Born to Fight

Chapter 9

Jamie

I barely made it out of Celeste’s bedroom before I headed downstairs.

My mind was racing.

Celeste didn’t know it yet, but the man she’d seen at the funeral hadn’t been some random stranger.

It had been Billy.

Her father.

The man who had walked away from her mother before Celeste had even been born.

And somehow, after all these years of staying hidden, he’d allowed himself to be seen by the very daughter he’d abandoned.

That wasn’t like Billy.

Not from everything Josh had told me.

Billy was careful. Calculating. The kind of man who could disappear into a crowd and never leave a trace.

So why had he been at Tina’s funeral?

And more importantly…

Why had he been watching Celeste?

I needed answers.

Now.

I found Josh in the kitchen with his head buried in the freezer.

I stopped in the doorway and watched him rummage through the contents like a man searching for buried treasure.

A few seconds later, he triumphantly pulled out a package of rump steaks.

He held them above his head with a grin.

“Jackpot.”

I couldn’t help laughing.

The man had an uncanny ability to find food in even the most inappropriate situations.

Then he noticed me.

His grin disappeared.

He lowered the steaks.

“What?”

“We need to talk.”

His expression immediately became wary.

“About what?”

“Your dad was at the funeral.”

Josh stared at me.

Then he shook his head.

“No.”

“I’m not asking.”

“I doubt it, man. He wouldn’t have been there.”

“He was.”

Josh frowned.

“Jamie—”

“Celeste saw him.”

That stopped him.

His face changed.

“What?”

“She saw a man standing near the tree line. Tall. Black hair. Black clothes. Watching the service.”

Josh shook his head slowly.

“No.”

“I’m telling you, she saw him.”

“My dad wouldn’t be that careless.”

“Apparently, he was.”

Josh looked away.

“Maybe she was mistaken.”

“I don’t think so.”

“She barely saw his face, right?”

“No. But she saw him watching her.”

Josh dragged a hand through his hair.

“There’s no way.”

“Josh.”

He looked at me.

“This isn’t about whether you want to believe it.”

I stepped closer.

“Your father has been hiding this from everyone for seventeen years. He had no business being at that funeral. And if he was there, I need to know why.”

Josh was silent.

I lowered my voice.

“Your family started this mess. Now you need to help fix it.”

His jaw tightened.

“Celeste has lost her mother. She’s been uprooted from her home. She’s terrified. She’s barely sleeping, barely eating, and she’s convinced she’s supposed to be handling all of this because that’s how she was raised.”

I paused.

“And now she thinks she’s losing her mind because some stranger was watching her at her mother’s funeral.”

Josh’s shoulders dropped.

“She isn’t losing her mind.”

“I know that.”

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“Tell her the truth.”

Josh stared at me.

“All of it?”

“Everything you can.”

I stepped closer.

“She deserves to know why everyone around her suddenly seems to know something she doesn’t.”

Josh nodded reluctantly.

“Okay.”

We started toward the kitchen doorway.

Then I stopped.

Because someone was sitting halfway down the stairs.

Celeste.

My stomach dropped.

She had her arms wrapped around herself, Loki sitting beside her.

She’d heard us.

I could tell by the look in her eyes.

“How long have you been sitting there?” I asked.

“Long enough.”

Her voice was quiet.

Too quiet.

And there was something in her expression that hit me harder than anger ever could.

Hurt.

I moved toward her.

“Celeste, whatever you heard—”

“What does Josh have to do with this?”

Josh looked at me.

The silent plea in his eyes was unmistakable.

Help me.

I almost laughed.

This was Josh.

The same man I’d watched walk into situations that would make most grown men question their life choices.

But right now, he looked terrified.

And I knew exactly why.

Because telling Celeste the truth was going to change everything.

“Josh doesn’t have anything to do with what happened to your mother,” I said carefully.

Celeste’s eyes narrowed.

“But?”

I sighed.

“But he does need to tell you some things.”

“I heard you.”

Her voice cracked.

“You said, and I quote, ‘Your family started this mess, now you need to help fix it.’”

Josh looked down.

Celeste’s eyes moved between us.

“How can you possibly say he has nothing to do with this?”

She stood.

“I am not stupid.”

“I know you’re not.”

“Then stop treating me like I am.”

The pain in her voice made my chest tighten.

“I deserve to know what’s happening.”

“You do.”

“Then tell me.”

I looked at Josh.

He swallowed hard.

“Kitchen,” I said quietly.

Celeste hesitated.

Then she followed us.

We sat around the table.

Josh directly across from Celeste.

Me at the head.

Loki settled beside her, apparently unconcerned by the tension hanging over the room.

Celeste looked at both of us.

“Please.”

One word.

But it carried everything.

Fear.

Frustration.

Exhaustion.

“Tell me what’s going on.”

I looked at Josh.

I didn’t need to say anything.

He knew.

Now.

He had to tell her.

Josh stared at Celeste for several seconds.

Then he stood abruptly.

“Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”

He walked out.

Celeste watched him disappear.

Then she looked at me.

I shrugged helplessly.

“I honestly have no idea.”

She didn’t look convinced.

Neither was I.

Silence settled over the kitchen.

Loki lifted his head and rested it gently on Celeste’s lap.

She immediately began running her fingers through his coat.

Her shoulders slowly relaxed.

I watched her for a moment.

“The eyes of loyalty.”

She looked down at Loki.

“What?”

“Those eyes.”

I nodded toward him.

“They tell you everything.”

She smiled faintly.

I continued.

“He’d follow you anywhere.”

Loki’s brown eyes remained fixed on Celeste.

“There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do to protect you.”

I swallowed.

There was something else I wanted to say.

Something I couldn’t.

Because I wanted to tell her that she wasn’t alone.

That I would protect her too.

That if anyone came after her, they’d have to get through me first.

But she had already been through enough.

I didn’t want to add another burden to her shoulders.

The kitchen door opened.

Josh walked back in.

He sat down.

For a moment, he and I looked at each other.

An entire conversation passed between us without either of us speaking.

It was time.

Celeste looked from him to me.

“What?”

Neither of us answered.

Her brow furrowed.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Josh took a deep breath.

Then another.

I almost smiled despite the tension.

I’d seen Josh walk into combat without flinching.

I’d seen him stare down men twice his size.

But right now?

He looked like he was about to step in front of a firing squad.

And I knew exactly why.

He was about to tell a seventeen-year-old girl that the man she’d spent her entire life believing was simply an absent father…

might actually be her father.

His biological sister was sitting directly across from him.

Josh finally looked at Celeste.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

Celeste went completely still.

“But I need to start at the beginning.”

He paused.

“My beginning.”

Celeste frowned.

“This story isn’t entirely mine to tell, so I’m only going to tell you the part that belongs to me.”

He took another breath.

“Okay?”

Celeste nodded slowly.

Josh looked down at the table before forcing himself to meet her eyes again.

“It starts the night Jamie and I arrived at your house.”

Celeste’s expression changed.

“The night my mother was killed.”

“Yes.”

Josh swallowed.

“When we first arrived, I didn’t really notice you. There were police everywhere. Everything was chaotic. Then you spoke to the officers, and I went looking for Jamie.”

Celeste’s eyes narrowed.

“And found him in the kitchen.”

“Yeah.”

“You ran away.”

Josh gave a small, embarrassed laugh.

“I did.”

“You practically looked at me like I’d grown a second head.”

“I know.”

“Why?”

Josh’s smile disappeared.

“Because when I looked at you…”

He stopped.

His eyes flicked toward me.

I gave him a small nod.

Keep going.

He turned back to Celeste.

“I saw something I wasn’t expecting.”

Celeste’s face tightened.

“What?”

Josh rubbed his hands together.

“God, I’m screwing this up.”

He looked at me.

“Dude, help me.”

“No.”

His eyes widened.

I shrugged.

“You’ve got this.”

Josh glared at me.

I almost laughed.

Then he turned back to Celeste.

“There isn’t an easy way to say this.”

Her breathing changed.

I could see the fear creeping into her eyes.

“Just say it.”

Josh nodded.

“Celeste…”

He paused.

“You look exactly like my father.”

The room went silent.

Not quiet.

Silent.

Celeste stared at him.

“What?”

“You look like him.”

Josh’s voice softened.

“You’re basically the female version of him. Same face. Same features.”

He hesitated.

“Except for your eyes and your hair.”

Celeste didn’t move.

She simply stared at him.

I watched a thousand emotions cross her face.

Confusion.

Shock.

Fear.

Disbelief.

And then something else.

Something that broke my heart.

Hope.

A tiny, fragile flicker of it.

She looked down at the table.

I could almost see her searching through seventeen years of memories.

Every conversation with her mother.

Every question she’d asked about the man who had abandoned them.

Every answer Tina had refused to give.

Finally, Celeste looked up.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Josh leaned forward.

“I’m telling you that I think we’re related.”

Her eyes widened.

“Related?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

Josh took a breath.

“I think we’re brother and sister.”

Celeste stared at him.

I could practically hear the gears turning in her head.

“You’re saying…”

She couldn’t finish.

Josh did it for her.

“I think Billy Avery is my father.”

Celeste went completely pale.

Her lips parted.

No sound came out.

Josh continued before she could stop him.

“I’m not guessing, Celeste.”

He looked directly into her eyes.

“I’m so certain that I’d put money on it.”

She shook her head.

“No.”

“I know this is a lot.”

“No.”

“Celeste—”

“No.”

She pushed her chair back slightly.

“You can’t just sit there and tell me something like that.”

“I know.”

“How could you possibly know?”

“Because I’ve seen my father.”

Josh’s voice cracked.

“And I’ve seen you.”

He paused.

“You have his face.”

Celeste’s breathing became uneven.

Then Josh dropped the next bomb.

“And I’ve already called him.”

She froze.

“What?”

“I asked him to come here.”

The colour drained from her face.

“You did what?”

“My father is coming here.”

She stared at him as though he’d just told her the world was ending.

“Why?”

“Because you deserve answers.”

Celeste shook her head.

“You’ve been talking to him?”

“Since the night I first saw you.”

“You’ve known this whole time?”

“I’ve been trying to make sure I wasn’t wrong.”

“And now?”

Josh held her gaze.

“Now I’m sure enough to ask him.”

Celeste looked between Josh and me.

Then her eyes filled with something I couldn’t identify.

Fear.

Anger.

Betrayal.

Maybe all three.

Her voice was barely a whisper.

“So what you’re telling me…”

She swallowed.

“…is that I’m about to come face-to-face with the man who abandoned my mother before I was even born?”

No one answered.

Because there was nothing left to say.

The answer was yes.

And somewhere out there, the man she’d spent seventeen years wondering about was on his way.

Her father.

And possibly Josh’s.

And after everything that had happened today…

I couldn’t shake the feeling that his arrival was going to change far more than Celeste’s understanding of her past.