“I know,” he squeezed my hand back as he sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth. It was his tell that he was struggling to keep control of everything, he was scared for Connor. Hudson said he wasn’t out of the woods but at least he was alive. I’d believed they killed him, so to me, that was a huge relief, but Warren wouldn’t see that the way I did.
“Are you going back to see him?”
“Things are too crazy right now. I’ll call him tomorrow, Rosa is keeping me updated.”
“Warren, he needs-”
“Leave it Waverley.”
His tone was sharp, like nothing I’d heard from Warren, at least, not aimed at me. Or about Connor. It was written all over his face. He was terrified. He’d almost lost him and he didn’t know how to deal with it. Connor did need him but not like this. Warren had to get his shit together because Connor needed him strong, not this angry, hate filled but scared version of Warren. I didn’t push it because I knew my brother too well.
“How are we playing this thing?” I changed the subject.
“Meaning?”
“Asking dad about Danica, her sister, telling him all the shit she told me?”
“We?” He raised a brow.
“Don’t even think about fucking with me Warren Curtis.”
He laughed, but it was strained. There was a lot going on inside my brother’s head but he wasn’t going to let me help him. At least not yet.
“Maybe I didn’t tell you everything,” I said. “So you can’t shut me out.”
“The fuck?” he sat up quickly, the blanket fell on the floor. It was a shitty quip I should have known better than to use on him.
“Relax, I told you everything,” I scrubbed my hands over my face, I couldn’t lie to him.
I hated the thought of being shut out of everything. It was me who went through this, me who suffered at the hands of our deranged mother. I watched as Warren stood and straightened up after collecting the blanket. He held his hand out to me, and I took it.
“We’re in this together,” he said as we walked back to the house. “He’ll understand that, one way or another.”
“Thank you,” I said softly.
We went inside and found Hudson sitting at the kitchen table, playing with his phone. He looked up as we came in, his eyes moving between us, dropping to our clasped hands. “I told Ballistic we need to meet him and King tomorrow. I asked that it was off compound.”
“Bet that was met with some questions,” Warren released my hand and went to get himself a glass of water. He raised his eyes to me in question, but I shook my head and went to sit beside Hudson.
“I made it clear we had sensitive information. We’re gonna meet at Rosa and Ballistic’s place.”
“And him?” Warren pointed to the ceiling.
“We have to take him,” Hudson looked at me, but I didn’t say anything. “He can wait in the van until we’ve convinced them to listen.”
It wasn’t the best of plans, but it was the best we were going to get. Nothing much was said after that, and we all went upstairs. Warren went into Hudson’s parents room because Hudson refused to set foot in there for years. I didn’t know how they restrained Mace because there was no lock on the door. Before we made our way down the hallway, Warrenreturned with a pillow and blanket, which he set up on the floor by the bedroom Mace was in.
“Is that really necessary?” Hudson asked. “He’s practically hog tied.”
“I’m not taking any chances. And, I’m right here,” he pointed at Hudson’s bedroom door. “Don’t fucking scandalize my ears.”
I flushed, even as I bristled and turned on my heel. Hudson chuckled as he followed me into his old bedroom, which was completely different to how it used to look. I wrung my hands together as he shut the door behind him.
“I don’t have clothes or anything here,” he said, glancing around at the bureau, it wasn’t in the same place it used to be when he lived here.
“I could sleep standing up,” I pointed out. “Clothes are the least of my concerns.”
We stood staring at each other. Hudson sat down and took off his shoes and socks, then lifted his t-shirt over his head. My eyes immediately went to the ‘Waverley’ tattoo on his chest. He watched me, knowing exactly where I was looking.
