Page 95 of Where We Ended

“Fable sends you with a message to me, right as we rescue Rachel, then he shows up the same night, and kills two of their members…What’s the angle?”

My brother chuckled, shaking his head. His hair was greasy, slicked back, and his t-shirt seemed to have stains all over it. I noticed his cut was missing.

“After you cut my fucking hand off, I had to find a way to staunch the bleeding on my own…one fucking handed. Then I took one of the trucks left by the guards and drove myself to a nearby club doctor. He did a shit job of patching me up in case you want to look at the gruesome scar I now have. I look like something Frankenstein botched.”

I inspected my nail, growing tired of his sob story. “You seem fine to me.”

“Yeah, well, it took me a few days to recover. Once I did, I returned to what was left of my club. We’d scattered to a few safe houses, and Dad found me there.”

Fuck, how was he always able to locate where we’d been?

“Fable informed me that he was coming for Natty. I tried to fight him, but I was still too weak from the loss of blood. He knocked me out. When I woke up, he’d left me with the message and my severed hand. I panicked and made my way here; they found me on the way.”

Right. I stood, pacing in front of him. “So you were worried about Natty…and decided to just come for her…and the timing of it all just happened?—”

“I don’t give a fuck what you think, Silas. It’s the truth. I messed up with her…I didn’t think—” Alec turned his face, regret and remorse warring it out through his features.

“You didn’t think.” I kicked his boot to encourage him to continue.

His gaze swung back in my direction. “I didn’t think she’d hate me…I thought maybe she’d eventually fall for me. Close proximity and shit.”

The top part of his cheeks flushed the smallest bit, and I had to hold back a laugh.

“You assumed my wife might fall for you if you chained her to you and masturbated in front of her, then forced her to stand there while you ejaculated against her skin?”

The flush on his skin worsened.

“I know, I fucked up. I owe her an apology…I owe her more than that, but I’d like to start by trying to fix this. And for the last time, I didn’t know you were married.”

“Even if we weren’t, she wouldn’t have fallen for the proximity routine. Natty can’t be forced into doing anything. I think at one point she was fond of you, Brother. She had a soft spot at least, especially after that Christmas.” I hung my head hating the memory of how she’d turned to him. “But she would have never fallen for you.”

Alec’s eyes narrowed on me as he tried to adjust how he was seated on the floor. His boot slid against the concrete as his voice sharpened.

“And what of your failures, Silas? She forgave you so easily for overlooking the abuse she endured at Dirk’s hand?”

My stomach flipped then strained.

“What do you know about that?”

Flashbacks of conversations, gut feelings and assumptions all slammed into me, but nothing had ever been confirmed. By anyone.

The look in Alec’s eyes was like he’d just won a bet. He was going to enjoy ruining me, this I was certain of.

“I take it you were never told?”

“Why would you assume that?” I pushed my hands into my pockets, hating how vulnerable this made me.

Alec’s face tilted. “For one, Dirk would have died two years ago, not six months ago. Two, you would have burned the entire fucking club to the ground…as you did with mine.”

That panicked feeling rushed back. The unknown creating a frenzy under my sternum. The only choice I had was to remain silent because I had no clue what he was talking about.

My brother leaned closer, which tugged at his good hand, making the metal clank.

“Natty ever mysteriously break a bone, or have a scar that showed up…maybe a burn?”

She’d said it was work. Tripping. The grove when she’s tried to climb over a fence.

Dirk even said…

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