Page 176 of Beneath the Mountain Sky
She bats her long eyelashes at him, settling back in the chair and placing her hands behind her head. “Not at all.”
Killian intercedes, stepping between them and pressing a hand to Connor’s shoulder, urging him back. “Let. It. Go.”
The brothers stare each other down while we all hold our breaths, waiting for the potential explosion from the younger of the two.
Connor grits his jaw, crossing his arms over his broad chest, while Killian holds the stare-down, rocking slightly side to side to keep Niall happy as he eats.
Finally, Connor rolls his eyes and stalks off to the kitchen, returning with a beer in hand that he takes a long swig from before he settles on the arm of the couch beside Liam.
Killian raises a brow at his Connor. “Any update?”
My spine stiffens even without any reference to what we’ve been expecting updates on.
Each day, we worry…
Each day, we wait…
For information from Sheriff Briggs about his interviews with Earl. For the answers that still elude us. Those little lingering questions we can’t seem to answer for ourselves. And for a resolution.
Connor nods, glancing around the room at everyone except Raven. “I spoke with Tony, and he finally finished interviewing Earl.”
Killian’s gaze immediately cuts to mine.
Finally.
His mental state has meant they’ve had to be careful when interviewing him. Some sessions were pointless, with Earl descending into rants that didn’t make any sense. Frustrating for us and law enforcement.
But it seems as though it’s come to an end.
I clear my throat. “And?”
Connor takes a drink and shrugs. “The dude is genuinely off his rocker. I don’t know the technical medical terms, but it sounds like they’re anticipating his public defender arguing the insanity defense.”
A low growl slips from Killian’s lips.
Raven shifts forward on the chair. “That motherfucker.”
I sit numbly on the couch, trying to process his words. “What? Does that…does that mean he’d go free?”
Connor shakes his head. “No. Apparently, if they try to claim it and the jury buys it—assuming he goes to jury trial—he’ll end up in a mental institution, probably for the rest of his life, given what he did to you.”
I release a long, uneven breath.
It isn’t prison, but at least he’d be locked away somewhere where he can’t hurt anyone else again.
That’s…something.
Raven doesn’t appear to feel the same way, glaring at Connor as if he’s the one responsible instead of just the messenger. “And what about Amy?”
Connor sighs. “Well, that’s more complicated. The District Attorney wants to use her to testify against Earl if necessary, so she may get a deal?”
Killian glares at his brother. “So, she’d get off without jail time?”
Raven climbs from the chair, coming to squat next to me and take my hand in hers. “No way. I won’t allow that to happen. I don’t care if I have to contact every major newspaper in the country, I will make sure the story gets plastered across every one of them until the uproar would be too much to ignore and they lock that bitch up.”
Connor glowers at her. “Can I answer before you go off on one of your ‘reporter saving the world’ crusades?”
Her lips twist, but she nods at him.
