The Hard Truth

chapter 7

Lucas stared at me with guilt written all over his face. "I thought you said he was dead," he says quietly.

"Well that's what I thought but apparently not!"

"Are you sure it's him?"

"Yes I'm sure! He's my brother!"

"I'm sorry," he says even quieter.

"It's fine. Let's just go back so I can try to fix this mess."

"You mean we?"

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just go."

"Why are you in such a hurry? You already know his name so it should be easy to track him."

"He is dead."

"You just said he wasn't?"

I groan getting frustrated, "he is in the data. He doesn't exist anymore. He is someone else now."

I turn away from him and start heading back to the hotel. It hurt to discuss this. I had to get to work to find my brother. Never looking back I get to the room and pull out my laptop. I sit down at the desk putting on my reading glasses. Pulling out my phone I text Lainey.

Madeline: I need help

Lainey: What is it

M: Lucas is pissed at me right now

L: aww not loverboy

M: I'm not joking

L: okay okay what happened

M: I saw my brother

L: wait i thought he was dead

M: Yeah so did I but he is Hanks assistant

L: I'm so sorry. Why is lucas mad at you though?

M: I completely froze and then ran out while we were with Hanks and Parker leaving him to fend for himself

L: he should understand whats wrong though

M: im not sure if he does

L: well have u talked to him

M: yeah and then i ditched him and ran back to the hotel

L: do you need help with anything then? Do you need me to try to find your brother?

I see us as Lucas comes in with an annoyed expression on his face. I quickly look back down so I didn't get the little speech.

M: yeah but could you try looking for a guy named Red in the system. That is what his nickname used to be. I'll be looking also.

L: sure thing

I put down my phone and pull out my laptop setting it on the deck. Lucas hadn't said a word to be since he walked in like I expected him to. I some that aside not wanting to think about it. It took a while to get into the TRR's database. Scrolling though I stop on a name I had never wanted to see again. My hands started shaking. Garret Lennox.

Then thing is my dad, Dalles, wasn't my biological dad. Garret was. When I was younger I used to have to visit him since that was part of the deal after my parents divorced. Then angeryer my dad was the worse it was to be around him. He was there, as they put it, negotiator. Now that doesn't sound bad but it is. He got information out of people and not the friendly way. I looked like my dad more than my mom. That's why Parker and I didnt look alike. I got both my eyes and hair from my dad and I hated it. My mom had some green in her eyes and that's why I did but I still looked so much like my dad.Parker had red hair like my mom and brown eyes like Dalles.

Pulling me away from my thoughts I get an email from Lainy. It had exactly everything that I needed to find Parker. That is what I intended to do. Tomorrow I was going to bring down Parka no matter what it took.

I wake up with a blanket over my shoulders. I had fallen asleep at the desk. My glasses were off and sitting next to me. Sitting up, I could definitely tell my shoulder and neck weren't too happy with my sleeping position. Looking around I didn't see Lucas anywhere. I decided to grab a change of clothes and shower since I wouldn't have him around to bother me. I take my time getting ready for the day. As long as I was ready by six tonight I would be fine. Parker was meeting up with someone alone for a deal and my plane was to grab him after that.

Walking out of the bathroom I see Lucas sitting on the edge of his bed focused on his phone.

"Lucas," I say getting his attention. "Thanks for...you know...the blanket and taking off my glasses."

Looking at me, he says, "It was nothing."

"By the way...I'm not sure when you were planning on leaving but tonight at six, my brother, Parker will be meeting with somebody for a deal and I was thinking we could grab him right after?" I say in a question.

"Why are you asking?"

"Well I just wanted to make sure it was okay."

"Yeah it's fine. Our flight doesn't leave until eight thirty anyway. Do you have any certain plan?"

"Well yeah kinda," I say now sitting on my bed with my legs crossed.

Lucas brings his legs up crossing them as well and facing me. "Care to share?"

"Well he's meeting them at this bar and ill just ask him to come outside so we can talk. Then once he's outside by the side of the building you can come out. I already got help and they said that they will take care of them after that."

"Are you sure that will work just asking him like that?"

"If my brother still has that weakness It will work easily."

"What's that exactly?"

"Me. I saw how he looked at me the other night and I can tell that he still cares about me at least a little bit. Mostly hate but if he cares the tiniest bit he'll break."

"This better work."

"Its will."

"By the way the private plane is taking us back."

"Really! But how-"

"I know people," he says with a smirk. "By the way i never knew you had glasses."

"Yeah but they're just for reading."

I expected him to say something but he doesn't and just nods his head. The rest of the day we don't talk to each other. My thoughts were everywhere. First about Parker then to Garret. That night I had changed into my dress. It was a black lace dress that went to my thighs and my hair in loose curls. I put on small black heels that had a sandle look to them. Surprisingly Lucas was wearing a suit without a tie and his hair done nicely to the side. We had sent someone out to get us these clothes for tonight. The dress wasn't my favorite but it would do. Tonight was going to be a long night.