“Coby?” Kellan called out. “I heard you scream. What happened?”
An image of my brother’s mutilated body flashed in my mind, and my throat jumped. This time, when I heaved, nothing came out.
Roshaun wasgone.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground, another wail tearing from me when my gaze landed on my phone and Roshaun’s lifeless eyes staring back at me just before the screen went dark.
I crawled across the cold tile and picked it up with shaking hands.
This couldn’t be real.
It had to be a trick.
A cruel fucking joke.
“Please, God.”
“Coby, tell me what’s going on, or I’m calling Ocean,” Kellan warned.
Ignoring him, I unlocked my phone and dialed my brother’s number.
It rang and rang and rang, but he didn’t answer. Breathing became impossible as I tried three more times in vain.
“Coby…”
“C-c-can you p-p-please take me to my brother?” I begged Kellan once I accepted the fact that Roshaun wasn’t going to answer. “I th-think he’s in tr-trouble. Please.”
Kellan shook his head, his green eyes filled with pity. “You know I can’t do that. Tell me what happened. Maybe I can help without getting killed. Start from the beginning.”
I couldn’t because it all led back to Ocean.
Ocean had killed my brother.
“Oh, God.” I held my stomach with one hand and my mouth with the other when it felt like I’d throw up again.
“Fuck,” Kellan cursed when he saw a fresh wave of tears spill from my eyes. “Just let me call Ocean.”
“There’s no need to call me,” a deep voice interrupted. “I’m right here.”
Kellan and I turned toward the elevator and saw him standing there with Abel and Hunter. My bestie took one look at me and let Ocean’s hand go to rush over.
“What’s wrong?” Hunter demanded. She touched my arms, and I broke, throwing myself around her and sobbing like a baby. My big brother was dead. “You’re shaking, Coby. Come sit down.”
I let her lead me to the couch while Kellan whispered his report to Ocean. I glared at the latter, but he kept his face carefully blank while listening to Kellan and staring right at me.
The man I loved killed my brother. Where did we go from here?
I leaned forward. Hunter mirrored me, tilting her head to give me her ear. “Can I borrow your gun?”
Hunter reared back, searching my gaze as if she didn’t recognize me. “Coby, talk to me,” she pleaded. “You’re scaring me.”
I was scaring myself.
Ocean killed my brother.
But if I could still love Roshaun this much after he was gone, I could do the same for Ocean.
“Roshaun’s dead. Ocean killed him.”
