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The sight of those silent tears streaking down Aleks’s cheeks was a brutal re his brother chose to do to me

“Dante?” Aleks finally led sob

“It’s me, irmãozinho”

I didn’t knohat the Portuguese word meant, but it had a profound effect on Aleks because he covered his mouth with one hand

“I’et you Just tell me where you are”

“Dante,” Aleks whispered brokenly I could tell he was on the verge of losing it and I could feel

“It’s okay, Aleks Tell et you and take you home and it’ll all be over I won’t let anyone hurt you, do you hear ht now… just… just tell me where you are” Dante’s voice broke and I heard him suck in a breath “Look around the room Tell ? Are they in the room with you?”

The rapid-fire questions were hard to follow and I could picture a desperate Dante clinging to the phone as he tried to stave off his panic When Aleks didn’t do anything but whisper his brother’s naain, I started to reach for the phone so I could tell Dante myself where ere

But Aleks suddenly pulled the phone closer to his th said, “Dante?”

“I’m here, little brother I’m here,” Dante said

“Dante, I…”

Aleks suddenly looked up at me and held my eyes I could see the terror in the else too Soain, Aleks kept his eyes on me

“Dante, I can’t coht now”

“You can, Aleks Just… just stay on the line as long as you can, okay? Magnus is having Daisy trace your call We’ll knohere you are in a minute”

“Dante,” Aleks repeated “I can’t come home… it’s not… it’s not safe”

There was a beat of co as Dante finally see I held my breath as I stared at Aleks in surprise

Was he… was he…?

God, he was He was choosingto stay with me

“Why isn’t it safe, Aleks?” Dante asked carefully

Aleks finally dropped his eyes “They found me Don’t be mad at Mama and Papa, Dante They didn’t know…”

“Aleks,” Magnus’s voice cut in I heard sonus had put the phone on speaker as well “Aleks, talk to us,” the olderto it

“I’ht They didn’t hurt me”