Chapter 59 Grayden
FIFTY-NINE
Grayden
Somehow I pulled up the GPS coordinates of the Kirby property while not slowing my speed. Milo had texted me a GPS pin for the old Kirby house, the one that had burned down.
I remembered Piper telling me about the tragedy in the Kirby family. How Dillon’s—and apparently, Zach’s—father and sister had died in the fire, and the arsonist was never found.
But why the hell would Zach take Piper there?
Why would he attack Danny at all?
My truck turned onto a dirt path. My old shocks were no match for these potholes, but I kept going as fast as I could manage. When I’d climbed the curving road, I pulled into a clearing with a half-burned hulk of a house.
There was a car parked in front of it, both the driver’s side and passenger doors open wide.
My brakes protested as I pulled behind the car, threw my gear into park, and leaped out.
Then I heard a scream.
My boots pounded the dried grass. “Piper!” I shouted, racing toward her.
She and Zach were fighting. He’d grabbed hold of her sweater, and she was trying to get away.
They both lost their footing. Stumbled over uneven ground.
Before I could reach them, Zach and Piper fell and disappeared.
A roar of anguish ripped from my throat. It looked like they’d just gone over a fucking cliff.
I reached the beginning of the slope and skidded to a stop. There were remnants of a railing here, but most of it had fallen into disrepair. It hadn’t done anything to stop them from falling.
But below me, Piper clung to a tree root.
“Grayden!” she cried.
A seventy-foot drop yawned beneath her. At the bottom, the slope gentled, leading down toward a valley. But that first drop was the kind that could break someone’s neck.
And that seemed to be exactly what had happened to Zach. He lay sprawled on the rocks below, his neck at an unnatural angle.
“Hold on,” I shouted, getting down on my stomach. I reached for Piper, but my fingers couldn’t quite touch hers.
With a shout of effort, Piper pulled herself up higher.
My hand closed around her wrist, and I pulled her up to flatter ground. I collapsed back with her on top of me. Just holding on to her as tightly as I could.
That had been too close.
Piper was crying. “Is Zach—”
“He’s dead. The fall killed him.”
She shuddered. “Where’s Ollie?”
“He’s safe with Grace.”
For several long moments, we just lay there. Breathing.
Then Piper crawled up my body and held my face. “I know I’m a mess, but I’d really like to kiss you. You saved me. You saved me.”
I smoothed my fingers through her hair. “You saved yourself. I was just there to take your hand.”
Our mouths met in a fierce kiss. Like we could purge the terror and confusion if we just pulled each other close enough.
“How did you find me?” Piper asked, when our kiss broke.
“Milo. It was his idea to check here. I’d already figured out Zach might’ve planted the drugs and stolen my sweatshirt. I just don’t understand why. Why would he do this? Why did he bring you here?”
“He’s my half-brother. He and Dillon both are. I mean, Zach was my half-brother.” She sobbed into my chest.
Before Piper could explain that revelation, a truck peeled into the clearing, skidding in the dirt. Piper and I both sat up.
Dillon got out of the truck and raced toward us. “Piper! Where’s Zach?” He looked panicked, and his eyes narrowed as he saw me. “Milo said you guys could be here, but why? What the hell’s going on?”
I jumped up, heading Dillon off. “You need to back up.”
All I knew was that Zach had tried to hurt Piper. Dillon might intend the same.
But Piper put a hand on my back. “Grayden, it’s okay.”
“You’re crying,” Dillon said to her. His face crumpled. “What happened? Where’s Zach? I’ve been looking for him. Then Milo said he could’ve kidnapped you, but that’s bullshit, right? Please say it’s not true.”
Piper reached back and laced our fingers together. I stayed right behind her.
“I know about the affair between your dad and my mom,” she said. “Zach told me. He brought me here and told me everything. He tried to kill Danny a few days ago.”
“Oh God,” Dillon whispered. “When I heard about the stabbing, I was afraid…but I wasn’t sure…”
He didn’t look like a twenty-something man anymore. Dillon looked like a scared little kid.
“I wanted to tell you, Piper. About you being my sister. Zach told me not to. I’m sorry.”
“I know. It’s okay. But there’s more.” She took a step toward him. I stayed close, ready to lunge if Dillon lashed out. “Zach was going to hurt me. I tried to run, and Zach followed me. We fought and…he went over the edge.”
Dillon started to move toward the slope, but Piper touched his shoulder.
“Don’t look. He’s gone, okay? You don’t want to look.”
Dillon fell to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. Piper kneeled and wrapped him in her arms, and he dropped his face to her shoulder.
She was holding him up. Being the strong big sister the poor kid needed. So I went to my knees too and put my arm around her waist. Making sure that she could lean on me.
The wail of sirens drifted through the air, but none of us moved from that spot on the grass.
“Mom!” Ollie cried.
He started running, and Piper caught him in her arms. “Ollie-bear. Hey, bud. I love you so much.”
“I was scared.”
They hugged for a solid minute. Then, to my surprise, Ollie let go of his mom and hugged me around the middle. “Thank you for finding her.”
We were at the Silver Ridge PD headquarters. I’d spent way too much time here a few days ago, and certainly hadn’t expected to be back so soon. But this time, I was in the waiting area along with a whole crowd of people.
Grace had brought Ollie here because he couldn’t wait to see his mom.
Shortly after Piper had told Dillon his brother was dead, a police car rolled up. Milo had called them, like I’d asked. After the reports that Piper may have been kidnapped, they’d agreed to send a car to check the old house at the Kirby property.
As of now, the county coroner and crime scene techs were probably working on the scene. Piper had given a short statement, the cop told us to head to the station for a full interview. So here we were.
Dillon hadn’t been in any state to drive, so the three of us had piled into my truck to drive back to town. But along the way, we’d pulled off to the side of the road for Piper and Dillon to talk. She’d wanted him to wait to hear the rest of her story, but the kid had insisted.
Dillon had only known bits and pieces about Danny’s blackmail plan from his brother. A few days ago, he’d worried Zach could be involved in Danny’s stabbing. But he’d wanted to talk to his brother before making any accusations.
Dillon admitted to scheming with Zach and Chad Bronski to plant the fake drugs at my house, though. He’d confirmed that what Zach said was true. Even if he’d had no idea that Zach stole my sweatshirt or the knife from Piper’s house to frame us.
But the worst part by far was when Piper recounted the true events of the night of the fire. How Zach was the one who’d started the blaze without knowing his sister was inside the house. How he’d blamed Piper for living when Jeanine had died.
It was horrifying. Even with all I’d been through with Ashford, he hadn’t actively wished me harm. How could anyone know Piper, see how much sunshine she brought into this world, and want to snuff her out of it?
But maybe that was the very thing that had tortured Zach for years. Knowing she was his sister without being able to acknowledge it. And losing his other sister because of his own tragic actions. The guilt must’ve eaten him alive.
“Can we go home, mom?” Ollie asked.
“Not yet, buddy. Chief Nichols wants to ask me some questions about what happened today.”
“What did happen?”
Piper met my gaze. Then turned back to Ollie. “I’ll tell you everything I can. But I need you to stay with Grace and Grayden for now. And keep being brave. Can you do that for me?”
His chest lifted and he nodded. “I will. I’ll be right here when you’re done.”
Then he reached for my hand and held it tight. It felt like he’d reached right into my chest and taken hold of my heart.
It wasn’t just Grace and me in the waiting area. Ashford and Callum were here too. All my siblings, together again, and not for a fun reason. Last time it had been the hospital after I’d told them everything about my past.
And here we were again, reckoning with dark family secrets. Piper’s this time, instead of mine. But with all this support, we were going to make it through just fine.
Unfortunately, there weren’t enough seats for all of us in the waiting area, especially when Zandra showed up with food from Hearthstone. Ollie stayed right by my side, and we talked quietly.
At one point, an older woman ran into the station and demanded to see Dillon and Zach.
“No, I don’t want to go to a private room,” she shouted. “An officer already came to my house and was spouting lies. I have to see Zach and Dillon. Please.”
So this was Mrs. Kirby.
Dillon had already gone back for his interview. The station wasn’t very big, and it seemed like Chief Nichols’s team was working overtime tonight.
Mrs. Kirby was going through her own personal hell, and it seemed like she was here alone. But Grace jumped up immediately, heading over to speak to her. Within a couple of minutes, she’d convinced Mrs. Kirby to go with her into another room.
Thank goodness for my little sister. She was small, but she had one of the biggest hearts I’d ever encountered.
I couldn’t imagine Mrs. Kirby would want to hear from me. If she even knew who I was, she probably didn’t have a good impression. But I could tell her that the O’Neals and the Landrys would treat her and Dillon like family too. If she was ever willing.
Piper had already accepted Dillon as her brother within the last couple hours since she’d learned the truth.
I never should’ve doubted the strength of this family’s love and acceptance. But now that I’d finally opened up to them, I knew our bond was unshakable. Just like I knew my love for Piper was infinite. The most profound thing I’d ever felt.
Listen to me, getting all philosophical.