Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
Crystal rubs her lips together. “There wasn’t much left of your father’s body … or face.”
Fuck.
I always thought Kai would be on my father’s side regardless, but I never imagined he’d actually go against him and … fight for me.
“Am I interrupting something?”
Kai’s voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I’m shocked to see him standing in the doorway.
“Doctor said you were out of surgery, so I came to check on you,” he says.
“We’ll be outside,” Crystal murmurs, and she drags Caleb away from me and swiftly carts Blaine out the door, leaving me with my brother.
Fucking awkward.
I clear my throat. “I’m fine.” I swallow away my pride. “Thanks.”
He approaches, frowning. “I’m glad to see you’re on the mend.”
I don’t know what to say.
“Look, I …” He sighs. “I wanted to apologize to you. For not realizing sooner what Dad—Father—was doing to you.”
“He picked you,” I say through gritted teeth. “He didn’t want you to see.”
“But the signs were there,” he responds. “And I missed them. And I am sorry. I’m sorry I failed you as a brother.”
I push the blanket off and take my feet off the bed, steadying myself on the floor.
Kai takes a step forward. “What are you doing?”
I stand, grabbing the IV pole for balance as I take my first step toward him.
“I want to—” My knees cave in on me, and Kai swiftly runs up to me and supports my shoulder to keep me standing, and at the moment, he gazes right at me. “Look my brother in the eye.”
His eyes flow with tears that he blinks away as if they never even existed.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve been there, but I wasn’t. And I will take this regret with me for the rest of my life as punishment.”
And even though I want nothing more than to push him away so I don’t have to feel my own heart trying to suture itself back together, I still place my hand on his back and allow him to hug me.
“Don’t shut me out. Let me be a part of your life again,” he says.
“I asked you for help so many times,” I growl.
“I know, and I’m sorry. Father made me believe all he did was talk with you and reprimand you for rebelling against him.” He leans away to look at me. “But I envied you. I envied your ability to refuse him and deny him his own goddamn son’s love.”
“He took that away from me,” I reply. “How could I love the man who beat me when I disobeyed?”
“I understand it now,” he says. “Does Mom know?”
I shake my head. “I didn’t ever have the heart to tell her, and of course he didn’t tell her either.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you fucking enjoyed being his chosen heir,” I growl back.
Kai shakes his head. “No. I never fucking wanted it to begin with. I wished you’d just told me the truth, but he’s the one who put us up against each other. And I hate that he did this to you. I hate it so much I couldn’t stop myself from giving him all the lashes he gave to you with that same goddamn whip.”
His forehead leans against mine as he holds me steady to keep me from falling. “I wanted to kill him for hurting you.”
“He’s dead now,” I reply. “Thanks to my friends who were there for me.”
“I know,” he says. “And I will forever be grateful they cared enough to tell me the truth so I could help them save you and that Crystal ended Father’s miserable life.”
I lick my lips. “You’re not upset that he’s gone?”
“No. I’m upset I almost lost my goddamn brother.”
I close my eyes for a moment to let the feelings settle in my bones.
“I love you, goddammit,” he says. “You’re my big brother, and I don’t want to fucking lose you. Ever.”
I take in a deep breath as a slow but steady smile begins to form on my face. “I missed you, little brother.”
He throws his arms around me and holds me tight, and in the end, I cave and wrap my arms around him too.
“How are we going to tell Mother what happened?”
I smile. “One word at a time.”
BLAINE
It’s odd reading about your own murder spree in a newspaper as though you’re just a casual bystander and not at all the one who caused it, but Crescent Vale City is pretty shocked by the gang violence that suddenly erupted between the Bones Brotherhood and the Torres Casino. Apparently, they had been doing shady deals together for a long time, and somewhere along the way, they snapped and turned on each other. What followed was a violent bloodbath with tons of dead bodies and the Torres patriarch dead.
What a turn of events.
I chuck the newspaper into the bin next to the Tartarus House and take in a deep breath.