Chapter 21 - THE SECRET DAMIAN COULDN’T DIE WITH
Damian did not fall.
That frightened Caitlyn more.
He looked down at the blood.
Then back at Julian.
Almost annoyed.
Marco fired once.
Julian’s weapon flew from his hand.
His men scattered as sirens erupted outside.
Caitlyn ran to Damian.
“Sit down.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’ve been shot.”
“Shoulder.”
“People generally consider that bad.”
He almost smiled.
Then his knees buckled.
Caitlyn caught him with Marco.
“Damian.”
“I’m fine.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because you look terrified.”
“I am terrified!”
His eyes found hers.
For one second the warehouse disappeared.
No Julian.
No guns.
No blood.
Just them.
“Don’t,” Caitlyn whispered.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t you dare turn this into one of those dramatic moments where you tell me something beautiful and then pass out.”
Damian’s mouth moved.
“Wasn’t planning to.”
“Good.”
Then he passed out.
Caitlyn swore.
He woke in the hospital three hours later.
Caitlyn was sitting beside him.
Noah slept in another chair.
Marco stood outside.
Vincent had gone to deal with federal investigators.
Damian opened his eyes.
“Did we win?”
Caitlyn stared at him.
“Are you twelve?”
“I assume Julian was arrested.”
“Yes.”
“Rebecca?”
“Giving a statement.”
“Noah?”
She pointed.
Noah snored lightly.
Damian relaxed.
Then noticed Caitlyn’s expression.
“What?”
“You lied to me again.”
He blinked.
“That seems poorly timed.”
“Rebecca told me something while you were in surgery.”
Damian’s face changed.
“What?”
“She said you visited her eight years ago.”
Silence.
Caitlyn leaned back.
“You knew she survived.”
“Yes.”
There it was.
No evasion.
At least not now.
“When?”
“Eight years ago.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I promised her I wouldn’t.”
Caitlyn laughed bitterly.
“You made a promise to a woman who just pulled my brother into a revenge plot.”
“She wasn’t like this then.”
“Who was she?”
“Broken.”
His voice softened.
“I found her living under another name in Vermont.”
“Why?”
“I had spent years investigating the twelve people.”
“You were trying to learn what happened to your mother.”
“Yes.”
“And Rebecca told you.”
“Most of it.”
Caitlyn rubbed her forehead.
“What did she ask from you?”
“For me to leave her alone.”
“That’s all?”
“No.”
Damian looked toward Noah.
“She made me promise never to expose Helena’s story unless it could no longer hurt you.”
Caitlyn stopped.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why would your mother’s story hurt me?”
Damian said nothing.
“Damian.”
He closed his eyes.
“Because your father didn’t just help Helena escape.”
Caitlyn waited.
“He loved her.”
The room went silent.
Caitlyn stared at him.
“No.”
“I don’t know what happened between them.”
“No.”
“Caitlyn—”
“My parents loved each other.”
“I’m sure they did.”
“You’re telling me my father had an affair with your mother?”
“I’m telling you Rebecca believed he did.”
Caitlyn stood.
“This is insane.”
“I know.”
“Does my mother know?”
“I don’t know.”
Her mother had been dead for years.
No answer was coming.
Caitlyn walked toward the window.
Every revelation seemed to reach backward and rearrange her childhood.
“Is that why my father helped her?”
“Maybe.”
“Is that why he died?”
“Maybe.”
She turned.
“And you knew all this before we married?”
“I knew Rebecca believed it.”
Caitlyn stared at him.
“You decided I couldn’t handle the possibility.”
“No.”
“You decided for me.”
“Yes.”
The honesty somehow made it worse.
Caitlyn grabbed her coat.
Damian sat up.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“I’ll come.”
“You were shot three hours ago.”
“Minor detail.”
“No.”
“Caitlyn.”
She stopped at the door.
He looked suddenly less like Damian Hamilton and more like the frightened boy Evelyn had described.
“Are you leaving me?”
The question hit harder than anger would have.
Caitlyn looked at him for a long moment.
“I’m going home.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“No.”
Her voice softened.
“I’m not leaving you.”
His shoulders lowered slightly.
“But I am angry.”
“I know.”
“I don’t know when I’m going to stop being angry.”
“I know.”
“And if you ever decide again that loving me gives you permission to edit my life—”
“I won’t.”
“You better not.”
She left.
At home that night, Caitlyn opened a box of her father’s belongings.
Letters.
Tax documents.
Old photographs.
Nothing.
Then she found a birthday card.
Her father had written it when she turned fourteen.
To my brave girl.
Never confuse protecting someone with controlling what they’re allowed to know.
Caitlyn stared at the sentence.
Then she laughed.
Because apparently Thomas Elmore had understood Damian Hamilton twenty years before Caitlyn met him.
A photograph slipped from inside the card.
Thomas stood beside Helena.
The same photograph from the vault.
Except this copy had something written on the back.
Caitlyn turned it over.
Helena—
If anything happens to me, take Dominic and Caitlyn.
Keep them together.
Caitlyn’s blood went cold.
She read it again.
Dominic and Caitlyn.
Not two strangers.
Not children from separate families.
May you like
Her father had known Damian.
And somehow, before Caitlyn had even learned to walk, Thomas Elmore had imagined a future in which Damian Hamilton might become part of her life.
