Page 35 of The Bratva's Secret Baby

“Thank you.” I inhaled a deep breath, trying to ease the tension in my chest. My hands were clammy by now, but I tried not to show any signs of nervousness.

“I need you to tell me the truth, Kendrick. Was my brother working as an informant for the police?”

The silence that followed my question was palpable. The air grew thicker by the second, and my heart raced with anticipation.

Kendrick rose from his chair and walked to the window, blocking the sunlight with his tall and imposing figure. He glanced out the window with his back to me for several minutes.

As he turned around to look at me, there was a mixture of regret and sadness in his eyes. “Yes,” he replied, breaking the silence. “Your brother infiltrated The Circle as an informant for the police.”

It was only after he answered that I realized I’d been holding my breath. Tears stung my eyes, fogging his huge frame.

“How could you…” I broke off, choking back tears. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I’d wanted to,” he said. “But I was afraid it wouldn’t be safe for you if you knew.”

I scoffed, reeling as I tried to process the information.

“You were afraid it wouldn’t be safe for me?” My teeth dug into my lower lips. “Did you think about how unsafe it would be for me, sneaking around The Circle, risking my life to find evidence?”

Kendrick leaned against the wall next to the window.

“It wasn’t my fault, Rosanne.” His voice was oddly soft for the situation. “You told me you were investigating The Circle for your law studies. You never said you wanted revenge for your brother.”

He must think I’m stupid.

“That was the reason you didn’t tell me?”

He didn’t answer.

“Right. You didn’t tell me because you were using me too!” The ache in my chest dissolved into a pit of fury. I was seeing red right now, and spewing balls of fire. “You just needed someone to do all the dirty work, didn’t you? You were worried that if I found out the truth about my brother, I would stop investigating further into The Circle, weren’t you? And you needed to get as much information about them as you could get.”

“Rosanne, it’s not what you think.”

“Is it not?” My body trembled with undiluted rage, and the feeling of betrayal crept in. “How do I know you did not just send him on a mission as an informant? Did you send him to the Viper’s lair and abandon him?”

“I kept it from you to protect you, Rosanne.” He repeated as he walked back to his table. “The Circle is a dangerous organization, and the mission was a top-secret project. Please try and understand that I couldn’t tell you everything. I just needed your information.”

“So, it was a secret that I was investigating them for you.” I flew to my feet. My anger was growing by the second, and I had no idea what I might say or do if I stayed any longer.

“Thank you for confirming the truth and thank you for making me fear for my life all these years!” I snarled at him and made my way to the door, when he asked, “How did you find out?”

I glanced over my shoulder. “You don’t expect me to answer that, do you?”

He didn’t reply.

I figured.

I whirled around and left his office. I spent the rest of the morning driving through the busy streets, hoping to clear my mind.

Six years ago, I had only one goal, to bring down the organization and get justice for Eric. But everything had turned upside down. Who was lying, who was telling the truth?

The one person I trusted had kept an important piece of information from me for years. What the hell was I supposed to do now?

I drove around aimlessly for a while trying to straighten the thoughts in my mind. Time flew by as my alarm clock beeped to let me know it was time to pick up Kaity from school.

I parked in the parking lot and strolled down the narrow hallway. A smile curled my lips as I heard the shouting of children reciting the alphabet.

I reached the classroom where Kaity always waited for me to pick her up.