Page 73 of Filthy Boy

Because I officially have no family left.

“Brody?” a voice yells, and when I turn, I find a young lady with red hair running behind me. “Oh, thank God I caught you before you left to go back to Georgia.” She smiles. “I’m Giana. I actually work at the nursing home, but stopped in on my way home to check on your grandmother.” Her eyebrows pull together, and her lips turn down. “I’m so sorry to hear she passed away. She talked about you a lot.”

“Oh boy. All bad things, I assume?” I joke, trying to lighten my mood.

“Maybe a few,” she teases. “I’m kidding. All good. But one thing she told me once is that, if anything were to happen to her, she left something for you at her house, in her secret spot.”

“Her house?” I frown. “I thought her house was sold when she came in here.”

My father had pushed to sell it so that he could walk away with all of the money. I didn’t fight him on it because, at that point, I was leaving for Brooks and I just wanted to stay away from him.

She shrugs, grinning a tiny bit. “Your grandmother couldn’t lethimget away with that. She had some legal stuff made up. And because she was still lucid enough when she first got here, she was able to do as she wished with her home.”

Reaching out, she hands me a key. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Brody. But go see what she left you. She knew she wouldn’t always be sane enough to tell you good-bye. But she wanted to make sure she said it. In her own way.”

Looking at the key in my hand, I frown as she walks away. I have no idea what she would have left me—she had no money after all. And her house is just a small one-bedroom shack. But if she wanted me to go see what she’d left behind, that’s what I’m going to do.

As I walk outside, Cam and Link shoot off the bench they were sitting on and somberly make their way to me. I briefly told them what was going on when I was throwing my clothes on, but when they tried to come with me, I said no.

“I’m so sorry, man.” Cam is the first to speak. “You doing okay?”

“You guys shouldn’t have come,” I say, looking away from them. “I didn’t ask you to.”

“We took a bus here right after you left. A smelly-ass bus at that. But we wanted to at least drive back to Brooks with you when you’re done here. You shouldn’t be alone.” Strutting toward me, Cam stops a foot in front of me. “You don’t need to ask for us to show up. We’re brothers. If you’ve got some shit, well, then we’ve got some shit too.”

“He’s right. Call us one big shit sandwich,” Link adds. “You’re always showing up for us. You deserve the same in return.”

They don’t get it. They’ll never understand. Both of them might have some dark parts in their past that they don’t like to talk about, but not like this. I can’t let them see what I really am. Where I come from.

Or worse,whoI come from.

Pulling as much air into my lungs as possible, I let it out. “No matter what happens today…don’t say a word about it. And for the love of each of your nutsacks,don’t—and I repeat,don’t—get involved.” Shooting them both a stare, I jerk my chin up. “Got it?”

Glancing at each other, they look confused and a little nervous.

But eventually, Link shrugs his shoulders. “Uh, okay, I guess?”

“No. Notyou guess. My life is fucking difficult. My old man? Well, let’s just say when he fell down the fucked up tree, he hit every single branch on the way down. I don’t need you two inserting yourselves in the middle of all that.”

Cam opens his mouth to speak, but before he can, a middle-aged man with glasses and an uptight look on his face walks toward us.

“Mr. O’Brien?”

I nod, narrowing my eyes. “Uh, yes?”

“I have a few papers for you to sign.” He clears his throat. “On behalf of your grandmother.”

“Well, seeing as she’s dead…”

“Insurance stuff,” he mutters.

“For someone who’s dead?” I shake my head. “Shit, that’s weird.”

“Yes, well…I’m sorry for that.” He sighs. “Can you step into my office? It won’t take more than a few minutes.” His eyes move to Link and Cam. “Mysmalloffice. Which won’t hold all of you. So, Brody, when you’re ready, I’ll be just inside the hospital.”

“Uh, okay,” I say, watching him turn and head back inside. Where he stops and stands. Waiting. For me.

Cam makes a quiet cat noise under his breath before elbowing my side. “Good luck. If you need us, holler.”

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