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“Hey, Dar,” Joey whispered, green eyes glued to his brother.

“You okay?”

Joey shook his head and his face contorted in pain.

“Look at me—” Cupping Joey’s face in his hands, Darren pressed his forehead to Joey’s and exhaled a ragged breath. “You did more for her than anyone else.”

“I didn’t do enough—”

“You did,” Darren corrected, voice hoarse and raspy. “You are the reason they survived as long as they did. Not me or anyone else. Just you.”

Tears trickled down his cheeks. “No, I should have been there—”

“You,” he repeated. “You couldn’t have done anything more.”

Silently, Mam and Dad ushered Tadhg, Ollie, and Sean back into the sitting room, giving Darren and Joey some privacy.

“I left them,” Joey choked out, dropping his head on Darren’s shoulder. “I did that to them. Me. I walkedaway.”

“You didn’t leave anyone,” Darren whispered, smoothing his hand over his brother’s head. “You just took a time-out.”

“I’m in trouble, Darren,” he squeezed out through sobs. “I’ve got a problem and I can’t stop.”

“I know,” Darren soothed, holding onto him. “We’ll get you some help, Joe. I promise.”

“He did it,” Joey choked out, crying hard now. “He finally finished her off—” His voice cracked and he heaved a huge sob. “Jesus Christ, he burned her alive…”

The sound of a car engine came from outside, and I spun around and moved shakily for the door. I couldn’t be in here. I couldn’t listen to their pain another second. Yanking the front door open, I practically ran out into the night, staggering away from the house in my bid to get some clarity.

When my eyes landed on the silver Ford Focus parking up outside, and the familiar blond head climbing out, I felt my body give out beneath me. “I’ve got you, Johnny,” Gibsie said, wrapping his arms around me just before I collapsed in a heap. “I’m right here, lad,” he whispered, lowering us both to the ground. “Let it out.”

So I did.

* * *

“You saved their lives, Johnny,” Gibsie stated when I’d managed to compose myself enough to tell him what had happened. We were sitting, side by side, in our old battered tree house down the back field from my house, looking out as the sun rose over the mountains. “All of them.”

“You should have seen the baby, lad. He was soaked in whiskey.” Shuddering, I hooked my arms around my knees and swallowed down a scream. “At the time, I didn’t even think about it. I just thought that drunk bastard spilled his drink on him or something.” I shook my head, feeling lost and bewildered. “It didn’t click in my mind, Gibs.”

“Why would it?” he replied, mirroring my actions. “Who does something like that?”

“Him,” I muttered, still reeling.

Gibsie sighed heavily. “Are they all in your house now?”

“Yeah, they’re inside with my folks. I just… I had to get out and get some breathing space.” I shrugged helplessly. “It’s too upsetting.”

“You did good, Johnny,” he replied quietly.

“She wasright there,” I choked out, eyes filling with tears. “Looking right in my eyes. I told her I would come back for her.” I clenched my eyes shut and shuddered at the memory. “She looked resigned, Gibs. Like sheknew.”

“She probably did know, lad,” he told me. “And you must have given that lady some serious peace. Seeing her kids getting out? Knowing that they would be safe? You gave that to her, lad. She couldn’t go anywhere. She knew that. The whole place was rigged to blow. If she had tried to leave with you and he lit that match, you’d have all burned to death before you had a chance to blink—you and Sean included.”

“Why would he do that?” I hissed, shivering at the realization of how close to death I’d come. “Why would anybody dothat,Gibs?”

“I don’t know, Johnny,” he replied.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” I choked out.

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