Love Thief: The Greystone Family: Stolen Hearts

Chapter 26

Chapter

Twenty-Six

Ican’t breathe. I’m pulling my hair out by the handful. It’s in between my fingers. I hear a noise, someone screaming in pain. Is it an animal? No. It’s me. I fall to my knees on the pavement, shouting up at the sky. Baying at the moon.

Xan has a jumper in his hands and throws it over me as a car pulls up. He and Mick grab me off the ground and push me into it.

The next few days are a blur. I sit, staring into space. All I can see is her body. The bump, the baby, the one that will be dead soon enough. No—two. Twins.

I laugh, the sound harsh, like razor blades have been tipped down my throat. Evie, always fucking upping the stakes. Twins, boys, identical twins. I feel the wetness on my cheeks, and realise I’m crying, crying for those babies, for children I will never see, that won’t make it.

How could she? She knew. She and James are the only ones I told. I am death, I have filled her with death. The only woman I’ve ever loved, I’ve killed her too. I’ve killed myself. I feel empty, a vessel of nothing, not good enough to love, just for me.

My phone pings.

James

DAD, WTF did you do now?

I don’t respond. I just sit staring at the text message. What the fuck have I done? I’ve destroyed it all, messed up, ransacked my own life. What the fuck have we done?

James

Are you okay? Don’t do anything crazy

I still don’t respond. But I know I’m going to have to. Tears blur my vision on the screen. I can’t fucking see it.

James

Shall I come over? We can talk. Dad?

What the fuck am I going to say to him? Explain how I’ve killed his brothers. I can’t. I can’t do it.

James

Marcus Henry James Kellen Russell. Dad. I love you.

I break down. Tears, that”s all that’s coming.

Me

No. Stay away. We can speak later.

I can’t face him. He’ll smile and look like her. He smells like her. God, I want her, I fucking need her, the treacherous bitch. She made me want her.

James

We’ll stay away for now, but not ever. I love you Dad

Bucky

Luv u Dad.

The only survivor, my son. I feel the wetness again. I need oblivion. I get up and go to find Xander. He’s stayed with me, never left. I grab the whiskey, drink the bottle, grab the next one. I want oblivion. Why won’t it come? I need to go out, find someone who will have something to numb me. Maybe I’ll fuck it away, like I did last time.

I shout at Xan to get us to go out. I have no idea what day it is, what time it is. Maybe I’ll fuck Xander. Why not? At least he loves me. Unlike that bitch.

How could she love me? How could she, if she’s done this to me? I collapse on the floor, naked again. Someone—Mick, I think—picks me up and carries me back to bed.