“That’s all well and good, but I’d really appreciate it if neither of you went and died on me,” Scotty said. “It took me a long time to have parents, and I kinda hit the jackpot with you guys. I need to keep you around for many years to come.”

“We’re not going anywhere, buddy,” Sam said, hugging him tighter.

He clung to her like he hadn’t since they lost her dad. “Would it be okay if I went up to see Angela?”

“Of course. She’d love to see you.”

“Will you come with me?”

“We’ll be right there with you through all of this,” Nick said.

“Is it weird that I’m so sad?”

“Not at all,” Sam said. “He was your uncle, and he died way too young. And you’re sad for Angela and the kids.”

“So sad.”

As they went upstairs with Scotty, it was difficult for Sam to put her thirst for vengeance on behalf of Spencer, Angela and their family on the back burner to tend to her family’s grief. The minute she could, she’d be figuring out where he’d gotten those pills. She didn’t need to wait for a full toxicity report that’d arrive weeks from now to tell her what’d probably happened. Unfortunately, they’d seen far too much of it in recent years, and why in the hell hadn’t Narcotics issued an alert about a sudden increase in overdoses? If only they had, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.

Scotty hugged Angela and sat next to Jack, taking his cousin’s hand as he spoke softly to him.

Sam kept her gaze fixed on her devastated sister, determined to get answers for her, even if the answers wouldn’t bring Spencer back.

The next day was one of the most torturous Sam had ever lived through. As bad as losing her father had been, there’d been relief in that loss, that he was free from the constraints of his terrible injury. And even though they’d lost him too soon, he would’ve said he’d lived a good life and was content to go.

None of those things was true for Spencer. There was no relief in losing a young husband and father, especially with another child due to arrive in a few months who would never know him.

Angela had asked to go home that morning. Five minutes after they arrived, she wanted to leave. So, Sam and Tracy packed up Ang and the kids and brought them back to the White House to stay indefinitely. At least there they’d be surrounded by family who wanted to help.

Angela had spent the rest of the day in bed.

“I can’t stand this for her,” Tracy said after she and Sam had tucked Jack into bed and then gone to the sitting room in Sam’s suite.

“It’s the worst thing ever,” Sam replied.

“What’s she going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“She told me he lost his job two months ago.”

“What?”

“Yeah, along with all their benefits, including his health and life insurance.”