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"I'm sorry, okay!" I strangled out. "I tried to help him and he threw it back in my face." Shaking, I exhaled a huge ragged breath before saying, "He doesn’t want my help, and I'mtiredof trying to fix everything."

"That's because he's inpain," Derek roared, trembling from head to toe with barely restrained frustration. "Because he doesn’t think he deserves help!"

"I’m sorry," I repeated, feeling dead inside. "But I can't read his mind."

"Is that what happened?" Cam demanded, staring hard at me, letting me know with one look that he had more insight about my 'situation' than most people in this kitchen. "Did he hurt you?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but Derek was in there first, back stiff and tone outraged.

"Don’t you dare even think about putting the blame on my son for this," Derek snarled, springing to Jordan's defense. "This has your fucked-up grandfather written all over it."

"Der," Dad said, moving to stand beside his best friend. "It never entered my mind, man. Not one time."

How wrong you are, Dad…

Derek, who up until this moment looked like he was two seconds away from kicking my brother's ass, sagged at my father's words.

Dad placed his hands on his shoulders and said, "Go to your kid. Whatever's going on here? I've got it."

I watched Derek stalk out of the kitchen with a heavy heart.

He was already blaming me for this.

Well, get in line…

"Hope," Mom choked out, gray eyes wide and locked on my face in disbelief. "Jordan has relapsed and you didn’t do anything?"

"What the fuck is she supposed to do?" That was Cam; angry and glaring, but still coming to my rescue. "She's not his fucking keeper, Mom," he added with an aggravated growl. "He's a grown ass man, making his own grown ass decisions."

"Do you have to be so heartless?" Mom countered, tone laced with hurt.

"I’m being real here," Cam shot back. "If that makes me heartless, then so fucking be it." He ran a hand through his dark brown hair and shrugged. "And to be quite fucking honest, I couldn’t give a shit about his recreational habits right now. Someone hurt my sister. Call it what you want, Mom, but my priorities are right on track."

Colton raised his hand. "I'm right there with him, Mom."

"Where the fuck have you been?" my father demanded then, glaring at the kitchen doorway, and distracting me from my thoughts. "I've been calling you for weeks!"

I swung around and almost died on the spot when my eyes landed onHunter.

Oh god.

He was back.

****

Chapter Forty

Hope

"Morning," Hunter announced before sauntering over to the coffee pot. "I've missed you, you beautiful devil," he groaned in relief when he touched the coffee pot and found it piping hot. "It's been too fucking long." He reached for the sugar bowl and doled several spoons of sugar into his cup. "Come to daddy."

"Lucky?" Dad snapped, watching him pour himself a cup of coffee. "I'm talking to you."

"I know," Hunter mused, keeping his back to all of us as he prepared his coffee. "I'm listening."

When Hunter finally turned around, he looked at me like I was just the same as everyone else in the room.

With no emotion.

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