I also knew that if I turned and walked out of the kitchen, they'd all know it was because I was still running. And I couldn’t keep doing that, especially not after my discussion with Toni yesterday.

Still, I wasn't in any mood to eat. “I’m not too hungry.”

Toni’s shoulders drooped slightly and my heart gave a wild thump.

When I took a step toward the table, her eyes slid up to mine and I managed a smile this time. I sat in the seat next to hers. “But I will sit down while I drink my coffee.” Giving her a sideways glance, I asked quietly, “How did you sleep?”

“Lousy.” She shrugged and went back to picking at her food. “The room’s lovely and all, but...it’s not mine.”

Isadora and Colton were quiet now and I knew they were listening. Toni must've known it too, but she didn't look up from her plate.

“I kept thinking about my family,” she continued. “My parents are worried. My brothers are mad. And it’s not like I can explain anything yet, can I?”

I was reaching for her hand before I even realized what I was doing. I didn’t stop myself, though. She jumped when I touched her, but didn't pull away. She did, however, look up.

Twining our fingers together, I held her gaze with mine. “I’m sorry.”

I felt stupid saying it, but I didn’t really know what else to say.

“So.” Isadora broke the silence and drew my attention away from Toni. “I already have our weekend activities planned.”

I blinked at her. She what? “And what's that?” I asked.

A laughing smile on her face, Isadora propped her elbow on the table and cradled her chin in her palm. “Going through paperwork and pictures. Trying to see if we can’t find something to jog my memory or a picture or something. Figuring out who the hell is doing all this, remember?”

I nodded my agreement as Toni shifted on the seat next to me and leaned forward, a frown on her face as she looked at my sister. For a moment, all I could think was that she’d managed to move closer to me. I felt the warmth of her thigh against mine, and the scent of her flooded me. A fist closed around my throat and my cock pulsed, suddenly hard and uncomfortable.

“What exactly are you looking for, Isadora?” Toni's voice was gentle, but firm. “Do you really think you’re going to find something or are you just hoping?”

Isadora’s eyes slid away.

I understood. In the face of Toni’s unwavering confidence, the newly found assurance that Isadora seemed to be relying on just didn’t seem as steady. But she didn’t back down like I'd thought she would. Lifting her chin, my sister met Toni’s gaze again.

“I’m not sure, but there’s something to find. I'm sure of it, and I’ll know it when I see it.”

“Are you sure?” And then Toni's voice trembled slightly. “I’m kind of relying on you for this, Iz.”

My fingers tightened around Toni's and she jerked as if she'd forgotten I was there. Still, she didn't pull away, and I counted that a win.

“There’s something connecting him to my parents, Toni. I know there is.” She reached for her coffee and folded her hands around the mug, staring grimly into the liquid. “Now I just have to find it.”

I felt a tug of pride in my gut at the steadfast surety in her voice. It was like she didn’t have a doubt. In that moment, I think she was more certain than I was. Usually, I was the one who knew what I was doing, the one who had a plan. I was the one in control.

Except, at the moment, I didn't have a clue what the hell I was doing.

Chapter 5

Toni

We'd been at it for two hours and it wasn't getting any easier. I'd been trying not to feel self-conscious with Ash sitting across from me, looking through his own stack of photos and scrapbooks. Every once in a while, I felt his eyes on me, and it took everything I had not to look at him.

It had taken even more strength not to hunt him down last night.

I’d felt more alone in that big, beautiful bed than I'd thought possible. I didn’t want to be alone there.

Fuck it. I didn’t want to be without him, period.

It would have been easier if he'd gone all asshole on me again, but he’d been polite, had smiled at me. Even now, he was being civil.

I didn’t want him to be civil.

I wanted him to...

Stop. I yanked my attention away from all the drama in my head and focused on what I was supposed to be doing. The newspaper articles in front of me were starting to blur together so I shuffled them off to the side. There was no use looking at them if I couldn’t pay close enough attention.

I reached for a leather-bound baby book. Isadora’s name was elegantly inscribed in the leather, making it clear this baby book had been custom made for her. When I opened it, I saw that the pictures and decorations were done by hand, and I smiled at the notes written in the margins or on the lines provided.

Isadora lifted her head today.

Isadora laughed.

Isadora seems to be recognizing her brother. She smiles when she sees Ash.

Next to the last one, there was a picture of a pre-teen Ash holding baby Isadora. She was looking up at him as if he was the most amazing thing she’d ever seen while he grinned down at her with a look that could only be described as brotherly pride.

“You were an adorable baby, Isadora,” I said.

“I’ll have you know that I'm still adorable.” Isadora shot me a grin. She put down her book when she saw what I was looking at and came to stand behind me. Her face softened as she looked over my shoulder. “My mother was big on keeping these.”

Seeing the smile on her face and how she'd relaxed, I turned the page and watched as she reached out to touch another one of the pictures. This one was of the whole family. Then, as she touched another one, her eyes strayed to different images on the page. Her gaze slid away for a moment, and then moved back. I watched as her hand closed into a fist as she sucked in a slow breath and then blew it out hard.

I tensed. Something was up.

“Dory?” Colton was at her side. “What is it?”

I reached over and touched her hand. “Isadora?”

“That’s him,” she whispered.

Ash's head jerked up and he crossed the distance to his sister in a few quick steps. Next to me Isadora swayed, her face gray, lips bloodless. She started to sway even as Ash reached over to take the book from my lap.

Dammit!

I shot up and grabbed Isadora's arm. “Calm down, sweetie. You need to breathe, okay? You’re going to be fine.” As I lowered her into the chair, I continued to talk, keeping my voice low and steady. “You’re safe, okay? You’re safe.” I crouched down in front of her, using my hands to ease her head down. “You with me?”

“Yeah.” Her voice was reed-thin.

Letting go of her head, I gave her a warning. “Don't look up just yet. Take a few more breaths and move slow, okay?”

“Yeah.” Her body shuddered until Colton came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. After a minute or two, she finally looked up at me, her eyes dark and haunted.

“You’re safe, Isadora,” I repeated.

“I know.”

The smile she gave me wasn’t entirely convincing, but I suspected she was trying to convince herself more than anything else. She flicked a look around the room before letting her gaze fall back to the book Ash now held at his side.

“What was it?” I asked, drawing her attention back to me.

“A picture. There’s a picture,” she whispered. “The man in it...I saw him there, Toni. The place where they held me. I saw him.”