35. Claire

Claire

My throat hurts like a bitch. Apparently, when I first woke up, I tried yanking out my esophagus. Yes, you read that right—my actual esophagus. They had to restrain me while removing the intubation, and even after that, I kept shoving my hand into my mouth, trying to pull something out. Needless to say, they hit me with a sedative, and the second time I woke up wasn't nearly as dramatic.

I've been awake for a few days now, but I'm still weak and constantly tired. Everything feels heavy. The doctors say it'll take time to bounce back—Ricin has no antidote, so it's all about surviving long enough to recover. I cradle my stomach and take a deep breath. My baby is still alive—for now. That was the first question I asked when I came to. Drew told me everything the doctors had shared. The baby's alive. That's all we know.1

Dr. Waters has been checking in regularly. She says babies are fragile, but they can also survive more than we expect. I don't know if she's just trying to give us hope, but she seems like a straight shooter.

I look down at my belly and whisper, my voice hoarse, "You're going to be alright, little nugget. You're made of Mommy and Daddy, and we're fighters. Now you are too. Mommy loves you and can't wait to meet perfect little you."

Drew is asleep in the chair next to my bed, holding my hand, his head resting on the edge of my mattress. I've heard he hasn't left my side—refusing to even go home for a shower.

He stirs and blinks up at me, eyes glassy with tears. A smile spreads across his face as they fall. "You came back," he whispers, kissing my hand. "You came back to me."

I offer him a tired smile. I love him so much, but I can't afford to slip backward. "I'm okay, Drew. The baby and I are okay." My voice is scratchy and thin. "Can you tell me what happened? The full story."

He starts explaining his confrontation with Moira—how she poisoned us. She hadn't expected Drew to be there, so it was meant for me. Jared was the only one who never touched the envelope.

"She's gone? Where is she?" I ask, though my chest tightens with dread.

Drew sighs. "Moldova. She's a citizen there, and they don't have an extradition treaty with the U.S., so... Moira's on the lam."

He never calls her by her first name. Not even "mom"—usually just "mother."

"So, Moira now? Is that because of the multiple attempted murders?"

He shakes his head and suddenly starts crying—hard. That throws me. Drew shows emotion, but tears? Rare.

"She isn't my mother," he chokes.

I frown. "She may be a few cards short of a deck, Drew, but she raised you."

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He shakes his head again. "No, she isn't. She stole me. From my birth mother. The woman my father actually loved. And Becca? She's Moira's biological daughter."

I stare at him in disbelief.

Drew struggles to keep speaking through the tears, so he just plays the recording for me.

Holy shit.

I thought his family was crazy before—but this? This is a new level of twisted.

I stretch out my hand to him. He leans into it, and I begin rubbing his back, gently running my fingers through his hair. I'm still weak, so my movements are slow, but they must help—he starts to calm.

Just as he settles, Jared bursts into the room, flowers in one hand and a bowl of chicken noodle soup in the other.

"Jeezus, man, who died?"

We both stare at him, dead silent.

Jared raises a brow and walks over, setting the flowers and soup down. He plops into the chair Drew had vacated.

"Okay. Clearly, I missed something big. Claire, my love, I brought you your favorite flowers and chicken noodle soup."

Drew, still lying on my lap, growls.

Jared sighs. "Fine. Drew asked me to pick them up from your favorite chef and florist. Happy now?" He mumbles, "Can't let a man have his moment." Then clears his throat. "So what's going on? Wait—" His tone shifts instantly. "Is the baby okay? Did they find something wrong with you, Claire?"

I weakly shake my head, breathing shallowly. It takes a moment to speak. "No... nothing new..." I glance at Drew.

He silently plays the recording.

Jared listens, his expression unreadable—but not surprised. If anything, he looks... guilty.

I narrow my eyes. "You knew."

Jared gives me a pained half-smile. Drew sits up slowly and wipes his face.

"You knew?" Drew asks, voice tight. "You knew and didn't tell me?"

Jared looks down. "I'm sorry, man. I wanted to. I thought you'd hear it from Dad first, but it never happened."

Drew's brow furrows. "Dad? What do you mean, Dad?"

Jared exhales. "I'm your little brother, Drew. My dad is your dad. And your real mom is my mom. We're full brothers."

Shock isn't a strong enough word. My jaw drops. Now that he's said it, I see it—their eyes, their noses, their chins. It's all there.

Jared tries to break the tension. "I'm still me—the same guy who let you have Claire first. I saw her first, so it counts."

Drew shakes his head. "You've watched me go through hell with Moira and Becca and said nothing? I could've had my real family years ago. And screw you—" he turns to me— "we saw you at the same time. I just moved faster."

I blink. Are they seriously joking during this?

Jared sobers. "I was scared, man. I didn't want you to resent me. I got both parents and you got... that. I hoped Dad would tell you and reintroduce us as brothers. I'm sorry. And I had no idea Becca was Moira's biological daughter. Makes sense—crazy runs deep."

I slump back against the pillows, exhaustion taking over. I try to stay awake, but I'm fading fast.

Jared notices and stands, smoothing the blanket over my legs like I'm something fragile. "I'll come back later," he says softly, no jokes this time. "I just wanted to see you were okay. You scared the hell out of all of us, Claire."

He turns to Drew. "Take care of her, big bro."

Drew nods without a word, still processing everything.

As Jared leaves, the room falls quiet again. I can barely lift my hand as I rest it on my belly.

Drew reaches for my other hand. "We're going to be okay," he whispers. "You, me, and the baby."

I blink up at him, his voice barely audible. "Hang in there, little one. We'll get strong for you. We'll keep you safe."

Sleep pulls me under before I can reply.