Page 80 of Carson

The entire club has fallen silent and time stands still.

My heart pounds in my ears as I remember my dream. My mother wasn’t signing to me last night. I heard her. I heard her voice.

Carson wipes the blood from his mouth and disappears around the side of the warehouse.

Cole looks at Carver and me and then he too vanishes into the night.

Carver releases me and falls into a chair. Murmurs and whispers erupt throughout the club now that Carson’s family has all left the party.

I back up a step, looking for a place to retreat myself, but bump into a wall of muscle.

When I tip my head back to see who it is, I’m met with a wide grin. “Hello, little sister.”

Chance.

I spin around and wrap my arms around him, because I need him. I need my big brother now more than ever.

“There, there,” he says, patting me on the back, and helping me into a chair. He sits too, pulling my chair directly in front of him, giving me nowhere to run.

He studies me, and I want to shy away. I know what he must be thinking. I remind him of my father.

“It is good to see you,” he says, shaking his head, not taking his eyes away from me.

“I’m sorr …”

He stops me. “No. You don’t owe me anything. Especially an apology.”

No, I suppose he’s right. I don’t have it in me to argue anyway.

He tips my chin with his knuckle. “You look exactly like …”

My father, I know.

“Mila.”

Mila? Our little sister?

“She has her eyes,” Carver chimes in.

My brother nods.

I have Mila’s eyes?

They both chuckle lightly. Chance looks over at Carver. “It looks like I got here just in time for the show.”

“They’re both so damn stubborn. I don’t know how we’re going to get through to either of them.”

I look between my brother and his friend.

“Should we go after them?” my brother asks Carver.

“Yes,” I say, rising in front my chair.

He looks up at me. “Carver, you go to Cole. Chance, please go find Carson. I’m …” I pause to rub my hand over my forehead. “I need to go to Lily.”

They look at each other, my brother still keeping me trapped in front of him.

“I’m not going to run.”