Everything twisted in Yael led back to Amber.
I spread the ointment over another cut and asked gently, "Can you tell me about your parents?"
He hesitated, then slowly opened up.
"My dad loved my mom very much," he said. "But she never loved him. She hated him. And she hated me and Vito even more for being born."
"Do you know anything about her family?"
He nodded. "You mean the Hales? She doesn't acknowledge that connection. She forbids us from contacting them."
That fit everything.
No wonder Amber spent so much time at the Hale residence. Tiffany could cling to her, demand things from her, act spoiled around her. Amber gave more warmth to Tiffany than she ever gave Yael or Vito.
I kept my voice casual. "How many siblings are in the Hale family?"
I was steering toward the truth now, and Yael was not stupid.
His eyes lifted to mine. "Elena… you're asking about Lewis's mother, aren't you?"
"Yes," I said. "Can you tell me about her?"
