Chapter Twenty-Seven
Torin
Torin got up from the chair and followed Garett out of Dante’s office. Garett took his hand, and they walked in silence for a long time, then Torin broke the silence.
“Thank you, Garett.” Tears poured down Torin’s face. “I need some time alone tonight. Would you mind if I slept in the guest room?”
Garett nodded with a sympathetic smile. “Whatever you need is good.”
As soon as Torin and Garett got home, Garett handed Torin a bottle of water, his expression soft but unreadable. Torin took it without a word, his hands still trembling slightly, and made his way upstairs to Garett’s room. He grabbed his charged phone from the nightstand and retreated to the guest room, shutting the door behind him. The moment he was alone, the weight of everything crashed down on him. He threw himself onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow as the tears came—hot, uncontrollable, and endless.
He cried for what felt like hours, though he couldn’t be sure. His chest heaved with sobs as grief and fear and frustration poured out of him. He thought about his parents, about the life he’d lost when they were taken from him. He thought about Dante’s cold, cutting words, about the way he had sliced through him like a knife. He thought about how messed up his life had become, how he seemed to keep making things worse no matter how hard he tried. The tears wouldn’t stop, and he didn’t have the strength to fight them.
When he finally caught his breath, he reached for his phone, his fingers fumbling as he dialed Liam’s number. He needed to hear his brother’s voice, to explain what had happened, to feel like he wasn’t completely alone. He wanted to make sure he didn’t give Dante permission to discipline him. He couldn’t imagine Liam agreeing with Dante. Still, he wanted to hear those words from his brother. But Liam didn’t answer. The call went to voicemail, and Torin left a shaky message, his voice breaking as he asked Liam to call him back. He hung up and dropped the phone onto the bed, feeling more lost than ever.
Then, as if the universe had decided to pile on, his phone rang. Torin glanced at the screen, his stomach twisting when he saw Byron’s name. He used his work number, not the phone number he designated for Torin. He hesitated, his thumb hovering over the answer button, before finally giving in. He couldn’t deal with this right now, but he also couldn’t ignore it. Why was he calling from his work number? He rarely used that one.
“Torin.” Byron’s smooth, familiar voice came through the line. “I’ve been calling you. Ten times, actually. Did you block my number? That’s why I’m using my work phone. You didn’t get any of my messages?”
Torin wiped his face with the back of his hand, his voice hoarse from crying. “No. I…I didn’t see them. My phone was dead.”
Byron paused, and Torin could almost hear the concern in his silence. “You sound upset. What’s wrong with my Tory?”
Torin hesitated, then let it all spill out. He told Byron about Dante, about the confrontation in the office, about the threats and the way Dante had used his parents’ deaths against him. He even admitted to the lie he’d told Sam, the one that had started this whole mess. Byron listened without interrupting, his silence somehow comforting.
When Torin finished, Byron let out a low sigh. “That’s a lot to deal with, Tory. I’m sorry you’re going through this. If Dante touches you, that will be his last touch.” He paused, then added, “I saw Garett today, in town. I’m only here for one more day, and I’d like to see you before I leave. We need to talk.”
Torin’s stomach churned at the thought. He had mixed feelings about seeing Byron—nostalgia, curiosity, but also a lingering unease. And then there was the fact that Garett hadn’t mentioned running into Byron. Why hadn’t he said anything? The question nagged at him, adding to the storm of emotions already swirling in his chest.
“I…I don’t know,” Torin said finally, his voice quiet. “I’ll think about it. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Byron didn’t push. “Alright. Take care of yourself, Torin. And call me if you need anything. Remember, I love you no matter what happens.”
When the call ended, Torin dropped the phone onto the bed again, his mind racing. He didn’t have long to dwell on it, though, because a soft knock came at the door before it opened. Garett stepped inside, his expression softening as he took in Torin’s tear-streaked face.
“Who called?” Garett asked, his voice gentle as he sat down on the edge of the bed.
Torin hesitated, then shrugged. “Byron. He…he wants to see me before he leaves town.”
Garett’s jaw tightened slightly, but he said nothing. Instead, he stretched out on the bed beside Torin, pulling him into a tight hug. Torin didn’t resist. He let himself sink into Garett’s warmth, his head resting against Garett’s chest as the steady rhythm of his heartbeat slowly calmed him.
Garett asked no more questions. He just held Torin, his hand gently stroking his back, until the exhaustion and the emotional toll of the day finally caught up with him. Torin’s eyes grew heavy, his breathing evening out as he drifted off to sleep, safe in Garett’s arms.
Later on, Torin woke up beside Garett, still in his arms.
“Hey, how are you doing?” Garett asked, then kissed him.
“I feel like shit. Too much has gone on.”
“Did Byron tell you I met with him?”
“Yes. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I told you you can’t see him. That was a rule here.”
“You telling me you talked to him in town didn’t mean I would automatically see him.”
“Do you want to see him?”
“I don’t know, but he understands my feelings about my parents. He knows everything about what happened. Certain days, I hide and just can’t deal with my life. He gets that.”
“I could get that, too, if you told me about your parents, the good memories, and bad ones. I want to know when you’re ready.”
“Dante took a knife right through my heart when he said I would end up like my parents.” Tears trickled down. “What kind of person says shit like that?”
Garett took Torin in his arms. “A person who wants you to live. He uses extreme means to get his point across. He knows the life your parents lived. But yeah, it was fucked up on many levels.”
“I should be over it, right?”
“No. You will always carry those good and horrific memories. They all make up who you are, and I love all of you.”
“Liam and I were visiting my grandparents in their Seaside Heights home. It was our favorite place, with the beach and boardwalk. Liam took me on the rides. I was seven when my grandmother got a phone call.” Torin closed his eyes for a few minutes. “We all knew it was something bad, really bad. This was my mother’s parents who never liked our father. And for good reason, I guess.”
Garett rocked Torin in his arms. “I can’t imagine how a little version of you felt. Your whole life changed.”
“It was hard to say goodbye when I really didn’t know they would never come back. It was like they decided to leave us. But Liam made me see they would never leave. He told me about things in small parts.”
“When did this happen?”
“It was on Liam’s twenty-first birthday. July twenty-sixth. He never celebrated his birthday after that. Neither of us did. Things moved fast for us. We stayed with my grandparents for the summer and Liam found us a place in New York and from then he took over as my parent.”
“Liam sounds like a great man. All the sacrifices and raising you.”
“He had to grow up fast and get really serious. So I don’t understand what I’m doing on Dante’s ranch. He’s fucking mafia.”
“Did you call Liam about Dante today?”
“He didn’t answer. I guess he’s busy with his girlfriend. He’s getting married soon.”
“You can try him again tomorrow. Now, it’s getting late. Do you want to sleep here or in our room?”
“With you in our room.”
Garett lifted Torin from the bed, put him over his shoulder, and carried him to their bedroom.