Chapter 1

This had been the month from hell. My mum got sick earlier this year, and within 6 months she was gone. We didn't have any close family, so I had to complete all the preparations alone. The funeral was hard, only a small number of people attended, and now I was back in the solicitor's office listening to the will being read. There wasn't much to it. The house was left to me, along with my mum's savings. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to get by and put the affairs in order.

Honestly, I had stopped paying attention a while ago, so it took a few moments for me to realise that Mr Moses, the solicitor, was trying to get my attention.

"I'm sorry," I apologised, shaking my head to clear it, "What were you saying?"

Mr Moses sighed quietly and placed a sympathetic hand over mine.

"I can only imagine how difficult this is for you, Miss Scott," he said quietly. "Your mother wrote a letter for you, when she first became unwell. She gave it to me sometime ago, and instructed me not to give it to you until today," He smiled sadly at me.

"What does it say?" I asked, sitting up in shock.

"I don't know, the contents were sealed for your eyes only," he passed me a small white envelope, with my mother's familiar handwriting on the outside. Looking at it, I struggled to hold back my tears. "I'll give you time," I heard him say, and watched as he left the room quietly.

Taking a deep breath, I unsealed the envelope and opened the letter that changed my life.

"Dear Hope,

If you're reading this, then I'm no longer with you. I'm so sorry for leaving you sweetheart, but I have no doubt that you will be amazing in this life, and success in whatever path you choose to take.

I know we've never spoken about your father and, once again, I'm sorry to share this with you in this way. He was a cruel man. He came over here from the states. At first, he was everything I thought I would ever want, and then I saw his true colours. I couldn't risk him knowing about you. I was just trying to protect you.

When I met your father, he treated me like a queen. I thought he was wonderful… until the day the police came. Michael was a wanted man back in the States for multiple murders. From that moment, he changed before my eyes. The last time I saw him before they extradited him, he admitted that he only stayed with me to hide from his crimes. I was a convenience, nothing more. My entire world was broken until I discovered I was pregnant with you. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I wanted to protect you from ever being hurt by him. I've never felt happier than the day the police told me he would be serving life without parole. I knew we were finally free.

But now it's time for me to tell you something I should've told you long ago. When your father confessed to me that our life together was a lie, he admitted something else too.

He had a son before he met me.

From what I could gather, he'd screwed up their relationship too. As you started to grow up, I began to do some digging, knowing that some day you might want to know your brother. It wasn't easy but, finally, I think I may have found him. Or, at least, a place to start looking.

His name is Tom Lowman. It seems he has some connections in Santo Padre, on the California-mexican border. The only name I could find in connection to him was Obispo Losa. I'm sorry, I know it isn't much. But it's a start.

Find your brother, Hope. You have been a dutiful daughter your whole life, always taking care of me. Now it's time for you to blaze your own path. It was always us against the world. But you don't need to face this world alone

I hope you find your brother.

Until the day we meet again,

I love you

Mum

My heart was pounding by the time I got to the last word. I had a brother? I couldn't believe it. My father was a murderer? It was all too much. I buried my head in my hands and cried. I knew no matter how hard it was, I needed to find my brother. We were family … and there was nothing left for me here in England.

But where to start? Reading the letter once more, my mum had given me that answer too.

Santo Padre, California. I needed to find Obispo Losa.

(5 days later)

I was at the airport when I heard a familiar scream behind me.

"Hope! Hope Scott!" I turned to see my best friend, Izzy, squeezing her way through the crowd, dragging an overloaded suitcase behind her.

"Izzy? What are you doing here?" I asked, hugging her when she got close.

"What do you think?" She told me scoffing. "I'm not going to let my best friend go on a wild goose chase half-way round the world alone. I'm coming with you!"

"I can't ask you to do that!" I told her and she rolled her eyes. "what about uni?"

"I deferred for a year. Listen, Hope, I know you lose your mum and I'm so sorry for that. Miss Scott was awesome. But you're not alone. You've got me. And, if this all works out, soon you'll have a brother too," she told me and pulled me in for another hug. Her mad curly hair tickled my nose but, in that moment, I'd never been so grateful to have her.

"Are you sure?" I whispered in her ear, though I was dreading her changing her mind.

"I've always wanted a Cali tan!" She declared, grinning.

I laughed and, arm in arm, we boarded the plane.