Page 98 of The Monsters Within
“I was looking for you.”
I sat up and looked at my brother. “What? Why would you look for me here?”
Thorne looked at me, guilt and shame swirling in his eyes, and I knew there was something he hadn’t told me.
“His father told me someone here would lead me to you.”
Turning my back, I whispered, “He knew about me?”
“Yeah, he knew where you were but wouldn’t tell me. He wanted me to do something for him and said if I did, I would get the answers.”
“Doesheknow about me?” Has he been looking for me? What would he do when he found me? What did he do when he took my mother?
“No. His father didn’t tell him. I think even he knew how unhinged his son was.”
Over my shoulder, I stared at my brother. “What did he want you to do?”
“He knew about Amber. He knew she was here and who she was.” His eyes never strayed from mine as he told me what he was asked to do. He told me all the things he didn’t say in front of Dr. Dunaway. When he was finished, he confessed, “I never planned on telling you any of that. Because I know you, and I know how you think. You would blame yourself somehow.”
I scoffed a laugh at this theory. Because I knew the same about him. That was why I never wanted him to know about Syrena.
“Once I heard everything today, I knew it was only fair for you to know everything. We don’t need their help. If they get involved, it puts them at risk.”
I hesitated before I said the next words, knowing what his reaction would be. “There are other clubs that would help, too.”
“They’ll protect him. He’s one of them,” he argued.
“Maybe if they knew what he did.”
He sat up on the bed. “They won’t care. You don’t know what I know.”
“Then tell me,” I pleaded.
“They know what he is. They’ve done nothing so far.”
“Maybe they don’t know everything.” I was grasping at straws. There had to be someone that would help us. We weren’tkids anymore, but after what Thorne told me, I knew we couldn’t do this alone.
“If you’re scared—”
I jumped off the bed and spun on my brother. “I’m not afraid of him. I’m scared of losing you now that I finally found you. I’m sure you getting away pissed him off. When he finds you who knows what he’ll do.”
“I can handle him.”
“How?” I asked, throwing my hands in the air. “How can you go up against him? He taught you everything. He’ll know every move you make before you make it.”
“Not everything. I’ve been here five years. I’ve learned a lot more from these men. Ghost taught me how to fight dirty. How to take down a man three times my size. Jingles taught me how to be invisible. Blade taught me how to use a fucking knife like nothing I have ever seen before. Zero taught me how to clean up my mess. Stocks, he’s a scary motherfucker. It’s like he’s too different people sometimes. And King, he taught me how to be patient. How to wait out my opponent until he makes a mistake. I have learned things from every man in this club.”
The mention of Blade had me thinking about the knife Melissa still had. Thorne’s knife. The one Val bought for him. The one I used to hurt myself. Would he still want it? How would he feel knowing the one thing I kept safe for him, kept me safe? At least that was how it had felt all these years.
He was so animated. So sure that he could best the man who hunted us our whole lives. “But you’re still only one person. You can’t use all those skills at once.”
“Which is why I will teach them to you. Like I said, King taught me to be patient. When the time is right, we’ll take that bastard down. Together.”
“I have something for you.” Switching gears, I paced his bedroom. I couldn’t listen to his plan anymore. I didn’t want to lose my brother. “Well, I don’t currently have it. Melissa has it.”
“What is it?” he asked, ignoring my sudden change.
“A knife,” I said, watching for his reaction. His face was blank, but his eyes gave him away. “Val bought it for you. The first birthday I was with the Nyght Nymphs. She bought something for you too. She wanted you to know that you were welcome when we found you.”
