Page 28 of Rising Storm

Damn.

What had happened to him?

Chapter 11

When someone knocked on Helix’s door, he was expecting Gareth as usual, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He certainly hadn’t planned to blow the guy earlier, but he couldn’t regret it because it had been damn hot. He still threw on a T-shirt before he answered the door.

But it wasn’t Gareth. Sayer barely stood, leaning against the doorjamb. His clothes were covered in blood, his face swollen until he was barely recognizable. He fell into the room when Helix reached for him.

“Oh my God, Sayer!”

Sayer stumbled over to the bed and collapsed on it, wincing as he did.

“Did your husband do this?” Helix demanded as he hurried to his brother and gently lifted his face. He took in the swollen eye and the split lip. “What the Hell?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Sayer’s words slurred.

“Fuck that. But we have to get you to a hospital first. You’re holding your side, so there could be some serious damage.”

“He kicked me in the ribs when I was down. Bastard. I’m pretty sure at least one is broken.”

“Come on, I’ll get you to the hospital.”

“I’d rather not. They always ask too many questions.”

“I’m not arguing with you about this. Let’s go.” Helix helped him to stand and grabbed his room key card and the keys to the rental he shared with Gareth. He walked his brother to the car, the whole time, his fury boiling over. He wanted to go to Barnette Kavaugh and wipe the floor with him.

It didn’t take them long to get to a room in the ER. He went into the surprisingly large room with his brother and watched as a nurse took care of his wounds. X-rays showed his brother had two broken ribs and a broken nose. The doctor who took care of him tried to get him to report the abuse and Sayer lied and said he’d been mugged and hadn’t seen his attacker.

The doctor looked like he didn’t believe him, mentioning past scars.

Sayer remained stubbornly silent.

It took several hours for them to leave the hospital and Helix took him back to his motel room. Once he had his brother settled on the bed, he sat in the chair next to it and stared at him. “You can’t go back to that fucker.”

“You don’t understand. I’ve got nothing and I’ve spent years trying to get to the money he stole. It was for Hayrick, but now it can be mine. I have nothing else, Helix. He’s kept me from finishing school or getting a job.”

Helix stared at him, heart in his throat. Then he got an inkling of an idea. “I didn’t tell you this, but I’m here to steal back a statuette he took years ago.”

“Rising Storm?”

Helix nodded, knowing that what he was about to suggest would hurt Gareth, but his brother came first. “Do you know a fence? You could sell it and get at least half its worth. It’s worth three hundred K.”

“I know one, but won’t that mess up whatever you’re doing?”

“Yeah, it would.” The more he thought about it, though, the less he liked that idea. Gareth really cared about getting the Monteague back to its owner and whether he liked it or not, he was starting to care how Gareth felt. “But you don’t have to do that. You could just leave and come back with me to Maine. We’re living in Hayrick’s house up there. I came down here to get you after all.”

Sayer closed his one good eye. “Years I’ve been putting up with his bullshit for Hayrick Letsen and I still can’t believe the man is dead.”

“You have to leave your husband, Sayer. You can’t take this kind of abuse.”

“I know.” His shoulders slumped and he grimaced in pain.

“Why did he do this?”

“Not that he needs a legitimate reason, but I smiled at a waiter.” Sayer sighed and tried to get comfortable on the bed. “I didn’t even smile in a flirtatious way, I was just thanking him for the food. But apparently, I looked a little too long.” He tried to smile, but his lips obviously hurt. “I did notice the guy had a cute ass, so I guess Ididlook a little too long.”

Anger burned through Helix. “What? You think you deserved this for looking at a guy?”

---