Chapter 13 - THE HOUSE THAT BURNED TWICEGlass shattered.
I threw Caleb to the floor.
Rachel crawled toward him.
Daniel pulled Ethan behind the kitchen counter.
My father stood perfectly still.
He looked toward the window.
“They found us.”
“Who?”
“The people who still work for Julian.”
I grabbed a fire extinguisher.
My father laughed.
“You think that will help?”
“No.”
I swung it anyway.
We escaped through the back.
The old Hale house sat twenty miles outside the city.
The police had it marked as condemned.
But when we arrived, lights glowed behind the boarded windows.
Someone lived there.
Inside, the walls smelled of smoke.
Not old smoke.
Fresh.
Rachel looked at me.
“I remember this place.”
“You were here?”
“Once.”
She touched the wall.
“He brought me here after I escaped the hospital.”
My father stood behind her.
“You should not have come back.”
“We have no choice.”
“Yes.”
He looked at Caleb.
“Unfortunately, neither does he.”
We found Claire in the basement.
She was tied to a chair.
Alive.
Julian stood behind her.
Older now.
But still smiling.
“Thomas.”
I walked closer.
“You're finished.”
Julian shook his head.
“No.”
He pointed to Caleb.
“I'm waiting.”
“For what?”
“For him to choose.”
Rachel stepped beside me.
“Choose what?”
Julian smiled.
“Who his father is.”
I frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
Julian looked at Caleb.
“Your biological father was Julian Cross.”
Rachel shook her head.
“No.”
Julian smiled.
“Ask your son who he remembers.”
Caleb started trembling.
“Dad…”
Julian nodded.
“I was there.”
I looked at Rachel.
She whispered,
“He's lying.”
Julian pulled another photograph from his coat.
It showed Rachel in the hospital.
Holding newborn Caleb.
Beside her stood my father.
And another man.
Julian.
I stared.
My father said nothing.
Julian stepped closer.
“Thomas, you have believed one lie after another because everyone around you needed you to.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
Julian pointed to the photograph.
“Your father was not Caleb's legal protector.”
“Then who?”
“Me.”
I felt my knees weaken.
Julian continued.
“I was the biological father.”
Rachel screamed,
“No!”
Julian looked at her.
“You loved me once.”
“I hated you.”
“You loved me enough to have my son.”
Rachel shook her head.
“I never told you.”
Julian smiled.
“You didn't have to.”
He turned toward Caleb.
“Your mother tried to hide you.”
“She never did.”
“She tried.”
My father suddenly stepped forward.
“You're lying about the paternity.”
Julian looked at him.
“Am I?”
My father took out a document.
DNA test.
I stared at it.
The results were clear.
Julian was not Caleb's father.
I exhaled.
Julian laughed.
“You still don't understand.”
He turned to my father.
“You forged the test.”
My father looked at me.
“Thomas.”
I whispered,
“Who is Caleb's biological father?”
No one answered.
Then Claire spoke from the chair.
“Thomas.”
I turned.
She was crying.
“It was your brother.”
I stopped.
“My brother died before I was born.”
Claire shook her head.
“He didn't.”
The room spun.
“What?”
“He disappeared.”
Rachel closed her eyes.
Julian smiled.
“Now we're getting somewhere.”
I looked at my father.
He finally nodded.
“Your brother survived.”
“What was his name?”
My father answered.
“Michael.”
I whispered the name.
A name I had been told belonged to a dead infant.
Julian stepped back.
“He is the man who has been funding everything.”
I stared.
“Where is he?”
Julian smiled.
“In the next room.”
A door opened.
A man stepped out.
He looked enough like me to make my blood run cold.
Same eyes.
Same jaw.
Same scar over the eyebrow.
May you like
My dead brother was alive.
And he was holding a gun to my son's head.
