I sit on the edge of the bed and talk to him.
“I don’t know why you won’t talk to me. Mama says bad things happened to you. You’re safe now. Are you ever going to talk again?”
He shakes his head no.
I give up and say, “Do you want to build Legos?”
Carter nods his head and jumps up from his spot on the bed.
Present Day…
I still thinkabout those first days all the time. Carter surviving was nothing short of a miracle, but he didn’t come back to us the way he left. He returned broken, forever scarred. The physical wounds healed slowly over time. The emotional ones still remain today. He had daily temper tantrums whenever anyone tried to initiate any sort of physical contact. It took six years for him to speak a single word.
Now, as I sit and watch him and Heather cooking in the kitchen together, it seems like more of a miracle than the day he spoke his first word. I can tell by watching them that he trusts her as much as he has ever trusted anyone. He touches her, kisses her softly, but she never makes a move to touch him back.
Heather brings several plates of food to the dining room table before she directs her attention to me.
“Dinner time. Get Killian, please, so I don’t have to.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
THE HEATHEN
Itake a seat with Carter and Knox on either side of me, as Killian enters the room. He arches an eyebrow.
“Still here, I see,” he mutters with annoyance, under his breath.
I flash him a fake but big smile
“Of course. Where else would I be? I’d miss you too much if I left.”
Knox snort laughs and reaches under the table to squeeze my thigh.
“Now, kids. Let's try to get along.”
Killian stares at the plate of food in front of him.
“We have a platter of food for you three, but mine is already on my plate? Are you trying to poison me, Killer?”
I stick my fork into a pork chop, and place it on my plate, while glancing up at him.
“Could be. Poisoning isn't really my style, but I guess there’s only one way for you to find out.”
Carter snickers beside me as he grabs food for himself.
I knew Killian would be surprised to still find me here. At first, running was my exact plan, but then I realized he’d doanything to get rid of me. Including lying about his brothers. He’s an asshole, and I can’t trust anything that comes out of his mouth.
I giggle as Killian takes his first bite of food. He stares at me with an angry glare as he swallows it.
“I promise you, Killer. If you poisoned me, neither of my brothers will be able to save you.”
Pointing my fork at him, I say, “And I promise you, Killian. If I wanted you dead, I’d be sure to do it right. You wouldn’t be alive to do anything about it.”
I know damn well pushing him isn’t going to make my life any easier, but I’m tired of being afraid. I’ve spent my entire life as a victim, and I’m not doing it anymore.
All three of them stare at me with obvious shock, but none more than the man across from me.
He throws his fork down on the table and rises from his seat.
