Page 71 of The Medic
“I meant what I said, Sloane. I’m not walking away.”
My lips parted, the ache in my chest almost unbearable. “Then go get the truth.”
I hesitated, fingers curling against his chest. “Just—go easy on them, okay? I know they’re hiding something. I know it’s bad. But they’re still my parents. I love them. And I really do believe they love me. If they’re tangled up in something … maybe theydidn’t have a choice. Maybe they’ve been trying to protect me in the only way they knew how.”
Charlie studied me for a long beat, something soft flickering behind the heat in his eyes.
His mouth brushed mine—not a kiss, not yet. Just a promise.
Then he turned and walked toward the house, Quentin stepping aside to let him pass, silent as stone.
I stood frozen in the moonlight, heart in my throat, the weight of everything pressing down. I didn’t know what Charlie was about to find. But I knew one thing for sure. Whatever came next, nothing would ever be the same.
Charlie disappeared into the house like a man marching into a battlefield, and for a long moment, I didn’t move. The air was too heavy, too still—like the night was holding its breath. I stood rooted beneath the willow, watching as the front door shut behind him. Watching as Quentin melted into the shadows again, ever the watchman.
I should’ve followed. Should’ve barged in, demanded answers of my own.
But something told me this wasn’t my battle—not yet. Not until Charlie unearthed whatever had been buried for decades. Whatever had made my mother’s face go so pale when she saidI should have.
The minutes dragged.
I stared up at the stars until my neck ached, trying to anchor myself in something ancient and unmoving. But even the sky felt different. Tilted. Compromised.
Then the door opened again.
Charlie stepped back outside, the screen door snapping shut behind him. His face was shadowed, unreadable. He didn’t speak right away—just looked at me like he wasn’t sure I could handle what he was about to say.
“She knew I was coming,” he said finally.
I blinked. “What?”
“She was ready for me. Almost like she’d rehearsed it. And she said something ...”
I took a cautious step forward. “What did she say?”
“That if I want answers, I should start with Department 77.”
I stilled. “What is that?”
Charlie gave a bitter laugh. “I asked her what it meant. She said it’s not my business. That it never was. That my father made sure of that.”
“Charlie—”
“Then she told me if I want to stay alive, I should leave the past where it belongs.”
A chill sliced down my spine. “Did she threaten you?”
“No,” he said. “She begged me.”
Something in my chest cracked. My mother didn’t beg. Not for anything. Not ever.
“What is Department 77?” I asked again, louder this time. “Is it military? Government?”
Charlie didn’t answer right away. His jaw flexed as he stared out into the dark.
“It’s real,” he said finally. “They’re bad people. Technically U.S. intelligence, but so far off the books most people in D.C. don’t even know it exists.”
I stared at him. “And you do?”
