Page 6 of Reclaiming Home

She nodded seriously. “My brother.”

“Okay. Let me call the sheriff first. We need to deal with Rusty.”

Clearing her throat, she asked, “What do you need me to say?”

I smiled. “How about the truth?”

“No, I mean about you and him? Why you killed him?”

I hadn’t really thought about that. I shrugged. “Let’s say he was trying to lunge at you? It’s obvious that’s….” I gestured at her face.

She frowned. “Yeah. That’ll work.” She gestured at her body. “I’m pretty damn bruised all over.”

I glanced into the kitchen and wished I could kill the bastard again.

I took out my phone and handed it to her. “How about you call your brother? Rusty isn’t going anywhere.”

Chapter Two

Kye

Irubbed my face, tired as fuck at… well, the world. I was exhausted. I was pretty sure I shouldn’t be this sick of the whole universe at twenty-four.

I was browsing some missing people Facebook groups, scrolling through familiar names of other family members who had been searching for at least as long as I had.

“Hey, sorry I’m late!” my best friend, Henry said breezily, kissed my cheek, and sat down across from me.

“It’s fine,” I murmured.

And it was fine, really. I had nothing else to do today other than having coffee with him while he was on his lunch break—my back straightened as I saw a post about a young girl having gone missing from the same area my sister had two years ago.

“Kye? Kynan? Are you even listening to me?” Henry snapped, tugging my phone out of my hand before I had time to react.

“What? Sorry, I mean—”

“Isn’t this enough already?” he asked, his tone exasperated as he looked at the screen before putting the phone on the table outof my reach. “All you do at home every night is scroll the internet for clues. When is it going to be enough?”

“I’m—”

“You’ve spent all your money, sold everything you own to find her, Kye. For two years. When is it going to be enough? When will you accept that she’s gone?” I could see the tears in his eyes, and it was the only reason I didn’t punch him.

He could see my jaw tick, though, could see how angry he’d made me and lifted his hands. Then he wiped his eyes.

“I never knew her, but….” He sighed.

“No, you never did.”

The grief I’d been dealing with on and off for two years tried to smother me, but I pushed it away. Until I knew for sure that she wasn’t alive anymore, I would keep my feelings in check. If there was proof of her being gone, then I’d grieve. But not. Yet.

“Look, all I’m saying—”

“Don’t.” I was hanging by a thread, and if he wanted to have this lunch hour with me, he needed to shut the hell up.

“Fine.” He took a deep breath, then smiled sunnily at the server who came to us with his drink and sandwich. I’d had mine already, waiting for him, but the server put another latte in front of me as well.

“Thanks,” I told her, and him.

I took a sip and sighed.

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