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Darren shook his head. “You need to simmer down on the angst, Joe. It’s not working for you.”

“And you need tonotwalk back into our lives and think you can call the shots,” Joey retorted, trembling with what I knew was barely restrained anger. “It doesn’t work that way. You don’t get to go, Darren, you don’t get to walk in and out of our lives!”

Call the shots?“What shots?”

“Brother dearest thinks he’s in charge now.” Jerking to his feet, Joey paced the small room, looking like a caged wild animal. “Thinks he can walk out the door, abandon us for half a decade, and then stroll back in with his flashy car and fat wallet and lay down the law.”

Darren glared at our brother. “That’s not fair, Joey.”

“What did you expect,Darren?” Joey countered, glaring. “A welcome home party? Some balloons and cake? You roll back into town and think we’re going to fall at your feet because you’resaving us?” He shook his head and sneered, “You forgot about us. You walked the fuck out. Left us with them. So as far as I’m concerned, you can keep walking. I’ve got this.”

“You’ve got shit, Joey,” Darren snapped. “Look at her.”

“Look atyou,” Joey shot back, furious. Clapping his hands, he added, “Nice fucking suit, Darren. You look well. Nicely groomed and well fed. Good for you.” Glowering, he raised a hand and gestured to himself and then to me. “Congrats on the success, big brother.”

“I was eighteen,” Darren whispered, running a hand through his dark hair. “I couldn’t deal.”

“Yeah, well, I’m eighteen, too, asshole,” Joey spat unsympathetically. “And guess what? I stepped up anddealt. I stayed!”

“Then you’re a stronger man than I am.”

“I’m not stronger than you,” Joey choked out, voice breaking. “I just happen to possess a conscience.”

“Stop,” I pleaded, clutching my head with my hands. “Please just stop fighting. I can’t deal with this.”

“I’m sorry.” Darren ran a hand through his hair, clearly exasperated. “Can you tone it down for her sake, Joey? We need to explain this to her, and fighting with each other isn’t going to help.”

Joey bared his teeth and gave Darren the middle finger, but he managed to keep his opinions to himself.

“Dad’s gone, Shannon,” Darren explained in a calm tone.

An emotion that felt suspiciously like hope washed through me. “He is?”

“He’s not gone,” Joey corrected. “He’s hiding. Big difference.”

And there went my hope.

“Can you give it a rest?” Darren growled.

“Can you not give her false hope?” Joey countered hotly. “It won’t do her any fucking good in the long run.”

“For now he’s gone,” Darren was quick to add, casting a warning glare in Joey’s direction. “The Gards will find him and he’ll go down for this, guys. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Sure you will,” Joey sneered. “Saint Darrento the rescue.” Twisting his neck from side to side, he drummed his fingers on the mattress, clearly frustrated. “The justice system is a fucking joke in this country and we all know it. Even when they do find him, chances are that he’ll get a suspended sentence, a slap on the wrist, and a bottle of whiskey, courtesy of the social welfare, for his troubles—and you’re lying to yourself if you believe any different.”

“I went to court with Mam yesterday,” Darren pushed on, ignoring Joey’s comments. “We applied for a safety order against him. There’ll be a hearing in three weeks’ time, one he’ll be expected to attend, but we were issued a temporary protection order against him. He’s barred from the house, from making contact with any of you.”

“He should be done for attempted fucking murder,” Joey spat out.

“I agree,” Darren replied. “I want him gone, too, Joe. I hate him just as much as you do.”

“Doubtful,” Joey said with a snort. “Very fucking doubtful.”

Darren sighed heavily. “You want to do this, Joe? Have a competition over who had it hardest? Or do you want to get this family back on track?”

“There isnofamily,” Joey countered heatedly. “That’s what you’re missing.”

“We’re still a family,” Darren said quietly. “And we’ll be a stronger one if we’re all united.”

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