Free The Billionaire's Voice (The Sinclairs #4) by J. S. Scott Page A

there.”
    “But I didn’t. I’m grateful that I didn’t. But Liam thinks he’s entirely responsible for ruining my life and my career. It’s ridiculous. He had nothing to do with my decision. I was an adult. Sometimes I think I was born all grown up.” She’d never had time to play as a child and teen. Her life back then had been filled with nothing but practice routines and competitions.
    He grinned at her, a wolfish smile that made her heart clench. “Maybe you need to play.”
    Tessa rolled her eyes. “I’m a little too old for that.”
    “You’re never too old to play.”
    “Says the perpetual boy who does nothing but crazy things that most adults wouldn’t even consider doing.”
    Micah’s expression grew troubled as he answered, “Not as much as I’d like to anymore. I have a company to run and a family to watch out for now. The only sport I focus on now is my skydiving team, for the most part.”
    “No parents?” Tessa asked curiously.
    He looked somber as he said, “Not anymore. They died a year ago.”
    Tessa took her hand from his and put a palm lightly on his face. “I’m sorry. How did it happen?”
    “My dad retired early, moved to California with Mom to avoid the cold winters. There was a home-invasion robbery. My parents were both murdered. Xander was the only one there with them, and the only one who survived . . . if you want to call it survival. He was able to reach for his cell phone and call the police. There was a shootout with the murderer a few miles from my parents’ home. The guy who killed our parents died, too, but I don’t think it made any of us feel better.”
    Tessa’s eyes watered, her heart aching for Micah. She had lost her own parents, and she knew the pain of losing both of the people she loved most in the world relatively close together. But the shock of losing both of his parents at the same time to murder had to have been devastating. “What do you mean? Your brother did make it, right?”
    “He’s alive, if that’s what you mean. But he’s never been the same man. He was an incredibly talented musician, and he was world famous. Unfortunately, he gave up his career. He still hasn’t recovered. His physical wounds healed, but he’s scarred and messed up emotionally. Drugs, alcohol, and severe depression. I get to the West Coast as much as I can to see him. Not that he wants to see anybody , but someone needs to keep an eye on him. Right now, I’m not sure whether he cares if he lives or dies.”
    “I’m so sorry,” Tessa replied, a lone tear trickling down her cheek.
    “For what?”
    She rested her hand back in his and squeezed. “Because you’ve had to be the strong one, the person who took over when your parents died. I’m sorry for your brother, that he had to see your parents die. Was he badly injured?”
    “Pretty bad. Both of my parents were shot multiple times, but Xander was shot once, then cut up, stab wounds everywhere. He was in the hospital for a long time. We weren’t sure he was going to make it.”
    Tessa had met Julian briefly when he’d been in Amesport. Xander had never made the trip for any of his cousins’ weddings or events, except Sarah and Dante’s ceremony, nuptials that Tessa hadn’t attended. But she remembered hearing about how handsome all of the Sinclair men had been together in a group. Xander had never come to Amesport again. Now she knew why. “What about Julian?”
    “He’s living his dream right now. He worked so damn hard to make it in the movie industry. After he got the Academy Award for his first movie, he’s been in high demand. He’s just wrapping up his third film.”
    Tessa could tell that Micah was proud of Julian, but was it fair that he wasn’t really sharing with Micah the burden of Xander’s problems? “But surely Julian could help. You have a business to run, obligations of your own.”
    Micah shook his head. “He’s on location most of the time.”
    “You don’t want Julian to