"The boy in that photo is my brother Jaxson I'm certain but he's older.. he can't have been killed because he was nine when he died but in this photo he's older.. my brother is alive.. and my mum knew all along and let us mourn him. Why would she allow herself to be locked up for years when she KNEW he was alive.. God what happened to him? What is going on?"
I knew I was ranting but I felt such a build up of rage. There was no way I could be around my mother any time soon or I'd blow the whole investigation.
I needed to find my brother! To see Jaxie again.. please please let me find him. Please God don't let him have suffered, let him be healthy and happy please.
My resentment and anger built.. Jaxson - we didn't look for him we thought he was gone forever if we'd only known! My poor Daddy he died from a stroke.. if not for mourning his child he may still be alive. My mother needed to explain herself and she would - I'd make sure of that! Now wasn't the time for explanations though.. I had to be smart not just rush in and demand answers.
Lane sniffed, throughout my recap of our childhood and Jaxson's murder she had been sobbing, the memories too much for her. I rubbed her arm gently and nodded towards Nate.
"Please take her home, she needs to rest."
Gathering her in his arms he lifted her, cradling her gently against his chest, and I knew I was watching a couple who would never part. Then and there I vowed that we would find Jaxson and he would be there at Laney's wedding! Sending me a sad smile, Nate swept out of the room.
I flattened out the photo of Jaxie as best as I could then took a photo of it on my phone before turning to Blade.
"Blade you said that Nate's men had access to facial recognition software?"
"Forward it to me and I'll get them looking right away."
I wished I hadn't had to tell Blade about my past with my mother, the way he was looking at me now, since he heard everything, like I was some delicate little flower.. I hated that look!
I sent the photo to his phone and then sat down and put my gloves back on rifling through the rest of the box.
"Tasha, we'll meet again in a few days and continue searching but for now let's take a break. You need time."
I flinched, time was something we didn't have. My brother was alive! What if he was suffering and NO! I couldn't think like that! It would drive me insane and I needed to be strong to find him and be there for him!
"Stay Tasha, let's go watch a movie or you can read some of those Manhuas you love? You need time to process before you start looking."
I knew he was right, it was the same reason I told Lane to leave, but I would go to my place, not my mothers and not here!
"What if Katrina turns up? I can't afford to lose any more hair Blade."
I knew I was being petty and bitchy but it hurt that he didn't believe in me and a small part of me was wondering if he doubted my version of my childhood, if Katrina had caused him to lose all trust in me.
"I know. She's abroad so don't worry. After what she did to you I sent her and her friends on a luxury vacation so she won't be around for a couple of weeks."
Here I thought the shocks were over for today..
"I thought you believed Katrina?"
Blade looked at me, his face haunted and as always my stupid heart softened.
"Tasha, you've trusted me with your history, even after I tried to use your brother against you to keep you helping me. It's time I showed you the same respect and tell you the truth about Katrina."
I didn't know what to think and when Blade went to the office door and locked it I realised he was serious. Walking back to me he grabbed my hand and led me to the couch, keeping my hand between his own once we were seated. He was obviously struggling to talk about this and needed the support so I allowed him to hold me.
"My parents and hers arranged our marriage before we were even born, it was just inevitable. She's the same age as you, I'm five years older than her so I remember clearly what she was like. We didn't see each other often but when we did she was.. off.. she wasn't like other kids. When she was about six they visited us and Flo would have been around seventeen, she was watching us in the garden. I remember we were chatting and laughing but Kat didn't talk or laugh once.. it was strange. I was playing with my pet bunny but Kat scowled at it she didn't want to touch him and didn't think he was cute! Then my sister mentioned that our mum was pregnant with twins and you know saying how excited we were then Katrina freaked. She went on a rampage, screaming, tearing out her hair and we didn't know what to do. Our parents must have heard the noise as they came running out and then right in front of everyone that crazy bitch picked up my rabbit and snapped his neck."
He paused and I know my mouth was hanging open.. what kind of a six year old would kill a bunny rabbit?!
"Her parents sent her away the next week to a boarding and finishing school in Switzerland and she didn't come back permanently until she was twenty one. They tried to bring her back when she was eighteen but she ended up being admitted to an institution for six months - I don't know the details of why. When she was released they sent her back to Switzerland. My parents wanted me to try and welcome her back when she returned permanently and we ended up kind of dating but she kept pushing for marriage and I wasn't ever intending to marry her, she would still fly into rages and any time I tried to end it she threatened suicide. Katrina had decided that I was exclusively hers and no one else's acting completely unstable any time a female spoke to me!"
I couldn't contain my snort at this and Blade gave me a look before continuing.
"There was a dinner with the two families and Madison and Parker, the twins, were fourteen at the time. When I went to say goodbye to them at the end of the dinner they were really distant and nervous which was so unlike them. Flo called me the next day to say that Katrina wasn't welcome at the house anymore, that the family wanted nothing to do with her, that she had done something terrible to the twins! To this day Maddy and Parker haven't told us what she did to them but it traumatised them and they're terrified of her. No one hurts my family so I bribed a doctor to have her sectioned and say she was unsafe to be around people and needed to be in an institution. I don't know why she was released so early and I'm going to find out why but she is dangerous and I can't risk you because you're important to me."
Information overload! So to sum up Katrina hurt his little brother and sister, killed Thumper and has been overseas most of her life because her family can't deal with her. She's truly messed up but it's good to know Blade actually knows that! Blade - have I mentioned he's dumb - went macho man and decided to protect me by pushing me away..
"Have you kissed her?"
Really?! Argh I wanted to punch myself in the face! Everything he just told me and that's the first thing I ask?! Judging from the smug smirk on his face he was pleased with my reaction too!!