Page 25 of Rex
“Still, he’s my brother. How can I be there for him if I don’t know what’s going on?”
“It sounds like he was trying to protect you, Jake, but maybe he also wasn’t ready to talk about it with you either. Speaking it out loud to you made it all true, and he probably wasn’t ready to accept that.” I say, speaking up and hoping to defuse some of theanger in the room. I can only hope and pray my words help Jake calm down.
“You’re probably right, Dre.” Jake says, sounding a little calmer than he has so far, before spinning on his heels and leaving us alone in the kitchen once more.
Well, that wasn’t how I expected this conversation to go. All I wanted to do was bring up what Seth had said in the hopes of helping him in some way. Now, instead of finding a way to help Seth, we’ve got an angry Jake stomping around the house. That’s certainly not what we need right now. The brothers need to be on the same page.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rex
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I seriously fucked that up. Why didn’t I think to check we were alone before opening my big mouth? This is not what we need right now. We’ve got enough going on without Jake being angry at us all because we didn’t tell him about Everett. Shit, I need to fix this. Fast.
“Rex!” Dre shouts, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. “Calm down. You couldn’t have known he’d hear you.”
“I should have checked we were alone.”
“You’re in your home. That’s not something you’re used to doing here, right?” Dre asks, but he doesn’t give me a chance to answer. Instead, he just plows on with what he’s saying. “Stop beating yourself up. It was an honest mistake. You didn’t know he was there. Just tell Seth what happened. Really, if you think about it, this is between them; you just had the unfortunate luck of being the one who spilled the beans.”
“Still—”
“Nope. Stop. Still nothing.”
We’re interrupted by the appearance of Seth. He wanders into the kitchen none the wiser of what’s happened. By the looks of things, he’s on the search for more caffeine. The giant empty mug in his hand is a bit of a giveaway.
“Seth.” I say seriously, knowing I need to tell him what’s happened before Jake finds him and blows up at him.
“What’s happened?” Seth asks, immediately picking up on my tone.
“I fucked up. Dre and I were talking about Everett being back, and Jake overheard. He’s not happy.”
“You didn’t fuck up, Rex. I should never have kept it from him, even with everything that was happening in his life. He’s my brother, and all he’s ever done is love and support me. If I’m being honest, I’m probably going to need all of you more than ever now that Ev’s back.” Seth says as he pours some coffee into his mug.
“He might be angry now, but you know he’s always going to be there when you need him. It’s what we do, Seth. Let’s get all this shit we’ve currently got on our plates dealt with, and then we can figure out what the hell is going on with Everett’s return. Does that work?”
“Yeah. I need my focus on what I’m working on right now. If I let my thoughts of Everett invade my mind anymore than they already are, I’m going to be fucking useless, and I can’t be useless right now. There’s too much work for me to do with figuring out everything Richard has accessed.”
“Then we have a plan. If you need to talk before then, we’re all here to listen. We love you, Seth.”
“Love you too, big brother. I don’t know what I’d do without you all, and I’m glad I’ll never have to find out.”
With those final words, Seth turns and leaves the kitchen. Leaving Dre and me alone once more. Neither of us speaks, though, both clearly lost in thought about the conversation I’ve just had with Seth. Dre might not say a word, but I know he’s affected by what Seth has said. His eyes are brimming with unshed tears that he’s attempting to blink away. I get it. Hearing Seth talk about anything to do with Everett and how he feels isheartbreaking. You can feel Seth’s pain in every single word he speaks.
Chiming echoes through the house, letting us all know someone is at the front door. I have a strong suspicion I know who it is too. Wreck and Shadow. I’m a little surprised Wreck waited this long to come over; I was sort of expecting him as soon as the sun was up. I could tell yesterday he was eager to not only spend more time with Dre but also meet Immy.
* * *
Today has flown by. It feels like I just haven’t stopped. It’s just been one thing after another that’s required my attention, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to be changing anytime soon.
It all started with the door going this morning, and I was right. It was Wreck and Shadow on the other side, and they didn’t come empty-handed either. They were both weighed down with bags and bags of stuff for Dre and Immy. It was sweet and thoughtful. Dre was beyond ecstatic to have the option of changing into clothes that actually fit him. Especially before meeting my mother. It was a massive relief for me too; with everything that went down yesterday, we never got a chance to order new clothing and whatever else they both could want or need. I can’t believe I forgot to do something so important; talk about a total blunder on my part.
Watching Wreck meet Immy was priceless. I’ve never seen a massive tattooed-up biker turn to goo so fast. I should have expected it, really; Immy has had that effect on everyone who meets her. It’s almost impossible for anyone not to be taken in by her cuteness. If I thought Wreck’s reaction was brilliant, watching Shadow was something else entirely. The man spenta good ten minutes just cooing and baby talking to Immy. She didn’t seem to mind one bit, though; she was entranced by him. Her eyes never left him for the entire interaction. It was really sweet. Clearly the man adores kids. That all happened while Wreck sat back and watched Shadow with nothing but love and adoration in his eyes. There is no missing how much they love and care for one another. It’s probably one of the most obvious things I’ve ever seen.
Watching Shadow and Wreck act that way with each other gave Dre the chance he’d been waiting for. He finally got to say something about them finally pulling their heads out of their asses about their true feelings for each other. They both took the ribbing from him with smiles on their faces. It was clear they didn’t mind what he was saying. I’m pretty sure they’re used to it by now. I know from Jake that everyone has said something similar to the pair since they finally got together. It’s probably become pretty much an everyday occurrence for them.
I didn’t get to stick around much longer after that; my presence was needed over in The Holding Facility, where my mother was about to put the fear of hell into Richard, and fucking hell did she do that. She never had to touch him, getting her point across entirely with her words and demeanor. If it wasn’t such a serious situation, I’d have laughed at the way he quaked in her mere presence and begged her for mercy.
Fucking idiot. I have no idea why he ever would have believed she’d grant him any sort of mercy after what he’d done. If anything, he’s lucky she didn’t make him pay for what he’d done herself. She would probably have inflicted more pain and suffering than Anarchy, Phantom, and I plan to. The woman is creative as all hell and has a serious mean streak when the situation requires it.
