Page 85 of Wildest Dreams

My dad sucks in a breath before puffing his cheeks out.

“There have been many that have looked, many that have failed and lost their lives. My grandpa was very secretive, if it's down there, he would have made sure it stayed hidden unless hewantedyou to find it. The land itself would be worthless to the suits if they found the Montana Pearl, but alas, I can promise they'll never find it.”

“How can you be so sure?”

And my dad chuckles, letting his head tip back softly.

“Why do you think my grandpa built this ranch in this location, why do you think Rivera Ranch sits bang in the middle of the X on the sky view map? He wants them to think it's buried here. I can bet you a hundred bucks that he hid it somewhere with no relevance to that mine. Or, I could be completely wrong, and it is just buried deep within the mine somewhere,” my dad shrugs a shoulder up, “but it doesn't matter, because no one is getting down there.”

I raise my brows.

“We're down half an army dad, we can't fight them off.”

“You're right,wecan't. But I have plenty of allies that owe me a favor or two that would be happy to step in and help if needed. Trust me son, don't you worry your pretty little head over it,” he stands slowly, hand resting on the small of his back as he straightens himself out. “But don't you four concern yourselves, there is no need. No one is getting to the mines. No one is getting our land. You just focus on the here and now, and that means you and Pacey need to get better.”

I drop my head for a moment.

“Raise your glasses,” my dad orders and I lift my head to look at him before stretching my arm out, holding my glass in the air. “To Harlow,” he chokes, and my chest tightens, “may you always rest in peace our sweet girl.”

“To Harlow,” we all chime, knocking back our whiskeys as my dad slams his glass down on the table with force and walks out the room.

“One more?” Riggs asks as he walks slowly towards the decanter and we all nod one by one, still dressed in our blacksuits. It didn't seem right getting changed when we were still mourning Harlow.

Looking over my shoulder, I will for Dixie to walk into the room, but I know Lainey was unsettled, no doubt picking up on the mood of the household, and I know that Lainey will always come first.

Before me.

Before anything.

Just how it should be.

“So, I have a date with Sunny,” Conrad interrupts my thoughts and Riggs wolf whistles. “Stop that,” Conrad laughs, rubbing his palm down his thigh.

“Finally managed to get one of the girls from town,” I wiggle my brows, “hopefully that means you stop going after mine,” I wink at him, a smirk tugging at my lips and he flips me off causing me to let out a rumble of a laugh. Riggs smiling from ear to ear before he breaks into his own laughter.

“Well you fuckers took every single girl that came into town, had to get my hands on Sunny before Pacey claimed her,” and Conrad smirks, side eyeing Pacey and he just returns a kind of growling noise.

“Where has my little sunshine Pacey gone?” Conrad leans across and nudges Pacey softly which causes him to push up with force and hiss as pain sears through him. Riggs is up, grabbing our kid brother and letting him use him as a support.

“You okay?” I ask, and there is a sense of worry coating my tone.

Pacey's eyes are squeezed shut as he clings onto Riggs like he is his life raft. Knuckles white, fingers digging into Riggs' arms and my chest aches, breath shallow and I wish I could take his pain away. But it's not just a physical pain, it's a mental pain too.

Hate it.

Hate it for all of us.

“It's okay, I’ve got you,” Riggs reassures Pacey, holding him for as long as he needs.

I wish I could help. But I am useless. Trying to get up without help is impossible, so now I’m stuck, watching like an outsider as my younger brother sobs in the arms of my other brother.

My heart is breaking.

Conrad shuffles in his seat, guilt written across his face at making Pacey react and rush up, but it was only banter. It wasn't meant in a malicious way. Pacey would have once just flipped him off, laughed and then shrugged him off. But not now.

It's like the light side of Pacey has been completely eclipsed by a darker side, a side that he has been buried away and only now it's raising its ugly head to claim any ounce of light that was left in Pacey's soul.

Squeezing my own eyes shut as I try and block out the sounds of Pacey's pained sobs, I hear the sound of footsteps hitting down the hallway and my dad is in the room, slipping his arms under Pacey and pulling him off of Riggs softly. Riggs tilts his head, as if he is trying to get his own emotions in check and that's when we see the blood on Riggs' white shirt. Our eyes skate across to Pacey whose shirt is saturated.

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