“He did that, but only because he fought back when one of the men tried to . . .” Say it. Stop being a coward. Say. It. “Tried to rape him. He killed the man by accident and the other men from the community beat him so bad that he almost died. He couldn’t walk, couldn’t see, was barely conscious.”

Farrah stared in shock. Then she gave herself a little shake and asked, “How did he get out?”

“Mama.”

“Oh.” The word escaped Farrah on a quiet rush of breath. “I get it now. Your mama smuggled him out, didn’t she? Just like she smuggled you out.”

Mercy nodded. “But she left him at a bus stop, all alone, hoping someone would find him. She had to leave him. She had to go back . . . there.” To Eden. “Because of me.”

“To protect you. Oh, Mercy. I’m so sorry.”

Mercy blinked rapidly. She would not cry. Not here. “I didn’t know. I hated him all those years. I hated him for something he didn’t do.”

“He’ll forgive you. I know it.”

“He already has.” For that, anyway. “I guess I haven’t forgiven myself.”

“No,” Farrah drawled again. “Say it ain’t so.”

Mercy was amazed to hear herself chuckle. “It’s so. It’s so so.”

Farrah hugged her again, hard. “We’ll get through this. You and me. I won’t leave you.”

Mercy couldn’t quite breathe from being squeezed but didn’t want to move out of Farrah’s embrace. This was love, safety. Acceptance. “You’re staying for two whole months?” she asked lightly, even as she clung.

“I’ll stay until I know you’re okay. I got time coming from the university and if I get lonely for my captain, he can get himself on a damn plane. You’re worth it, Mercy.”

“I love you, Ro.” Mercy blurted the words, shocking herself. Farrah had often said the words to her, but Mercy had never been able to say them back. “I should have said it years ago. You’re the sister I never had. Your family is my family.”

Farrah reared back, blinking in surprise, and then her eyes filled with tears again, but this time they were tears of happiness and affection. “Oh, baby girl. I love you, too.” She straightened her spine and grabbed the cat carrier. “Let’s get our suitcases before my mascara starts to run.”

Mercy forced her feet to move. One step at a time. One breath at a time. You can do this. Be brave. At least she had a few hours to center herself before coming face-to-face with her brother or any of the Sokolovs.

“Would you look at that?” Farrah said, pointing down the escalator to where people waited at baggage claim. People holding signs.

Specifically, people like Sasha Sokolov holding a sign that said CALLAHAN, each letter in a different color. Because that was the way Sasha rolled.

She was tall, like her brother. Blond, like her brother, with the same dark brown eyes that lit up with an inner joy that Mercy envied. Just like her brother.