Page 36 of Rising Storm

Gareth snorted. “Poor guy. You really have nothing to worry about with me. With them either. We’re all after the same thing here. On the same side.”

“House is gonna get awfully crowded.”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking of moving out anyway.”

“You have?”

“Why’d you think I was always going through the newspaper?”

“Just thought you liked old-fashioned reading.”

Laughing, Gareth pulled out onto the highway. “Funny thing to say when you didn’t even think of looking up your brother on social media.”

“I’ve never had the need for social media, so it’s not the first thing I thought of. Should have, though. Frankly, I’m surprised my brother was even allowed on it.”

“Maybe Kavaugh didn’t know.”

“True.”

“You know, we’re actually having normal conversations now. A lot less grunting on your part. I like it.”

“Don’t get used to it, cop.”

Gareth just snorted again and focused on the road.

Helix looked at the comics in his hand, knowing that they represented one more reparation, mostly for Lane this time. But it still felt good. Damn good.

Chapter 14

“Ican distract Barnette and get you guys a key card,” Sayer said. The swelling on his eye had gone down, but he had a dark purple bruise underneath. He still held his ribs where they’d been broken as he sat back on Helix’s bed. Helix had loaned him some clothes and they hung off his smaller frame. They looked alike, but Helix was at least five inches taller. Made Gareth tower over his brother.

Another day had passed and they were getting close to the time they needed to steal the Monteague.

“No way,” Helix immediately argued.

Sayer gave him a small smile. “He won’t hurt me again. Not until I’ve completely healed. It’s the way he works. And he’ll expect me to come crawling back to him. I’ve done it many times.”

The sadness in his brother’s expression nearly flattened Helix. “I don’t like this idea at all. There has to be another way into his office.”

“There isn’t. It’s a good system.”

“I don’t like this idea either,” Gareth said as he settled on the chair across from Sayer. He leaned down and rested his elbows on his knees. “He really hurt you. Why would he think you’d come back?”

“Like I said, I’ve done it before. Then, I had no choice because Hayrick was running the show, but now I’ve finally got choices. I choose to fool him into thinking I’m back so I can get the key card. Before we go I want to run by the house. I have a small amount of money stashed I didn’t get a chance to grab. It’s not much, but it’s mine.”

“I’ve told you that you can come home with us. Other thieves Hayrick blackmailed are there. It’s what we do. Get them free and offer them a new start. You don’t even have to work there, returning goods. Just let us get you set up with a new life far away from Barnette Kavaugh.”

“And near you?” Sayer gave his brother a small grin, although he winced when he did so. His lip was pretty damn split, so it must have still hurt.

“Hell yeah, near me. I plan to stay there and help return the collectibles and it’s time we got to know each other, don’t you think?” He thought about Hayrick calling his brother a cop killer and was dying to ask, but not in front of Gareth. Hell, the force here had to be tight and if it was someone local, Gareth probably knew him. “But think about the fact you’ll be using Hayrick’s money to start over.”

Sayer reached out and picked up a glass of water, taking a sip before he put it back. “I’ll go to Barnette’s office. Make up some excuse about a car accident for his secretary and act sufficiently angry with him. He’ll apologize because that’s what he does.”

“You think he means it?” Helix asked. He’d read about abusers being truly sorry for their outbursts, but he had a hard time believing it.

“No.” Sayer shook his head. “He never feels bad for the things he does because he’s got the mindset that the world owes him and he knows best about everything. Seriously, he is just so entitled.”

“How did you end up married to him?” Gareth asked.

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