“Once the equipment arrives, I can have the guys in the same day to get it up and running,” Silas closes his laptop and meets my eyes.
I nod. “Fine. Order it.”
“Already did, it’ll be here next week.”
I huff a laugh and lift my glass to my lips, taking a sip of my whiskey.
“No leads?” Silas continues.
“Sheriff’s office thinks it was just a couple of kids.”
“And what doyouthink?”
I glance out the window where the night has started to roll in, a few stars peeking out of the darkness. “That there is more to it than that.”
Silas nods, “You think she was targeted.” It’s a statement, not a question, but I answer anyway.
“It was violent.” I run my finger across my bottom lip, remembering how she had cried, the way her eyes watered, and her bottom lip trembled. She was utterly broken, and I’d never felt so helpless in my life. I fucking hated it. Hated it even more when I found out she had compromised her safety by not paying for security. No one should ever be put in that position.Ever. Which is why I am paying for cameras and a company to monitor them.
“Have you heard from him?” The question is asked quietly, but it may as well have been shouted with the way it affects me. My heart thumps just a little bit harder, my blood moving faster as a light hum begins in my ears.
I try my hardest not to think abouthimbecause every time I do; I get dragged back to the night she died.
I have to live through that phone call again, have to see her broken bodyagainand remember howhesmirked when we came face to face in the hospital.
There is no evidence to suggest this was anything more than a tragic accident.
It was not an accident. We all fucking know it, but proving it is impossible. So, we try to forget he exists until things like this start happening. People get hurt around him, but I haven’t seen the man in years even though he lives in this town.
“I haven’t.” I roll my neck from side to side. The idea of her being anywhere near him has rage boiling to the surface because the man is capable of doing anything if he thinks it can hurt me or my brothers.
“We’ll keep her safe,” Silas pushes to a stand, “Maybe it’ll be wise to tell her, just in case.”
“Tell her exactly what?” I pin my brother with a stare. “That we think our mother was murdered but have zero proof of it? Or that the same man we believe killed her could possibly be targeting her, but again, we can’t prove it.”
“Niamh is a smart girl, Roman, don’t underestimate her.”
“I am fully aware of whatmywife is.”
“Are you?” He challenges but doesn’t stick around to continue the back and forth and instead heads out, the door slamming behind him.
Our exchanges always become tense whenever he’s mentioned. It’s a mechanism, a defense that we have been using since we were kids shielding ourselves from him. We’re all adults now, but some things stick. Something you don’t grow out of.
They’re roots, buried so far into our DNA, it’s impossible to get them out.
That’s what happens when you’re raised by a monster.
I jerk awake to the sound of a loud thud and immediately groan as my back smarts from where I passed out in the chair. I’ve been waiting up every night for Niamh to return home from the bar, but today had been especially grueling, so it makes sense I passed out.
The thud sounds again, and I get to my feet, eyes moving to the clock. It’s a little past one a.m., and the ranch around me sleeps.
Moving toward the door, I listen for the noise only to be greeted by the sound of sniffling followed by another thud and yank the door open.
“Hi, cowboy,” Niamh sits on the porch step with a half bottle of whiskey beside her. She doesn’t turn to me as she lifts that same bottle and takes a swig directly from it and then puts it back down with the same thud that woke me.
“What are you doing out here, sweetheart?” I close the space and lower onto the step beside her, turning my head to face her. She’s staring straight ahead, her spine arched over with her shoulders curled in.
She just shrugs and lifts the bottle again, but I reach out and take it from her before she can take another swig. Half of the bottle is almost gone already.
