I forced my eyes shut. Trey wasn’t wrong. He’d been a threat to so many people. Flashbacks of his cackle as he promised he’d take Sienna from us taunted me. There was a time where he thought it was okay to hover over a thirteen-year-old while being a decade older than her. I bit the inside of my cheek, a metallic taste filling my mouth. It hurt. But it was still an upgrade from remembering everything that happened to the people I cared about at the hands of my bloodline. My mother, my brothers, Jarryd, April and the kids, and the woman I loved.
I ignored the churning in my gut and turned back. “Trey, I want to believe everything you’re saying. I do. But you’ve done some shady things to people important to me. How can I trust that this isn’t another one of Hal’s mind games?”
Trey’s chest rose as he grabbed the cutlery from the tray and scooped more yoghurt. He swung back until the silver spoon was met by the wall of Seth’s lips. “I’m feeding my brother like he’s some eighty-year-old cripple. I’m staring at a kid his own father tortured and sent off, just because the old man could. And you know what, Riley?” Trey spat, tears gushing from his bulging eyes. “I goddamn knew what happened in the CTR. I knew Cooper’s torture chamber was a thing, but as long as it wasn’t me in there, I didn’t ask questions.”
Seth coughed, yoghurt dribbling over his chin. Trey grabbed a napkin and wiped it, like a father caring for his newborn son.
“But now I wish it had been me, because I can’t stand to watch one of you boys like this anymore. So, yes, Riley, you have my word that I’ll go to my grave trying to redeem myself for our father’s wrongdoings.”
Right before I could answer, a knock interrupted us. Trey narrowed his eyes at the door before he marched forward and opened it. On the other side, Jarryd paused, shock lining his features. His eyes went from me to Trey, a questioning glance between us.
“Should I come back?” He asked, his voice firm.
I shook my head. “No. We’re grateful.” I extended my hand towards Trey. “You remember my brother.”
“Yep.” Jarryd’s tone was clipped.
Trey wiped Seth’s mouth one more time, before lifting himself off the bed. “I’ll see you around, Riley.” Then he left the room, the door closing behind him.
Jarryd buried his hands in his pockets, his legs crossed as he leaned against the wall. “Are you okay?”
A deep breath burnt my lungs.No.“I have to be. What do you have?”
Jarryd stepped towards Seth and, using a small light, checked his pupils for any reaction. “He’s unwell, Riley. Worse than I anticipated. I want to do another round of ECT before I start him on the new drug. It should clear customs by Monday.”
I nodded. “Will it help?”
“I’m hoping. There’s nothing organic showing up in his CT scans, and he’s not responding to standard antidepressants or mood stabilisers. It’s almost like he’s choosing this.” He blew a hard breath. “And without being able to properly assess him, I can’t tell whether he has any psychotic symptoms or what the hell is going on in there.”
I extended my hand, and Jarryd grabbed it, pulling me into a hug in the process. “We’ll get him through it, Riley. You just have to be patient.”
“I know,” I lied. Because deep down, after what Hal had done to him, I wasn’t sure that Seth would ever choose to wake up. And I’d be damned if I ever gave my father the chance to hurt anyone I loved again.
CHAPTER11
Sienna
By the time I finished my evening shift at Coles, my muscles weighed more than a bodybuilder’s and they ached all over. Nine hours of being on my feet, scanning all the heavy-duty items people bought, from soda cartons to bulk meat trays, had me drained of life for the night. As much as I didn’t hate the job, now that things were getting better in my head, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to consider an actual career change.
My keys clinked at the bottom of my bag as I rummaged through it, and exhausted, I pushed the front door open until I was tucked inside the house.
“I’m home,” I yelled through the hallway. I tossed my jacket on the couch and strolled through the lounge room. The TV hummed quietly as Grace and Avery hugged on a love seat in front of some cooking show. I rolled my eyes. “Aren’t you guys all cooked out?” I slumped on the sofa across from them.
Avery turned the sound down on the remote. “How was work?”
“All right. But I’m thinking of going back to school.” I shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.
My brother straightened in his seat. “What?”
“Yeah. Maybe night classes or something. Nothing too fancy.”
Grace leaned forward until she reached my hand. “Sweetie, that’s a wonderful idea.”
“You bet it is. We’re with you all the way. What’re you thinking?” Avery urged.
The skin around my fingernail stung when I bit more than the usual. “Ouch.” I glared at the red fluid seeping through the flesh. “Something that keeps me around you guys?”
Avery narrowed his eyes, a slight twinkle glaring through them. “Things are getting better for you, aren’t they?”