-Blake-
"Dante Agosto..." Mr. Ellis sighed.
"Yes, sir," I nodded slowly.
Mr. Ellis, Julia's cousin, stared at me with tired eyes. It was six in the evening, and we were gathered in Julia's study. Mr. Ellis opened his laptop and started typing the name, Dante Agosto, in the search bar.
"Well, we can't go ask him if he knows you," Mr. Ellis said after a short moment.
"He's a criminal; he wouldn't even tell us the truth," Julia said with a worried look in her eyes.
"Mr. Agosto isn't telling anything to anyone anymore. He died in a shooting around five years ago. And... yeah. His real name was Dante Baker. He was born in England. And... Huh. I know that name. He worked with Bobby Cross, the drug dealer," Mr. Ellis spoke, staring at his screen.
"Bobby Cross," Julia muttered. "I've heard that name before..."
I grit my teeth together. I knew that name too. Robert "The Taxidermist" Cross was a doctor way before I was even born. The guy used to smuggle drugs inside dead people. That was how he got his nickname.
"So... Did you ever meet Dante Baker?" Mr. Ellis asked quietly like he was afraid that he would summon his spirit if he spoke his name too loudly.
"I don't think so... Why?" I asked.
"His son is here in the United States. And he is now the leader of his father's old gang. They're not Italian mafia, but their name is growing big, and it's growing fast. I know a few people who could help us, but this is getting harder than I thought," Mr. Ellis said and turned to look at me.
"You know their names. We have a lead now! How can it be harder to find out who Blake really is?" Julia asked.
"Because these people have been kidnapping kids for decades all across the world," Mr. Ellis said calmly. "We need DNA tests and hope we get lucky."
"How can you be so sure I was kidnapped?" I asked.
"I can't, but that's the first logical thing that came in my mind," Mr. Ellis shrugged. "These people are sick bastards. I wish the woman who raised you wasn't your real mother."
I wasn't listening to him. I was staring at the screen. There was a picture of Dante Baker. And a woman.
"That's her," I whispered. "That's my..."
Mr. Ellis and Julia turned to look at the screen too.
"Edna Wilkes," Mr. Ellis spoke her name. "Dante Baker's fiancée."
"They were supposed to get married," Julia read the article. "Before Dante was killed by an undercover cop. And..." she trailed off and turned to look at me timidly.
"What?" I asked.
"She had no children," Mr. Ellis said quietly. "Thank God..."
I closed my eyes and ruffled my hair anxiously. "What if...?"
"She wasn't your mother," Julia said quietly. "I'm sorry, honey..."
I snorted and stood up from my seat. I walked to the window and looked out, feeling... I had no idea what I was feeling. I hadn't seen that woman in fourteen years. I hardly even remembered how she looked. Not until I saw the picture. It was her. I was sure of it.
"Are you sure she didn't have any children?" I asked, turning to look at the woman in the picture.
"I can ask around, but there's no mention of a son. She's still alive, and doing time for... human trafficking, among other things..." Mr. Ellis trailed off with a sigh. I saw him giving me a short glance. "DNA tests could help us, but–"
I shook my head as if it could somehow clear my thoughts. Human trafficking. That woman was in jail for human trafficking. She didn't have kids. I knew what it meant, but I wasn't ready to let that info sink in. Instead, I turned to look at Mr. Ellis.
"I'm wanted in three states," I muttered. "I'd end up in jail if I take the test."
"Isn't there anything else we can do?" Julia asked.
"I can try to find a list of their victims. How old were you when you last saw Ms. Wilkes?" Mr. Ellis asked.
"I uh..." I muttered, trying to focus on the question, but I was distracted by the thought that the woman wasn't my mother like I had believed for my entire life. "Five, maybe? Then she disappeared..."
"That narrows it down. I can try to find out where she was living at that time, and if there's a record of missing boys in that area. And... Crap..." Mr. Ellis trailed off while he read another article. "That's not her real name... Her name is... Crap..."
"What? I asked and walked to him to see the article.
"Tanya Melnikov. She's Russian, apparently," Mr. Ellis spoke. "She committed dozens of crimes in Russia, before moving to the United Kingdom, where she met Dante Baker and continued selling children for prostitution. According to this, they smuggled young children from Russia to all around Europe..."
Prostitution...
"But I've been here all my life," I said. "I think I'd remember if I was on a plane or something."
"It says here that they might have kidnapped up to two thousand children," Julia spoke with fearful eyes. "How is that possible...?"
"Their organization is big, and it's still growing," Mr. Ellis said gloomily. "The paper might be exaggerating, but twenty years ago it was easier to commit crimes than it is today. And they didn't operate in Russia alone; they were stealing babies all around Europe..."
"So basically, I can be from anywhere except Asia?" I breathed out when the situation finally hit me. "I can be Russian or Polish or from Germany for all I know!"
"Don't give up hope. We have a lead now," Julia spoke soothingly and placed her hand on my shoulder. "It might take some time, but I'm sure we can find your family."
I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. I didn't understand why I was so upset. Nothing had changed, except the fact that now I knew that Edna wasn't my real mother. I had always known that finding my family would be nearly impossible.
And still... Still, I felt like a part of me had just died. My whole life was a lie. Was my name even Blake? No, it was not! I had no idea who I was, or where I was from!
"I'm not as sure as Julia," Mr. Ellis spoke and stood up. "But this is a good lead. I can work with it. At least we can now narrow it down. If I can find out what she was doing fifteen years ago, it might give us more to work with."
I took another deep breath and nodded. "Thanks for trying, but I'm afraid you're just wasting your time. I don't want to take the DNA test, so there's no point even trying to find my parents. At least I know now what happened to me, and why I don't have a family. That's something."
I tried to sound cheery and grateful, even though I was just a great big mess at that point.
"Blake–" Julia spoke, but I cut her off.
"I can't take the test," I said quietly. "Jordan needs me here, so I can't go to jail. Not now anyway."
"That almost sounded like you are going to turn yourself in someday," Julia said with a sad smile.
"Jordan wants a normal life," I said softly. "I'm wanted in three states. I can't exactly go and buy a house, even if I had a name."
Julia didn't reply. She just stared at me with a worried look in her eyes.
"Don't worry. I want to make sure that Jordan can manage without me before I make any decisions," I said, and turned to look at her cousin. "Thank you for your time, but you don't need to do this for me."
"Kid, this is the most interesting case I've ever had. Trust me – I'm not giving up just yet," Mr. Ellis spoke and gathered his things. "I'll be in touch."
I wanted to tell him to give up, but I couldn't say it out loud. When Mr. Ellis left the room, Julia turned to look at me.
"We will find them," she said softly. "I will not rest until we do."
"It's just a waste of time," I muttered.
"Don't say that. It might take some time, but I'm sure we will find them. Your family is still looking for you – I know they are. If my kids were kidnapped, I would never stop looking for them. Your family wants to know what happened to you, and get you back," she spoke.
I was silent for a moment. "I thought she was my mother," I murmured.
"I know, honey," Julia said and hugged me. "But you're not alone. I'm here for you, and even if we can't find your family, you still have me and Jordan. And the girls if you'd let them close to you. You are not a ghost anymore, not to us."
"Thank you," I said before Julia let go of me.
"You're welcome," she said with a smile. "Now, there's someone who's eager to hear the news," she continued and pointed at the ceiling.
"Yeah," I said and smiled too. "And thank you, for everything you have done for me."
"You gave me my hope back," she spoke quietly. "I will have my son in my arms one day, and that is all because of you. I'd do anything for you."
I didn't know what to say to her, so I just nodded awkwardly. Julia patted me on the back and pushed me gently towards the door.
"Jordan is waiting for you," she reminded me.
"Okay," I said and exited the room.
When I climbed to the third floor, I thought about Edna Wilkes, the person who I always believed to be my mom. Even though I hadn't seen the woman in fourteen years, it still felt like a slap on my face to hear she was just my kidnapper. I didn't even know what to think about the fact that I was kidnapped. That woman was going to sell me like I was nothing but an animal, a pet.
I'd always had the feeling that I would've ended up as a male prostitute if I had stayed with her. I had never before stopped to think why I had that feeling, but now it made sense. I must have heard her talking about it, but I had forgotten all about it.
Maybe if I had stayed with her, I wouldn't even be alive anymore.
"Shit..." I muttered when I stopped at the top of the stairs.
It was too much to think about. I was kidnapped. My purpose was to be sold as a slave, and my real family was still out there, looking for me, wondering what happened to me. Maybe they thought I was dead after all these years. Maybe they weren't even looking for me anymore. Maybe they were gone already. Or... maybe they didn't care...
"Blake? Is everything all right?"
I turned to look at Jordan, who was walking slowly towards me. He had a timid look on his face, just like he always had when he approached the door. I knew how scary the outside world was to Jordan, but he still tried to get used to it. At that moment, I wasn't sure if Jordan should ever step out from the safety of his room. The world seemed to be more screwed up than I'd ever imagined.
"It is possible that the woman, who I thought was my mom, wasn't, in fact, my mom," I said quietly.
"What?" Jordan breathed out. "My uncle told you that?"
"I told him about Dante Agosto. That wasn't his real name, and he found an article about him... with her... Edna Wilkes, or Tanya whatever-her-name-was... Apparently, she's a criminal from Russia, and she's doing time for human trafficking..." I trailed off. "So..."
"God..." Jordan whispered. "I'm so sorry to hear that."
"It's fine. I can't even remember her," I said and looked out of the window. "I don't know..."
"Know what?" Jordan asked, and I turned to look at him.
"I just... I don't know... I don't know what to think. I'm... Who am I? My whole life... I was supposed to be sold to some old pervert or something..." I trailed off and tried to sort out my emotions, failing miserably. "But it's fine. I'm fine, it's all just fine. It didn't change anything, I'm still me, and..."
"That woman stole your life," Jordan said quietly. "That's not fine at all."
A family. A home. Birthday gifts, school, hobbies, warm meals, hot showers, soft bed, friends... Tanya Melnikov took that all away from me, and then she left me alone to live in the streets.
"Come here," Jordan said and held his hand up for me. "I want to hold you."
I smiled when I stepped over the threshold and waited while he gathered enough courage to hug me. When he finally rested his head on my shoulder, I felt much better. I hadn't even noticed how close I was to break down from everything.
"There's always a silver lining," I muttered and caressed Jordan's long hair. "I got you."
"Yeah, a freak with ten different phobias," Jordan sighed. "That's not a good deal."
"I don't like that word," I growled. "Don't use it."
"How about a nutjob?" he asked.
"You're not a nutjob, or a freak, or screwed up," I said.
"I'm a little screwed up," Jordan chuckled. "But I'm getting better," he continued before I could object.
"You're just a human who has been through a lot," I said.
"So are you," Jordan spoke. "So, it is completely fine to be messed up about it. I'm here to help you through this."
"I feel better now," I said quietly. "Mr. Ellis said that he'll try to find my family, so maybe this will have a happy ending after all."
"I'm glad that you still have hope," he said softly, hugging me tighter.
"As long as I have you, I have all the hope in the world," I whispered. "You are my happy ending."
"That sounds fatal," Jordan laughed lightly.
"It does, yeah," I said with a smirk. "And I wouldn't even mind."
We were silent for a long time. My raging soul was calming down while I held Jordan in my arms.
"Am I a horrible person if I say I'm happy that you walked into my life?" Jordan asked carefully. "If she never kidnapped you..."
"But she did," I said sternly, "And it has nothing to do with you. It happened, but meeting you is the best possible outcome of it, so I refuse to be bitter about it. I never hated my life, not even now that I know this life wasn't what I was supposed to have. How can I hate my life, since I met you?"
Jordan trembled in my arms and looked up at me. His purple eyes were just an inch away from mine, and his lips were even closer. Jordan looked at my lips shortly, so he must have noticed the same. I had to fight hard against myself, so I wouldn't kiss him. I almost lost that battle, but then Jordan looked away.
"Besides, you became a good thief," he muttered hastily and stepped away from me. "I mean, you wouldn't be here if you were bad at it."
"Is that a compliment?" I chuckled, trying to control my hormones.
"I uh... Yeah. In a weird way I guess," Jordan chuckled, and he seemed awfully nervous all of a sudden.
He looked down at the ground and turned around, but I saw a glimpse of his red cheeks. I forgot all about my family when he was blushing like that.
"Thanks," I chuckled and took a step closer to him.
"I mean, it's bad that you had to steal, but it's good. I mean – no, it's not good. You shouldn't steal, I think..." Jordan blabbered absentmindedly. He turned around and gave me an apologetic look. "I should shut up now," he muttered.
"You are so adorable," I smiled at him. "I don't want you to shut up."
"Trust me, this can get a lot worse if I continue," Jordan said with an awkward smile on his lips.
"I doubt that," I said and took another step towards him.
Jordan took a shaky breath and looked at his desk. "I bet you couldn't steal anything from me though," he said, clearly trying to change the subject. "I'm such a control freak. I'd immediately notice if something is missing."
"Ohh, is that a challenge?" I asked.
Jordan giggled nervously. "I'd actually like to see how you do it. You've never been caught, and you've been stealing wallets from people... I've been wondering how you do that."
"Well it's simple," I said and stepped right in front of him. "All I need is a diversion. Make them focus on something else while I go through their pockets."
"O-Oh," Jordan uttered breathlessly.
"Do you want me to show you?" I asked with a low voice.
"Y-Yeah," Jordan whispered. "If – If you want..."
"Okay," I said and lifted my hand as carefully as possible.
Jordan had a watch on his wrist, and I reached out to it. Jordan noticed it and frowned when he looked up at me again. When my fingers touched the metallic watch, Jordan opened his mouth to speak, "That's not a good di-"
He fell silent when I pressed my lips on his. I waited for a moment to see if he would get upset or start to panic or even flinch from discomfort, but when he did nothing, I moved my lips, brushing them gently over his. He let out a silent breath, following my lead as he kissed me back.
I smiled widely, placing my hand gently on his hip to pull him closer. He shivered in my arms, but he didn't break the kiss. Instead, his eyes grew hazy and he almost closed them, when we continued kissing. He seemed to enjoy the moment. I definitely enjoyed it.
And when it was over, Jordan stood there right in front of me with a flustered expression on his face, but he was relaxed. He looked at me for a while, before he smiled shyly, bit his lower lip, and looked down.
"You uh... That... I..." he stammered and looked at his wrist. The watch was still on it. "You call that a diversion? I saw you going for my watch, and you didn't even get it off my wrist!"
I chuckled and leaned closer. "The watch was the diversion," I muttered in his ear.
"Then what did you steal?" he asked and looked around.
"Your first kiss," I whispered and pecked his cheek.
Jordan blushed. He blushed really hard, and looked away, trying to hide it, but I still managed to see a glimpse of the happy smile on his face.