Page 257 of Come Back to Me

“Of course, Grandma.”

“Good night, boys.”

“Night, ma’am.”

“Blanche.”

“I’ll see you in a little while, Grandma.”

As Bast and Blanche drift away, Theo clears his throat. “What are you going to do, Cody?”

Unchecked rage filters through me.

Because it’s clear that everybody’s suspicious of John now, but they expect me to just stay silent.

The need for vengeance. The desire for him tosufferlike Mum suffered, like Colt suffered, like Marcy did, like Elena has, like Clay, like Helen goddamn Cartwright, whoever she is, and all the other fucking people he’s hurt along the way?—

I’m hauled into a hug.

“She’s right, Cody,” Colt mutters. “His time will come. We don’t have to do anything to just let the die roll to a stop.”

“Karma’s a bitch,” Theo concurs, releasing a bitter chuckle. “Kinda like the sound of that. Especially after how many times you two came over with something or other busted because of him.”

There’s a warning there. As well as a reminder.

“I should help Bast with Grandma,” he continues. “See you guys tomorrow, huh?”

He doesn’t wait for an answer. Just leaves us on the veranda.

I lean back against the railing, hearing his booted feet fade into the distance.

“Think it’s the first time the Frobisher boys have ever united over anything.” Colt’s words are heavier than a ton of bricks. “Typical that it’d be their sick mother and... well.”

Yeah.Well.

“Do you believe John killed Clay?”

“I don’t know,” Colt says eventually. “Maybe we’ll never know. Andmaybethat’s okay.”

“Why are you being so calm about this?” I demand. “You knew Clay better than anyone! We should be pushing for the truth for his sake!”

“Tearing apart a family that’s already being shredded into pieces thanks to Alzheimer’s… does that seem like something our honorable uncle would want?”

“Was he honorable, Colt? He was fucking a married woman. Sure, he taught us how to open goddamn doors for our dates and to mind our Ps and Qs, but there’s more to honor than chivalry.”

Colt releases a heavy breath. “I want to argue.”

“Don’t. You know I’m right.”

“I think Blancheisright too, though. The unlawful dead don’t stay buried, Cody. Look at the situation Clyde’s in now. Because of something that happened in the past. A man commits as many sins as he has, they’re bound to rear their ugly heads at some point. And that point is now.” He grasps a hold of my shoulder. “John… if he did it or not, Elena needs him. Maybe when she’s… What’s a couple more years, Cody?”

I grit my teeth as that argument, more than any other, resonates. “Why has everyone turned a blind eye to how he treated us, Colt?”

His jaw works, and at long last, his calm expression shifts. “Because he had power over them. Even Clay by the sounds of it. That’s why I’ll go out of my way to help women like Mum. To help their kids. Because their husbands might not be billionaires, but they’retheirClydes, and I’ll always be the big, bad wolf who isn’t afraid to squash their Clydes into the dirt.”

I mirror his hold on my shoulder by grabbing onto his. “Wewill do that, Colt. Together.”

He dips his chin, but his smile tells me he appreciates my vow. “Come on, bro. Let’s get out of here. I think I need another beer but at home. Don’t you?”

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