I stalked to the barn, letting the heavy rain pelt me, soaking my jacket and hair. I looked inside and found Mum helping Hamish, the handyman, with a broken door to one of the stalls.
Hamish gave me a broad smile but immediately dropped it and scurried away. “Sorry, Sarah. Your son looks like he’s on a rampage.”
Hamish quickly exited the barn, and I helped Mum to her feet.
She crossed her arms. “What’s this, then?”
“Are you talking to Angus again? I just saw a lovely fruit basket for your birthday. Funny that he doesn’t remember it was two months ago.”
Mum sighed. “He means well, Will.”
“He’s going to put you in danger, Mum.”
“I check in with him from time to time. Just to make sure he’s okay.”
“And how long has this been going on?”
“A year.”
A year?I balled my hands at my sides. “And you weren’t going to tell me?!”
“It’s not as easy for you as it is for me, William! He’s my son.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes, sucking in a deep breath. “Anybody close to him is at risk, Mum. He’s gotten higher in the ranks dealing more than just drugs.”
“What do you mean? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was hoping I’d never have to, but now I see I have no choice. I keep tabs on him. Don’t ask me how. The guys he’s involved with are starting to get into human trafficking. I don’t know if he’s participating in it yet, but it’s part of a big promotion he’s been eyeing for a while.”
Mum’s face paled. “No, no, he’d never get into that. Drugs, yes. But . . . but . . .”
I put my hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Mum. He doesn’t care about us. He never did.”
I didn’t want to share this next part with her because she and I had come so far in repairing our relationship, but she had to understand who he really was.
“He used to threaten to hurt you when we were kids too, Mum. If I ever told you about him hitting me, he said he’d start hurting you too.”
Guilt and hurt flickered across her face. It was pure anguish, and she looked down in shame. “Every time I’d ask you about your bruises, you said it was fightsin school.” She shook her head and sighed. “It probably means nothing now, but I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better, son. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a better life.”
I held her hand and squeezed. “He manipulated us both, Mum. You did the best you could with what you had. I just want you to finally see Angus for who he is because he’ll keep taking until there’s nothing left.”
She nodded and rubbed my cheek. “You’re right.”
With a sigh, she knelt back down to continue the work Hamish had started, and I helped her put the hinges back on. “Are we going to talk about the girl?”
I looked at her, surprised.
“So there is a girl?” she asked with a self-satisfied grin.
I rolled my eyes. “It’s nothing.”
“Hmm, wouldn’t happen to be Nairie?”
I stopped what I was doing. I’d mentioned Nairie maybe once or twice growing up, but there was no way she would remember.
She shrugged. “Lindsey and I talked quite a bit over the years. She always said you two would get together.”
“Lindsey said that?”
