Page 66 of Grave Games

“He’s not there right now.”

“Where is he?”

“Standing right beside you.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

One Last Rev

Stunned, I turned in the direction Romeo indicated. Standing no more than five feet away from me was a man in a black hoodie with the hood up, and a leather prospect’s cut over it. The deep hood covered most of his face, and I caught a hint of yellow-tinted night-driving glasses in place as well. But that crooked smile and tentative wave of a hand told me all I needed to know.

Josh. He was really here.

Despite all odds, Romeo had come through for me yet again.

“Josh.” Instinctively I stepped toward him so I could give him a hug before I stopped myself. If Hades did have spies lurking around, the last thing I wanted to do was make my brother stick out in this crowd by paying obvious attention to him. “I’m glad to see you’re still in one piece.”

“I’m glad to still be in one piece.” The smile that lit my brother’s expression, at least as far as I could see it, was worlds apart from the bitter mask he’d been wearing the last time we’d seen each other. He seemed like a different person altogether, a better, more stable person who was more like the brother I remembered. It took everything I had not to throw my arms around him and welcome him back to life. “Word on the street is you’re wearing Romeo’s patch. Is that true?”

For an answer, I shrugged my coat off my shoulders to catch at my elbows and turned to show him the back of the jacket Romeo had given me. “Ta-da.”

“Wow, it’s official, then. You’re Romeo’s ol’ lady.”

“I will never,everfully get over being called old while I’m still in my twenties. But yeah,” I added, turning to shoot a smile at the man in question. “I’m his, and he’s mine.”

“Damn straight.” Romeo helped me put my coat back in place before putting his arm around my shoulders. “Took you long enough to figure it out.”

“I’m happy for you,” Josh said, and I was pleased to hear the sincerity in his tone. “Romeo’s a good guy. I’ve learned that much about him since I’ve been here, so I know you’re going to be treated right. After everything you’ve been through, Shiloh, you deserve all the happiness in the world. That’s what I told Mom and Dad when I went to see them.”

For a full second I thought I’d heard him wrong. “What?”

Josh nodded in a solemn way. “I told them everything, Shiloh—cooking in college, selling to the wrong people, your kidnapping and torture and how I could’ve put a stop to it by giving them what they wanted, but didn’t. All of it. They needed to know the truth so they could start figuring out how to mend their relationship with you.”

I was so stunned I could barely remember how to speak. “I… You just… Mend things with me?”

“Yeah. You should know that Dad was especially hit with the need to reach out to you in the hope of trying to be a family again. Romeo can back me up on that.”

Just when I thought I couldn’t be any more shocked. “How would you know anything about this?” I asked Romeo, looking up at him.

He shrugged. “I was there.”

“Why?”

“Someone had to drive your brother over to their house.”

“He actually didn’t give me a choice,” Josh said sheepishly. “I swear, Shiloh, I had every intention of doing it all on my own once things had cooled down and the time was right.”

“The time is always right when it comes to clearing the air,” Romeo declared, giving my brother a hard stare. “This was a step you needed to take for yourself, and for your sister. Even if this is as far as the McKeen family dynamic goes, at least it can move on from this point knowing what the truth is.”

“I just can’t believe it.” The words came out of my mouth on autopilot, and I found myself shaking my head. “I never thought the day would come when I would ever have to even think about talking to them face-to-face again.”

“It’s up to you if you decide to open that door,” Romeo said, giving my shoulders a reassuring squeeze. “Just know that they’re going to be there knocking.”

“I really hope you do decide to answer that door, Shiloh,” my brother added when I didn’t say anything. “It’s more than a matter of family ties or obligation we’re talking about here. It’s a matter of forgiveness.”

“I’m not sure they deserve forgiveness.” And wow, that really did just come out of my mouth.

Josh dipped his head so that I couldn’t see any part of his face. “I hope you don’t mean that,” he said at length, and I could barely hear him over the roar of the bonfire. “Because if you can’t forgive Mom and Dad, how are you ever going to truly forgive me?”

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