As if my body wasn’t strained enough, my frame solidifies. “Place it in the drawer with the others,” I say, void of emotion.
He knew what my answer would be. He didn’t even need to ask.
Cam releases a sigh. “It’s been almost five years, Colt, and he’ll be there for eleven more.”
I grab the plate next to the grill and stack the steaks. “We’ve had this conversation. He doesn’t deserve a word from me, you, or Bren, and Jess—” I raise my voice. “And he sure as hell doesn’t deserve drawings from those two young children in there,” I point to the house, “who don’t even know they’re writing to a man who let his fucking addiction take their mother away from them.”
His knuckles turn white around the bottle. “We still don’t know if he’s the reason she’s gon—”
I slam the grill shut harder than I mean to, but my blood is boiling as hot as the flesh of these steaks in my hand. “Cameron,” I warn, not wanting to talk about this.
They don’t know it, but I was there. The amount of blood in my parents’ bedroom burned into my eyes right before Mom ranout the front door to her car and drove away, with my father trailing in his.
He came back early the next morning.
She didn’t.
And I left for days because I couldn’t face him after what I saw.
There’s no guessing or theorizing what happened—no giving that callous man any benefit of the doubt.
I didn’t speak a word to him the three months leading to his arrest—not that he gave me much of a chance since he was drowning in a bottle of scotch every night.
The responsibility of this family and company might have been dumped on my shoulders, but watching the bright blue and red flashing lights of vehicles speeding up our driveway while I held a sleeping baby Elena in my arms was a pinnacle moment. Well, that and watching the bastard with his hands cuffed getting shoved into the back seat of a cop car.
I vowed then, staring down at Elena’s innocent face as the cop cars disappeared into the fog consuming the orchard, that I would protect this family at all costs.
I was twenty-two. I knew it would be hard, but I understood I could be better than him. For their sake, I would be better than he was.
This is the reason I can’t touch Taryn again. She is off limits as much as that beer bottle in Cameron’s hand.
Obsessions have the power to destroy you.
Addictions have the dominance to control you.
And the twins may be able to play with her, but I’m the one who can’t afford to fuck up.
She’s the one thing this family needs. I will not obliterate that just because I can’t keep my hands to myself despite how right she feels. How good it felt when her soft skin melted into my palms. How confusing it was when even the slightest touch mademe want to shove her away but tug her into my chest at the same time.
I hand the plate of steaks to Cameron. “Please take these to the table. I’ll go get Elena and tell Taryn dinner is ready.”
He nods and takes a swig of beer before returning to the house. I follow, but instead of heading for the dining room where I hear Jess and Bren chatting, I take the stairs and enter the dark hallway on the second floor.
Elena’s door is cracked, the light from the lantern stars the twins and I hung shining through the opening. I press my hand to the door, pushing it open enough to see Elena curled into— I freeze.
Elena sniffles, holding in a sob that shakes her chest. “Colt sc-scared you.”
Taryn sits crisscross on the floor with Elena on her lap. Elena leans into her embrace, clutching her T-shirt in her tiny fists.
“He did scare me, but he just wanted me to come back to you,” Taryn soothes, stroking her soft, tousled brown hair.
I swallow, all my focus devoted to them.
I’m ashamed. Frightening Taryn into staying here is calculating. Everything we have done is screwed up, yet my brothers and I refuse to let her leave. I feared my father, but I don’t want Elena to be frightened of me.
“But if he scares you m-more,” she cries, “you’ll leave, and won’t come back. Mommy and Daddy have n-never come back.”
I place my hand on the doorframe, hanging my head. This conversation is making me nauseous. Another reason why we can’t let Taryn—
