Chapter Five
The trek up to Garrick’s office filled me with trepidation. I hadn’t let go of Garrick’s hand since we got out of the car. I needed him. I had no idea what to expect. I tried to recall exactly what they looked like when I met them, but I could only conjure up blurry images. Nothing stuck out that I was their child. Of course we still had the DNA test to verify it, but I knew what it would say.
The elevator doors opened to Shaw International.
This was it. No turning back.
Pausing, I took a deep breath as I surveyed the office. All the lights were on, but not a soul was working. Of course not, it’s the middle of the night.
I looked around again. So much had happened since I first came up here with my ex-boss, Mickey, to work on the gala for Shaw Industries. That meeting had led to me meeting the love of my life and Hastings for the first time. And now, everything had come full circle.
Joe led the way while briefing us. “The Monroes are in Garrick’s office. They had a driver but have complied with your wishes. Ricardo and Hastings were armed but surrendered their weapons upon entering the property. Hastings alerted us that they were armed.”
“Thank you, Joe.”
Armed. They had guns. Of course they had guns. The bottom line—these were dangerous people.
We walked down the hall until Garrick’s office door was in front of us. Joe grabbed the handle.
“Wait,” I blurted out.
Garrick and Joe froze and looked my way. I needed a minute. Just a minute. My biological parents and brother were in the room beyond that door. After this moment happened, there was no going back. I wasn’t ready, yet I needed to do this. Inside, I shook as my stress level inched higher.
I took a deep breath and nearly jumped when Garrick’s hand squeezed mine.
“You okay?”
I nodded, unsure what to say. I kept staring at the door.
Garrick’s phone vibrated, and he looked at the screen and then typed something. I raised my eyebrow in question. “Hastings asked if we were outside the door. I told him yes, but to give you a minute. Do you want to leave?”
“No!” I can do this. Protecting my parents is my first priority. I cleared my throat. “Okay, Joe, please open the door.”
Garrick squeezed my hand again. “You don’t have to do this now.”
Out of nowhere, I felt a strength I’d had no idea lay hidden under the surface. “I want to get it over with. Please open the door, Joe.”
The door opened and three sets of eyes turned our way. Joe walked in first, followed by Garrick and me, side by side. The air grew tense, and I scooted even closer to Garrick. No one spoke. They were obviously waiting for me to begin. I had requested the meeting, after all.
Hoping my voice stayed strong, I said, “Evelyn, Ricardo, it’s nice to see you again.”
The woman smiled warmly, which threw me a little. “It’s such a miracle to see you again. I never imagined…I…” Her voice caught, and Ricardo wrapped his arms around her.
Gentleness from Ricardo took me by surprise. The words “the mob” gave me the perception of a cold, heartless monster.
It was best to get my concerns out of the way. The last thing I wanted were any preconceived notions of manipulation on my end. “I need your word that my parents, Barb and Wyatt, won’t be harmed. They are innocent.” Ricardo’s eyes hardened, and fear shot through me. As I suspected, they were angry. I pressed on, adding strength to my voice. “They thought I was their grandchild. Their daughter left me on their front porch with a note.” I fished the two photos out of my purse. “This one is Carrie and the other is me—both of us around three months old. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of Barb and Wyatt. I do favor them.”
I handed the pictures to Joe, who took them to Evelyn and Ricardo. She gasped. “You were such a beautiful baby.” Evelyn gently touched the photo, devouring the image.
Ricardo said nothing.
“I need your word.” Still nothing. This wasn’t going to work, and I began to panic. I needed to leave, to think. I turned to Garrick. “This was a mistake.”
Garrick put his arm around me and turned us toward the door.
From behind us, Hastings said, “Garrick, I—”
“This is Knoah’s meeting. Not mine. She’s given the terms.”
As we crossed over the threshold, I heard, “Wait!” and the sound of Ricardo’s voice jolted me. “If I agree no harm will come to the Knoxes, will you agree to get to know us?”
I froze. This would protect my parents. They would be safe. But it would force me to spend more time with these people, and I hated being forced.
But to protect my parents, I would.
We turned to face them, and Ricardo’s eyes softened. “They will be kept safe. I will issue an order for their protection. All I ask is you meet with us.”
“How many times?” I asked stiffly.
Ricardo gave a small smile. “Let’s try it and go from there.”
Will I be stuck in this forever? My parents’ safety was based on my agreeing to meet with them. This rubbed me the wrong way. Yes, part of me wanted to know them. But being left without a choice took away some of the desire. I squared my shoulders, though I was freaking out on the inside. “Garrick controls the security,” I said, knowing this was only one of my conditions.
“Fair enough. Everything was reasonable tonight.”
I continued to list my terms. “I won’t be part of what you do.”
“Understood.”
“No one is told of our connection.”
“Agreed.”
“What do you expect of me?”
Ricardo watched me for a second. “We only want to get to know you.”
Later I would process. I glanced up at Garrick. “Anything else?”
He smiled, approval evident on his face. It vanished as he faced the Monroes. “We need full disclosure on what is going on with Navarro.”
“I will share the pertinent information.”
Evelyn’s hopeful expression made me ache. The pain she’d endured had to be imaginable. Am I being too harsh? But still, my heart hurt for her. I really wasn’t a mean person. I said, “I’m sorry I have to use myself as a bargaining chip to protect my parents.”
She took a few steps forward. “You love them. It’s not easy for me, but I understand. Can we talk for a few minutes? I know you’re tired.”
“Does this count as one of the meetings?”
She flinched at my question. It had come out harsher than I’d intended, but these were the parameters Ricardo set up in exchange for my parents’ safety. I wanted to get to know Evelyn and Ricardo on equal footing, not like this.
“What if I called tomorrow?” Evelyn asked. Doesn’t she want to talk now? I glanced at Ricardo, unsure if this was part of the deal. “Would you give me a second to speak with my husband?”
“Of course.” Are we supposed to stay or go? Beside me, Garrick watched the scene unfold, ready to intervene if necessary.
Gracefully, Evelyn took her husband’s arm. She looked at her son and asked, “Hastings, will you wait in here with Garrick and Knoah?”
“Yes, Mom.”
I watched as they left, seeing the similarities in movement. Joe remained just inside the doorway with us, his eyes trained on Hastings. It seemed a little ridiculous to be silent. “So, we’re brother and sister?”
“We are. It was a nice thing for you to let them come.”
“It’s a terrible situation.”
“It is.”
Hastings nodded, and I remembered he’d been affected by all this, too. He remembered me. Had lost me. Watched his parents grieve the loss of a child. I softened a little on the inside. The conflict within me grew. I wanted to know my brother, my biological parents, my whole family better. How can this work?
The doors reopened, and my heart thundered in my chest. For support, I leaned into Garrick’s side. Ricardo and Evelyn walked in, their expressions tense.
What had been said?
“Barb and Wyatt will be safe, regardless. Evelyn and I hope you will continue to get to know us. But holding them as a bargaining chip isn’t beneficial to either party. There’s no pressure to see us or talk to us ever again.”
I smiled. They wanted to get to know me, but by my own free will. This meant it would be my choice. My throat grew thick. “Thank you. We can talk for a few minutes tonight if you want.”
At her husband’s side, Evelyn smiled and her hazel eyes sparkled. This had been what she wanted.
Garrick moved us to one of the two couches, and the Monroes perched on the other, giving me their full attention. Evelyn asked, “Did you have a good childhood?”
“Yes, I was very happy and loved. Next time, I can bring some pictures if you’d like.”
Where did that come from? Next time? Bring pictures? Part of me wanted to know more, to ease the pain I felt from them.
“That would be lovely. I will bring some, as well, if you’d like.”
“Yes, I’d like that very much.”
Gasping, she inclined her head toward my hand. “You’re engaged?”
Everyone’s eyes shot to me and then Garrick. They knew we’d known each other for a very short time.
“Today. We got engaged today. Or, wait…yesterday afternoon, technically.”
She stood and held out her arms as though she wanted to congratulate me. Then remembered herself and sat. It was awkward, but I found myself wanting to comfort her. A simple congratulation was a normal reaction. And Evelyn had loved me her entire life.
I stood and held out my hands. Evelyn walked up to me and gathered me in her arms. And I felt comforted by her embrace. It was strange yet familiar at the same time. In a weird way, I seemed to recognize her touch. I held her closer, and Evelyn let out a sob.
“You’re alive. I dreamed of holding you again. I never lost hope. Never.”
Hastings watched us, his expression blank. When our eyes met, they locked. This is my brother. He nodded and mouthed, “Thank you.”
She pulled back and lifted her hair. “We have the same birthmark.”
It was the same—a broken heart. Hesitantly, I reached out to touch it before I remembered myself.
“It’s okay. You can touch it.”
It was slightly raised like mine.
The same shape.
The same crack down the middle of the heart.
It was identical.
“Hastings mentioned it was how you identified me.”
She squeezed my hand. “Yes, it was. Since we got the text from Navarro, we’ve done everything possible to keep you safe while we determined what the best thing was for you.” Her mouth turned up and she focused her attention on Garrick. “Who would have thought all those years ago, as you ate at our table, you’d fall in love with our daughter.”
Garrick stood behind us and smiled. “I thought about that this evening, as well.”
I stared at the woman closely, realizing I was a younger version of her in so many ways. Glancing at Ricardo, I noticed a similarity. “I have your eyes.”
He softened. “Yes, you do. And everything else is your mot—is Evelyn’s.”
This was hard. She wasn’t my mother, yet she was. I took a step back and dropped my head. “I don’t know how to do this. It’s all terribly confusing. I feel like I’m hurting you every time I talk about Mom and Dad. I mean Barb and Wyatt.” My eyes filled with tears. “See, I know that has to hurt, but it’s natural. I’m sorry.”
Evelyn stroked my cheek, and I looked into her eyes, which were filled with love. “This is new for all of us. Be natural with us. Refer to Barb and Wyatt as your Mom and Dad. All I want is to get to know you. You’re a grown woman now. For all twenty-six years of your life, you’ve known only them as your parents. This won’t be easy and it won’t be quick.”
Some of the tension ebbed. “Thank you.”
“You look exhausted.”
“I am.”
“Please go get some rest.” Evelyn took Ricardo’s hand before turning back to me. “Thank you for tonight.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. My mind had reached its emotional limit. Garrick led me to the door, but I stopped before we walked out. This was not how I wanted our first meeting to end. I wanted to know more—more about why I was taken—and I wanted to know them. I walked to Garrick’s desk and wrote my number on a piece of paper.
Handing the piece of paper to Evelyn, I said, “This is my number. Feel free to call me. I would like to get together again and get to know you guys more. I have a lot of questions.”
“As do I.” She cradled the paper to her chest. “Night, sweet Knoah.”
“Good night.”