Page 120 of When the Smoke Clears

Across the room, Ryan finishes checking on Mom’s arm and walks over, medical bag already unzipped. “You’ve been keeping me busy this week.”

I lower myself onto the leather couch with a groan, trying to ignore the way my siblings circle closer like anxious sentries. The harsh beam of Ryan’s flashlight drills into my pupils, slicing my skull in two.

“You’ve got a concussion.”

“I know. But Isla doesn’t have the luxury of me sitting this out. Just stop the bleeding, stitch me up, and let me do my job.”

He exhales, raising his palms in surrender. “Alright. I’ll work fast.”

“Sorry,” I mutter, closing my eyes against the stabbing pain. “I just…I can’t think about anything else right now.”

“I know.” His voice softens. “Let’s get you patched so you can focus.”

Dalton, Chase, Eden, and Savannah settle in a semicircle, silent but watchful. Their faces blur at the edges of my vision until Ryan’s needle pierces flesh.

A jolt of fire tears through the back of my skull. I hiss but force the words out anyway. “I need to tell you something.”

The room stills.

Ryan pours antiseptic into the wound, and the sting blooms sharp, spreading like fire ants biting down in unison. I dig my nails into my palms and push through.

“After the shooting…I found out Nathaniel isn’t my father.”

Savannah gasps, stumbling back a step.

Eden covers her face, shoulders shaking as tears slip through her fingers.

Dalton doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe. His jaw remains locked, his stare hollow as though the ground beneath him has just vanished.

“You’re sure?” Dalton’s voice is barely more than a whisper.

I meet his eyes. “I’m sure, D.”

“But that’s not all.” My voice hardens, pulling them back. “If Nathaniel lied about that, imagine what else he’s hiding. And what I’ve already uncovered…”

I shake my head, the bitter taste on my tongue. “It goes deeper than any of us realized.”

Chase shoots up from his chair, arms folded tight across his chest, jaw clenched. “What exactly is he involved in?”

I hesitate, every muscle tight, my mind scrambling to line up the fragments of information I’ve gathered. “I don’t know the full extent yet,” I admit, forcing the words out.

“But it looks like he’s tangled in a lot of illegal dealings with people much more powerful than him. He can’t see a way out. And that makes him desperate.”

Savannah begins pacing, her footsteps quick and restless, as she mutters under her breath.

Eden sits frozen, biting at her nails, her gaze darting helplessly between us like a trapped bird.

Dalton’s eyes lock with mine, hard as steel, no hesitation. “So, we have to find him.”

Guilt stabs me like a blade. I’m asking them to hunt the man who raised them. I steady myself, but my voice comes out rough. “This is a lot to ask. He’s still your father. I know it’s a hell of a thing to process. And the longer he’s out there, the worse it gets—for this town, and for Mom.”

Dalton’s jaw ticks, his face unreadable, but he doesn’t step back. Chase moves to his side, shoulder brushing his, fire flashing in his eyes. A united front.

For years, I’ve wondered if I really belonged here, if some part of them could feel the lie written in my blood. But now, when it costs them the most, they plant themselves on my side.

“Tell us what you need, Luke,” Chase says. “We’re with you.”

Ryan clears his throat, pulling the last stitch tight at the back of my skull. “All done.”