Page 52 of Brutal Truths

My throat tightens, tears fill my eyes. It should be enough—him still claiming me as his sister—but it doesn’t stop the shift inside me.

I’m not the same. I can’t pretend I am.

“However,” he says, softer now. “If you need to understand the whys—then we will find them. Whatever it takes. We’ll uncover the truth. Just understand this: your place in our family does not change.”

“I need to know,” I tell him.

“Then I’ll do all I can to make that happen.”

Darius speaks next. “Do you have any other information for us?”

“Trent’s upset I didn’t take Isabel back to Soulcombe,” Aiden says. “I’ve been dodging his calls, just like I did yours.”

His hand runs down my arm, the warmth of his skin a stark contrast to the chill in the air, grounding me without effort.

“But that won’t last. Not if we want him to cooperate. There was an envelope inside Rico’s safe addressed to him. Not to mention the brooch I found. Both are in his possession.”

His tone hardens. “He’s involved. I’m sure of it. I just don’t know how deep or what it all means yet.”

My mind latches on to one thing. A brooch.

I reach for the memory, turning it over again and again, but nothing comes. My grandmother rarely wore jewelry. Said it always got in the way. And when she did, it was usually earrings, pearl ones.

I can’t for the life of me figure out what he’s talking about.

And the envelope… Why would my grandfather have an envelope with Trent’s name on it locked away in his safe? Was he holding something for him?

The confusion is suffocating—layered, constant, impossible to untangle.

The story of my life as of late.

“Then don’t put him off too much longer,” Darius starts. “I can send⁠—”

“Like hell you will.”

Aiden’s voice cuts sharp, tension coiling through it as his hand tightens against my arm. “Her security will be my responsibility now. If you have a problem with that, too fucking bad.”

Antonio weighs in. “Her protection is the sole responsibility of the Royal Guard. It’s protocol.”

“Pardon my French, Your Majesty, but you can take your protocol and shove it up your royal arse.”

Aiden’s done holding back. He’s on a roll and lets his thoughts be known. “I’ve gotten past those damn guards more than once. They were on duty when she was taken. That alone disqualifies them. They’re fired. Done. I have a new team in place. Full lockdown. No one, not even the Pope, will get near her without clearance.”

The tension builds, and the next words out of my brother’s mouth don’t help.

“And who are you,” Antonio presses, “to make that decision?”

I lift my hand to stop Aiden before he can tear into him.

My turn.

“He’s the person I trust the most right now.” My voice stays calm, but firm. “The only one who hasn’t lied to me. And if you have a problem with that, you can get over it. He’s going to be around for a while, so get used to dealing with him.”

“He lied about his job.” Antonio points out.

My gaze shifts to Aiden, steady. “Did he? I don’t recall ever asking him what he did for a living. And when I finally did, he told me. No hesitation.”

Time to put my brother in his place. “And that’s not what I meant, and you know it.”