“You’re defending him?” Jett looked stunned, which was good as it calmed his temper down.
“No, he’s a dick. But he’s our brother, and if anyone is going to killourbrother, it will be me.” I thought about it as Onyx staggered slightly. “Or Quinn.”
“How is she?” Jett asked as he spat blood on the grass.
“She’ll be okay, she’s strong.” I watched Onyx shake his head as if to clear it. “You okay?” I asked him begrudgingly.
He looked up at me and nodded before his eyes rolledbackward in his head and he passed out, falling right into the pool, which was covered with a mesh net for the autumn leaves.
He and the covering disappeared, and I yelled as I dove after him, vaguely aware that Jett had jumped in too. The panicked thought that my mom was going to lose all her sons today raced through my head while I struggled to grab my brother as my feet snared in the mesh covering. All three of us were tangled, and I was losing my grip on my unconscious brother as I fought to free us both.
Another pair of arms grabbed me, and I was being hauled upward. Jett was suddenly in front of me in the water, helping to move Onyx, who was still unconscious.
Strong arms pushed us to the side of the pool, and I remembered the time Quinn jumped in and we had pulled her to the shallow end.
Gasping, I pushed my hair out of my eyes and looked at my dad, who was pulling Onyx out of the water.
“He needs a doctor.”
George stood in front of me and held his hand out, and with a slight hesitation, I took it, and he pulled me out of the pool. My foot snagged on the mesh, and I kicked it free before I was on my back, beside the pool, trying to catch my breath. Turning, I helped Jett out of the water, and then we were both lying side by side, taking a moment before we had to face reality again.
“He okay?” I asked anyone.
“Taking him to the ER,” my dad replied. “Both of you better be here when I get back.”
“I don’t need the hospital,” Onyx protested, now semi-conscious.
“I suggest you go,” George spoke to him, “before I drown you.” He looked down at me. “I think we all need to talk.”
“Yes, sir.” Jett sat up, and I heard him curse.
“Dad!” I called from my prone position. “You better take Jett too.”
“Kerr,” my mom spoke up. “Take them all. Gray’s no doubt done more damage to that hand.”
Which is how all three of us ended up in the ER on a Sunday afternoon. Neither of us spoke, and each of us was given a very curious look by the doctor who treated us, who clearly knew there was more than “we tripped and fell into the pool,” but we weren’t questioned.
When we were discharged, Dad drove us home, and in single file, we headed to the kitchen where my mom and George were waiting. Quinn was there too, and when I went in, she flew across the room and flung her arms around me. Burrowing my face into her neck, I didn’t care that we were in front of our parents; all I needed was to know she was all right.
“You okay?” I asked as I pulled back, stroking her hair as she nodded.
“Where’s Ava?” Jett asked tiredly. “And Ash?”
“We sent her to sit with Anne,” Mom told him. “Kage took them home. Tilly’s quite upset.”
“You sent Ava away? Bullshit,” Jett grumbled as he searched the kitchen for his phone and ended up opening the back door to leave before he hesitated. “Quinn?”
“Yes, both of them.”
“Will do.”
He was back minutes later with Anne and Ava as the rest of us settled around the table.
When we were all seated, my dad fixed his sights on me, and I met his stare. “Tell us everything,” his hand shot up as I went to speak, “everything.”
My eyes flicked to George, who was waiting for it. “Quinn thinks she’s clever, but she isn’t; she forgets I’m her father. Tell me it all.”
I didn’t.Obviously. Despite today’s actions, I wasn’t a complete idiot. I told them what they needed to hear. Onyx was silent, Jettnodded when he needed to, and Quinn sat beside me, with her head on my shoulder, saying nothing.
