Page 47

“Don’t worry about it,” I assure him and his eyes close again. It’s dark when I step outside and once I get him to the truck, I buckle him into the passenger seat and press my fingers to his neck to check his pulse. I release a breath when the steady beat of his heart pounds against my fingers and I drop my head, a mix of relief and anger flooding my body. I’ve gotten so used to this, so accustomed that I’d forgotten how fucked up it was to spend my night hunting the city for my drugged out brother. It wasn’t until I met Quinn that I was able to look at this all with new eyes and it makes me sick.

Glancing up again, I stare at his face as I try to decide where to take him tonight. Usually, we’d go back to the clubhouse but I don’t want to interrupt the wake and I’m in no mood to be around a bunch of people right now. That only leaves one option but it’s one I’ve been avoiding. With a sigh, I push off the truck and slam the door before rounding the front and slipping behind the wheel. He doesn’t even stir as I fire the truck up and pull out of the parking lot.

As I drive toward Iris’s house, I try to think of what I’m going to say to her, how I’m going to explain all this but I know no matter what I say or how I say it, she’s going to be disappointed in me and that kills me. I’ve failed at protecting my brother and I certainly don’t need her to tell me that but I also know that I can’t do this alone anymore.

Her house is dark as I pull into the driveway but as I turn the truck off, the front porch lights turn on and Iris steps out of the house, clutching her robe around her.

“Lucas? What are you doing here so late?” she asks, squinting into the darkness as her voice drifts in through the open window. I open the door and climb down.

“I need your help.”

Her gaze darts to the passenger seat. I don’t know how well she can see Clay through the windshield but after a moment, she nods and I walk around to the other door and yank it open. Clay opens his eyes for a second before they drift closed again and I lift him out of the truck.

“Oh my god,” Iris breathes as I step around the front of the truck with Clay’s body in my arms and she runs over to me, fear marring her pretty face. “What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s high,” I answer, my voice lifeless as I continue walking to the front door and her soft gasp drives a stake through my heart. She’s stunned but after a second, she catches up with me and holds the front door open for me as I carry Clay into the house.

“Take him to his old bedroom.”

I nod and turn toward the hallway, leaving her in the dining room. Clay’s room is just as he left it and I guess that makes sense since neither one of us technically moved out. I lay him in his bed and pull the covers over him before checking his pulse again. His heart is still beating steadily and I sigh as I step away from the bed and leave him to sleep.

Iris is in the kitchen, brewing tea when I find her and she casts a disapproving look over her shoulder when I walk in.

“I take it this is the thing you wanted to talk to me about?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“How long?” She pours tea into a mug for herself and holds up a second one to me. I nod again and she pours water in it before handing it to me.

“Six years.”

“What the fuck, Lucas?”

I stare down at the mug in my hand. “I know, Iris. I just… I thought I could handle it myself. Make him stop and then, at some point, it just became my life.”

“You should have known better. Addiction runs in your family, Lucas, and you’re better than this.”

“I just wanted to protect him. That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” I say, my voice cracking and she sighs, setting her cup down on the counter. Iris crosses the kitchen and pulls me into her arms.

“I know but this isn’t the way to do it. He needs real help - more than either you or I can give him and you deserve a life that’s made up of more than taking care of your baby brother.”

Nodding, I pull away. “You’re right.”

“Listen, I have to go to work in the morning but I’ll come home early and we can all sit down and have a talk, okay? We’ve got to convince him to get help because I never want to see him like this again.”

“Me either,” I agree.

“It’s getting late so I need to try and get some sleep. Do you need anything before I crash?”

I shake my head. “No, Riz. I’m good.”

She studies me for a minute before nodding and giving me another hug. Once she leaves the kitchen, I collapse into one of the dining chairs and set my cup of tea down on the table.

Fuck.

What a day.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out, hoping it’s a text from Quinn.