Page 135 of Fierce-Dane

“If you want to give it to him, that’s fine. I’ll let him know it’s coming. So I guess there isn’t much more I can do. Wejust assume Billy was the father based on some people’s words?”

“We could track down his kids and ask for a DNA sample. Their mothers would have to consent. That would make it more conclusive.”

“I don’t know that it matters,” she said. “Shiloh has me. It’s not like I think there is anyone else that could come get her.”

“No,” Zander said. “Billy’s parents are nowhere to be found. I heard the father is in jail somewhere and I can find that out if you want. His mother took off when he was a kid. I didn’t know how much digging you wanted me to do.”

“That’s enough,” she said. She guessed she just wanted to make sure that no rich family member was going to come knocking on her door demanding Shiloh.

Maybe it was one of those fantasies she’d had as a child.

She didn’t know her grandparents. Her mother’s parents.

Their names were never spoken and it had to be bad enough that her mother left home as a teen.

There was no reason to think anything of the man who fathered her. Nothing was going to happen there. He didn’t even pay attention to her or any of the other kids in the cult.

“What about what I asked you to do?” Dane said. “Anything there?”

She frowned. “What did you ask Zander to do?”

Zander was grinning when she asked that question and then turned back to Dane. “I can answer you here or privately. Your choice.”

“Here,” he said. “I asked Zander to look into the man that raped your mother. I’m not going to say father. He’s not that. He’s not even a sperm donor.”

“Why would you do that?” she asked. She stood up andher voice rose and then she lowered it. No reason to wake up her sister.

“Because I wanted to know if there was a chance anyone would come after you since you said your mother stole money.”

She didn’t buy that and she’d have it out with Dane when Zander left.

“He’s still where he’s been,” Zander said. “Doing the same as he’s done for years.”

“Raping more young girls,” she said. “Can’t he be arrested?”

“No,” Zander said. “He’s on protected land and no one can get to him. I was able to talk to someone that left the cult. A man. He was actually kicked out. His father was a leader.”

“At least he’s no relation to me,” she said. “They tried to never do that. If another leader was going to take a woman, it was not one that had any relation to Simon. You can say his name.”

She didn’t care anymore. It’s not like she woke up having nightmares thinking of it.

She got over that years ago.

They couldn’t hurt her.

“No,” Zander said. “Silas was his name. No relationship to you that I could see. He was kicked out for wanting a relationship with another member that wasn’t approved. At least per him.”

“Lots of control going on there. Once Simon was done with a woman, he decided if someone else could have her and the answer was usually no.”

She supposed she got lucky that her mother never wanted another man and most stayed away since her mother was sick all the time.

“As I said,” Zander said, “he’s doing the same as he always did. There was no talk of stolen money. I asked if those things happened when people left. He was willing to be chatty after a few beers. Didn’t even know why I was asking.”

She’d bet that was why Zander was as good as he was. He could blend in when he wanted to get the information.

“I don’t need to know anything more,” she said. “He’s not a part of my life and never will be. I might have you try to find my sister at some point, but for now, she should live her life and I can live mine.”

“You know where I am if you need anything else,” Zander said, then left.