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Reaching out, Kaden placed two fingers under her chin, gently guiding her gaze away fro?”

“I’s, and I don’t know” She paused and bit the inside of her cheek, trying to sort through the thoughts volleying in her head like a wild game of tennis

“What if I find so horrible? Like that I’m adopted? Or that randfather had cheated on her years ago? Oror”

Abigail’s gaze shifted around her car, searching for questions and answers “What ifdealer all these years or she—”

“Stop Breathe,” Kaden said, coaxing her with a soothing voice He slid his hands down to her shoulders and squeezed

Abby inhaled, pulling oxygen into her lungs and focused on the tenor of his voice

“Good Now exhale,” he coached “Breathe Relax”

Abby listened With every breath, the rubber bands constricting her lungs loosened

When she shot hirateful smile, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead, thenthe tip of her nose, followed by herfire in his wake

“Most of those things wouldn’t explain the clues we have I don’t knohat’s in there,” he said, gesturing toward the storage building, “but whatever it is, you can handle it We’ll figure it out, and it’ll be okay Got it?”

Abby grit her teeth, unsure

“But if you don’t want to do this, if you’ve changed your ht now We can drive back to your house or go see a rab some lunch, but you need to put this behind you if that’s your choice Either we go in or we don’t, and you stop hunting”

“I don’t think I can stop,” Abbyto killthis isn’t an option when I can’t even focus enough to get through a day with this hanging over my head”

“Then you knohat you need to do”

He squeezed her hands, and she nodded She could do this