As a group, they were a mess.
Kaydon tried to intertwine his fingers with Bryson’s, but Bryson just kept his hand balled into a fist at his side.
Kaydon tried to pretend it was fine. That the subtle, small rejection didn’t hurt.
But it did.
He rested his hand on his forearm, trying like hell to avoid scratching. The urge to bleed itched at the back of his mind like a persistent insect bite. The more he focused on it, the more hewanted to itch, but even when he focused on something else the dull ache for relief was still there.
Even with things going well between the four of them, the fractures of hurt sat just beyond in the shadows. Lingering inside each of their peripheries.
Adria was already in the house by the time they pulled in. The woman was a speed demon. Sophia and Eric were with her as the three of them entered.
Kaydon could feel Eric’s eyes on Bryson. Clearly, he wasn’t happy with how the situation was handled. And Kaydon knew the feeling. He was having a hard time getting over the fact that Sophia had asked them to get rid of Rolland, but had clearly sent them in ill-prepared. Adria had come marching in with their bargaining token. A coin with an all-access pass to do whatever they wanted in the town.
It told Kaydon that at any moment, Sophia could have requested Rolland’s head, but she hadn’t.
Instead, she had sent Bryson.
Adria lingered in the room with her mother and barely even gave them a glance when she said, “You three should get cleaned up.”
Kaydon sensed the dismissal. He waited to see if Bryson would dissent, but he didn’t. His brother just brushed past his shoulder, moving purposely towards their room.
CHAPTER 53
CURITIBA PARANÁ
Bryson showered quickly. He should have been happy, but the day’s events ate at him. Rolland was dead, and all he could think about was Regan’s voice, which kept ringing in his ears.
He was a monster.
The water ran red at his feet as the blood of their enemy washed off of him.
Seth and Kaydon were there, and Bryson watched Kaydon wipe a streak of blood off Seth’s face. The way they were so close, so tender and in sync, it clawed at Bryson.
“Want help with your back?” Kaydon asked.
Bryson shook his head, getting out of the shower.
Killing Rolland wasn’t the issue. The issue was the look on Sophia’s face when they had entered the house. ThatI gotchastare. She knew just what to say to get him to act. Saw something in him that was easy to fiddle with. Like he was a wind-up toy, and Bryson had let her pull his strings.
He couldn’t even trust his own mind. Bryson had been so sure that taking out Rolland was the right thing to do. That italso served as a step in protecting Adria, but really what he had done was put her in more danger.
And when Adria caught them.
Saved them.
She wasn’t even mad.
She just wanted to be included. A fact that had never occurred to him.
“Because you aren’t meant to be loved.”
“Fuck you!” Bryson whispered to his reflection.
“What’s that?” Seth said.
Bryson brought the towel to his face. “Nothing.”
