressed a kiss to my lips. “We’ll be in my dad’s office. It’s not going to be pretty. I hope Tal and I can handle Joe. He hasn’t even come into the house yet, and already I can feel his anger permeating these walls.”

“You’re imagining things.”

“I hope so.” He kissed me again and walked out of the kitchen.

I would join the others back on the deck, but first I was going to change clothes. I had worn another pair of silk pajamas to bed, but Marabel had ordered clothes for Juliet, the boys, and me, so I wanted to put on something other than nightclothes.

I walked toward my room, when voices—one that was very familiar—came from Brad Steel’s office again.

“This is my business too,” my father said.

“I’m not denying that, but you can’t be here right now. Leave. Use the garage entrance. Make sure no one sees you.”

“You owe me.”

“I owe you nothing. So I welshed on a bequest. So what? You didn’t need it. You, Wade, and Simpson were pulling in millions at the time of my supposed death.”

“Well, Wade and Simpson are dead now, and I’m rapidly going broke.”

“Not my problem. Now leave.”

“It is partially your problem, Brad. Do I need to remind you?”

Silence for a few seconds. Then, “All bets were off when you brutalized my son. I could’ve had you arrested, tried, and convicted, and you’d be living out your days as a prison bitch. Or maybe you’d enjoy that?”

“You wouldn’t have found me. Not even my daughter could find me, and she’s a first-rate cop.”

“She didn’t have my resources. Most importantly, one resource that could have done you in with a phone call. Just leave now. Let me deal with my children. I’ll take care of you later.”

Footsteps advanced toward the door, and I scurried into the bedroom I shared with Juliet.

Chapter Thirty-One

Ryan

Talon and I met Jonah and Marj at the front door. They had arrived in a black SUV—was that the only car on this island?—and their driver pulled away as I watched.

I looked at my brother.

Joe was angry. A vein pulsed in his neck. They’d been flying all night, so he was also no doubt sleep-deprived. An invisible shield surrounded him. Talon and I knew better than to mess with it.

Marjorie, though, fell into my arms and held on for dear life. A few seconds later, though, she pulled away and punched my arm. “How could you not tell me any of this? What kind of brothers are you?”

“The kind who put your safety before everything else,” I said.

“That’s no excuse.” She punched me again and then headed to Talon. She fell into his arms as well and then repeated the punches.

“I’m so angry with both of you, but so happy—” Her eyes turned into circles, and she ripped herself away from Talon. “Daddy!”

I turned. Our father had indeed entered the foyer. He hadn’t elaborated earlier on his statement that he was dying, as we’d gotten word right then that Joe and Marj were arriving soon. Talon and I hadn’t pushed. He looked the same as he always had, and I couldn’t help wondering if the statement had been some kind of ploy to gain our sympathy.

Marjorie launched herself onto him, hugging him hard.

“Hey, there, baby girl,” he said softly. He kissed the top of Marj’s head. “I’ve missed you.”

I expected her to pull back and punch him as she had Talon and me, but she didn’t. Instead, she burst into tears and cried into his chest. He rubbed her back and let her sob, saying nothing.

Finally, when she pulled away and sniffled, I saw the pain in my baby sister’s eyes.

“I want to see my mother.”

The truth of that statement struck me. Marjorie had only been two when Daphne had presumably died. She had no memories. She would truly be seeing her mother for the first time.

“Later,” our father said. “She’s not…well.”

“Talon explained everything. I understand. But damn it, I want to see my mother!”

“Not now,” he said.

I walked toward him and stood in his face. “You take our sister to see her mother right now. She’s never laid eyes on her, at least not that she can remember, and she wants to see her.”

“It’s not the right—”

In a flash, Joe was on our father and had him in a headlock. “I’d like to see her as well. She’s my mother too. Take us to her. Now, you bastard.”

So much for Talon and me being able to keep Joe in line. But his demand was not unreasonable. After a pained look from Marj, Joe released him.

Our father rubbed at his neck. “She won’t know you. She thinks you and Talon are still little boys.” He turned to Marj. “And she thinks you’re a baby. She carries a doll around, believing it’s you.”

A knife hit my heart. Again, no mention of me.

Because I was not hers.

I attempted to swallow the lump in my throat that formed whenever I thought about Daphne Steel.

“Don’t care. You’ve kept her from us for twenty-three years, and we will see her now.” Joe hardened his lips into a thin line.

“All right,” my father relented. “I’ll take you to her.”

Joe gripped his shoulder. “I’ll hold myself in check for now. I want to see my mother, and I don’t want to upset her. But after that, you will answer to us.”

Brad Steel nodded with resignation. “Follow me.”

I nudged Talon. “You should go with them.”

“I’ve already seen her. Besides, she doesn’t know who I am.”

“Still, you should share this moment with them. With your brother and sister.”

“Thanks,” he said, “but I’ll stay here. With my brother.”

My eyes moistened, but I held myself together. No time to get weepy over Talon’s and my brotherhood. How had I ever thought for a second that my having a different mother would matter? It did matter, but it had not affected my relationship with my siblings. I was especially glad that Talon still felt bound to me by blood. He was still my hero, even though he most likely wasn’t the reason I’d escaped his horrible fate. My biological mother was.

Ruby walked out from the hallway, clad in a pair of gray yoga pants and a tank top. Even with everything else going on, the sight of her still made my groin tighten.

“Hey. I just wanted to change my clothes. I’m going back out.” She turned to Talon. “The older boy gave me a little nod when I talked to him outside. It’s not much, but it’s more than he’s responded to anyone since he got here. Slowly, they’re coming around.”

Talon smiled. “Good. I hate what they’ve been through. I hate it. I want to kill the people responsible, even though two of them are my father and yours.”

“I feel you,” she said. “Believe me.”

“How’s Juliet?” I asked.

“She’s better. As with the boys, it’s slow, but it’s steady. She’s eating more now, and those pups are like magic to her and the boys.”

“You know,” I said to Talon. “This place is huge. I bet we could bring all the women and kids here and get them healthy while we search for their parents.”

“I’ll mention it to Dad,” Talon said.

“Dad? Are you kidding? Dad’s been here this whole time. No, we’re going to take care of this ourselves. You’ll help, won’t you, babe?”

“Of course. But Ryan, this isn’t our house. It may look just like your house, but it isn’t. We can’t control what goes on here.”

“The hell we can’t.”

“She’s right, Ry,” Talon said.

I balled my hands into fists. “I have to get Anna out of there!”

“We will,” Ruby said. “Somehow. Believe me. I’m just as determined as you are.” She sighed, her eyes misting. “We won’t be able to save them all. My father told me that my cousin Gina had been sold. Sold like a fucking animal!”