Had they ever been so suffocated by their own thoughts that they wanted to crawl out of their own skin? That’s how I felt without the drugs and alcohol in my system.
Micha blamed one person and one person alone. While he wasn’t entirely wrong, he should take a look in the mirror. I didn’t question anything my brother told me growing up because he was my hero. Now, Micha was just another guy that hid shit from me. Someone else who thought I was too weak to handle the truth.
The day I opened those paternity papers was the same day I lost my brother.
Never keep a secret from your friend that your enemy already knows.
As far as my brother was concerned, betrayal was the greatest sin. Someone could lie to Micha, cheat on him, hell, they could shoot the fucker in the dick, but if they betrayed him… That was it. If he didn’t kill them, he’d make sure they damn well wished they were dead.
Did that make my brother a dick? Probably. But he was born an ass so I kind of expected shit like this. What I didn’t expect was finding out that my brother–the person I used to look up to and admire– was the world’s biggest hypocrite.
Micha didn’t just betray me, he hid the very foundations of my DNA. Secrets he kept under the guise of protection, and that was so much worse. Someone could come back from a betrayal, but secrets…
Those didn’t just topple nations, they tore apart relationships, and left scars so deep they stained your soul.
The truth shall set you free. What a load of crap. Know what the truth did? It changed the way you looked at people. Once upon a time, Micha was my hero. Now all I could think when I saw him was ‘what else isn’t he telling me’?
That’s exactly what I was thinking right now, as I eyed up Micha–who was sitting on the couch next to his girl.
It’d been close to a month since they got back from Canada. He told me all about the drive-by at Chase’s clubhouse, and his time in the great white north.
Hell, I was even there when shit went down at the docks, but none of that quieted the uncertainty picking at the back of my brain. Now a shot, on the other hand, would definitely help quiet my thoughts. Too bad our local coffee shop didn’t serve whiskey.
“Mase?”
“Huh?”
Silas sat forward, making the big plush chair he was on creak, and rested his forearms on his thighs. “You okay?”
There was a loaded question if I’d ever heard one, and one I’d heard a lot since my real father came back.
Was I okay? No. None of us were. My brother and friends could pretend everything was peachy keen all they wanted, but I knew the truth.
Ryker Hudson might be gone, but he’d won.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
If Silas knew the truth, he’d try to save me. A wasted effort, in my opinion. Can’t save someone who’s already damned. I was the son of the boogeyman after all. Turns out Iwasthe monster Harper Callaghan made me out to be. How’s that for irony?
“You sure?” Silas asked while dropping his gaze down to the cup in my hand, and he wasn’t the only one.
Micha and Logan were staring at me too, but it was Riley that made me snort. Her big sapphire eyes were glittering with suspicion.
The only high I was gonna get would be from caffeine. I was tempted to fuck with them and slur a couple words. Instead, I rolled my eyes and lifted the mug to my lips.
“Calm down, it’s coffee.”
I wouldn’t argue a good strong drink right now. Maybe a pill or two. Anything, really. Not only was I in a room with Riley – a walking reminder of how fucked up I truly was – but Silas’s girl was staring at me.
Star was alright, I guess. A tiny little thing with platinum hair and dark eyes that could give both Naomi Prescott and Logan’s girl, Shelby, a run for her money. If my best friend hadn’t shown an interest in her, I’d have fucked her.
It was probably a good thing I didn’t. It’d been a long time since I’d seen Silas smile like that. I thought for sure the fucker would shit out a diamond one day. That, I’d always be thankful to Star for. Who knew some prissy little chick from England would be the one to finally pull the stick out of my best friend’s ass?
It was her choice in friends I didn’t like. Moreso the fact that she decided to get in the way of me and said friend. When I said Star could give Naomi Prescot a run for her money, I didn’t just mean in the looks department. She could be vicious for a little thing, but so could I.
My eyes wandered over to the stairs. Harper disappeared up them six minutes and thirty-two seconds ago. Not that I was counting or anything. Besides, she was the one that came here. Walked in like she belonged. Rule number one of handling an addict, never dangle what he wants in front of him.
I’d already be up those stairs prying some sweet ass tears from Harper’s eyes if it wasn’t for Star. The other girls weren’t much of an issue. Riley and Shelby were easily distracted by their boyfriends.
