Chapter 10: The Brother I Buried
The flashlight shook slightly.
Not because the person holding it was afraid.
Because I was.
Not of the weapon.
Not of the people outside.
Not even of the secrets buried in that room.
I was afraid because the face in front of me belonged to someone I had trusted with my life.
Someone who had stood beside me at funerals.
Someone who had put his hand on my shoulder and told me Mason was gone.
Victor Hale.
My club president.
My brother.
The man who helped lower Mason’s empty coffin into the ground.
He stood in the doorway of the hidden room like he had always belonged there.
“Victor.””
My voice sounded different.
Older.
Colder.
He lowered the flashlight.
“Bear.””
Nobody moved.
Mia was behind me.
I could feel her small hand holding onto my jacket.
Renee looked shocked.
Calvin looked like he expected this.
That bothered me most.
“You knew,” I said.
Victor’s expression didn’t change.
“Knew what?””
I stepped closer.
“You knew Mason was alive.””
A long silence.
Then Victor looked away.
“Yes.””
The answer was so simple it almost hurt more than a lie.
I laughed quietly.
“You knew.””
“I did.””
“For five years?””
“Yes.””
The anger hit me before I could control it.
I grabbed the edge of the table and shoved it.
Papers scattered across the floor.
“Five years.””
Victor didn’t move.
“I buried him.””
“I know.””
“I watched his mother cry over a grave that didn’t have his body in it.””
“I know.””
“I lost my brother.””
Victor’s eyes hardened.
“You think I didn’t?””
That stopped me.
For a second.
Then I remembered everything.
The funeral.
The speeches.
The empty silence afterward.
“You stood there and lied to my face.””
Victor looked at Mia.
“No.””
My jaw tightened.
“Yes.””
He shook his head.
“I protected you.””
I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Protected me?””
“Yes.””
“By letting me believe my best friend was dead?””
“By keeping you alive.””
The room went quiet.
Mia looked between us.
“Bear?””
I turned slightly.
“It’s okay.””
But it wasn’t.
Nothing about this was okay.
I looked back at Victor.
“Explain.””
He walked into the room slowly.
His eyes moved over Mason’s files.
“He knew they would come for anyone close to him.””
“Who?””
Victor looked at me.
“The people Mason was investigating.””
I crossed my arms.
“You keep saying that. People. They. Them.””
My voice sharpened.
“I want names.””
Victor’s face became heavy.
“You’re not ready.””
I stepped forward.
“I lost five years. I think I’m ready.””
Victor looked at the folder in my hand.
“You found Mia’s file.””
“Yes.””
“Then you know enough to understand.””
“No.””
I held it up.
“I know Mason hid a child. I know he lied. I know he watched me suffer.””
My voice cracked.
“But I don’t know why.””
Victor looked at Mia.
“Because he was trying to protect her from the same thing that destroyed his life.””
Renee spoke quietly.
“Tell him.””
Victor looked at her.
“No.””
“Tell him.””
The two stared at each other.
Something passed between them.
Something old.
Something painful.
Finally Victor sighed.
“Mason had a brother.””
I frowned.
“I know.””
“No.””
Victor looked at me.
“You knew about his family.””
A pause.
“But not about his son.””
The room froze.
I looked at him.
“What?””
Victor’s eyes moved to the photograph on the wall.
The one of Mason.
The one with Mia.
And another child.
A boy.
“Five years ago, Mason discovered that his son had been taken.””
My throat tightened.
“Taken by who?””
Victor didn’t answer.
Because he didn’t need to.
I already knew.
The same people.
The same symbol.
The broken wolf.
“Where is his son now?””
Victor looked at the ground.
“I don’t know.””
That was the first time I saw something real in his face.
Guilt.
Deep guilt.
“What happened?””
Victor sat down.
For the first time, he looked old.
“Mason came to me.””
“When?””
“Three days before the crash.””
I stared.
“You were the last person to see him.””
Victor nodded.
“He told me he was going to disappear.””
“And you helped him.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Victor looked at me.
“Because he asked me to do the one thing he knew I would hate.””
“What?””
“Let everyone believe he was dead.””
My fists tightened.
“And you agreed.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Victor looked at Mia.
“Because Mason believed his daughter would only survive if the world stopped looking for him.””
A phone rang.
Everyone froze.
Not mine.
Victor’s.
He looked down.
The screen showed no name.
Just one word.
*SON.*
Victor went completely still.
I noticed.
“You have a son?””
He didn’t answer.
The phone kept ringing.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then Victor answered.
“Hello?””
Nobody spoke.
Then Victor’s face changed.
The color drained from his skin.
“Where did you get this number?””
Silence.
Then a voice came through the speaker.
A young voice.
A boy’s voice.
Victor dropped the phone.
I stared at him.
“What did he say?””
Victor looked at me.
His eyes filled with fear.
“He said…”
A pause.
“He said Mason was never the one they were hunting.””
The room went cold.
“Then who?””
Victor looked toward Mia.
Then toward me.
May you like
And whispered:
“They were hunting you.””
