I’m not surprised when she asks, “Who?”
After all, I asked the same question.
“He wouldn’t say, but I assume it was your family since your—Jedediah sent a letter to the judge all but begging for you to be placed there.”
I don’t have to ask if she knew this bit of information. The shocked look on her face tells me all I need to know.
“I knew about the letter because I was in court when the judge read it. Paying for me to be in St. Dymphna’s? I had no idea, but I should have.”
“Go on.” She says in a voice that betrays her need to appear strong.
“He wanted the chop shop and our employees. And a fight where he will choose my opponent.”
Heather folds her arms over her chest as she knits her eyebrows together.
“Your business is a problem, but you fight all the time, right? What are you leaving out, Killian?”
I don’t expect her to be upset that I could lose my life, but I do think she’ll be concerned for Carter’s sake. Not that Knox wouldn’t care if I died, but he handles things differently than Carter.
“It’s a death match, Killer. We fight until one of us is dead.”
She’s quiet for a long time before speaking again.
“Cancel it. I’d rather die myself than to make your brothers live without you.”
I run a hand through my hair as I say, “It can’t be canceled. We will all die if I don’t show up to fight.”
Her expression transforms from neutral to a scowl as she makes her next demand.
“Living room. Now.” She barks before storming out of the room in the same fashion she entered.
When I come out to my brother's confused faces, she points to the empty spot beside them.
“Sit,” she commands, and I hide my laughter with my hand. She reminds me so much of my mom when all three of us would get into trouble together.
Heather turns to us, and this is a different kind of angry than I’ve seen from her before. Her cheeks are flame red as she nearly screams at us.
“How dare the three of you make this choice when I had no say!”
I clear my throat and admit, “This was my choice. Again, I acted alone. Knox and Carter had no knowledge of the agreement until it was already made.”
Heather slams her hand down on the kitchen table.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”
I don’t have a chance to respond, which is fine because I’m not sure what I’d even say. Instead, Knox says, “Tesoro. Killian could not ask our opinion because I wouldn’t respond to him or his never ending messages. This is a decision he made on hisown, but Carter and I would’ve agreed to it if we had been asked. What was the alternative? Leave you in there? To be abused? No, that was never an option.”
Heather paces back and forth, her agitation growing by the second.
“Great. So now I owe my life to a man who hates me.”
I’m desperate to get up and take her into my arms and show her how I really feel, but I can’t do that. Instead, I have to rely on my words alone. Words that mean nothing to her.
“I don’t hate you, Killer. Not even close. I did this because I wanted to. You owe me nothing.”
She runs her hands through her hair, the frustration mounting, and I despise myself for still hurting her, intentional or not. It didn’t end because I got her out. The pain is still there in her gaze as she speaks so low it’s barely audible, but I can just hear her words and the truth behind them.
“I wish you hadn’t done this to me—to us. Some bad choices can be forgiven, but not this one. This is permanent.”
