Chapter 5
FIVE
SILAS
The next morning, I slowly eased down the steps from the second floor of my house to the chaos happening below.
Exhaustion had me wanting to crawl directly back into my bed, which seemed like some kind of oxymoron considering my bed hadn’t brought any reprieve.
Only thing I’d done was toss in it all night.
Guts tied up with the mistake that I had made. Thoughts hooked on a woman who I’d stashed across the property, thinking her presence wouldn’t have a whole lot of effect on me.
Fat fucking chance.
I should have known things had taken a sharp turn south when I nearly panicked when the notification blipped on my phone that she’d slinked out of her room. Should have known I was traversing treacherous ground when I’d diverged course and made a beeline toward the clubhouse.
Figuring I’d cut her off at the pass if she thought she was going to run because that bullshit wasn’t gonna fly on my watch.
Only I found her sneaking along the edge of the building like some kind of cat burglar five seconds from falling into a trap.
Thinking she was all kinds of sly and stealthy when she was precisely five point two seconds from stumbling into debauchery.
And if she wasn’t careful, that debauchery was gonna be me.
A peal of laughter reverberated the walls of the house, and I blew out a sigh and forced myself to keep moving.
We’d only been living here three months. The house was large, fitting for all of us. Nice but nothing fancy. The entire thing was painted cream with white molding, except for a few walls that had floral wallpaper.
A bit old lady, but hell, I figured it suited the situation just fine.
I hit the bottom landing and hooked a right through the archway that led into the kitchen.
My eyes took in the scene.
On the far-left side of the room, beyond the long counter that separated the space into two sections, my grandmother stood at the stove, and my sister was chopping something at the counter next to her.
Their laughter rolled as they bantered and teased.
On this side of the counter was a small circular table tucked into the right corner of the room.
Large enough to seat us all but small enough that when we gathered, it was cramped.
My gaze kept traveling, right to the kid who was buckled in his highchair next to the table.
“Siwas, you wake up?” Kai scrunched up his adorable button nose when he saw me standing at the squared entryway. The kid holding an orange slice without the rind on it in both hands, smashing it to smithereens.
Juice dribbled down his dimpled chin.
My chest tightened at the sight. Wasn’t sure how looking at a single person could cause so much terror and joy.
Golden brown hair a smidge lighter than mine and eyes the same hazel as the rest of ours.
Bare, chubby feet hung out from under the highchair tray, his face full of the type of happiness I was terrified could ever fully reach fruition.
Rage burned in my guts while the loyalty glowed bright.
I was going to see to it that he did reach it. I was going to see that this threat was crushed. See to it that he didn’t have to live through the same type of torment the rest of us had.
Unfortunately, the way I normally crushed didn’t seem that prudent of an idea, though there was a part of me that thought it might be for the better.
Part of me thinking it would be worth shredding my last bit of humanity.
“I sure did,” I told him, my words twisted into something soft.
He beamed, his little mouth curled into a precious smile as he stretched out his arm, the orange slice offered in his hand. “You bite?”
A rough chuckle scraped out, and I moved over to him so I could ruffle my fingers through his soft hair. Trying to keep my cool when looking at him tended to send me over the edge. “Thank you for the offer, buddy, but that slice is for you.”
“I’ll take it,” Elena teased as she popped her butt onto the counter on the far side of the kitchen.
“No way, no Wena.” Giggling, Kai snatched it against his chest.
“Hey. I thought I was your favorite?” Elena drew out like she was completely offended.
She had her hair that was so dark it was nearly black up in a ponytail, and she still wore these ridiculous pink pajamas that read Knockout across the top in silver sequins.
Knew it wasn’t an exaggeration considering the way all the assholes around here took her in when they didn’t think I was watching, which only made me five thousand times more protective of her.
She was lucky I hadn’t exchanged all her clothes for burlap sacks.
But I guess I’d already stolen enough from her, so I tried to give her at least a modicum of autonomy for herself.
I didn’t know how it was possible that my baby sister was alive and whole and filled with this zest for life that should have been stubbed out long ago.
Not after the bullshit she’d been through.
Kai’s head whipped back and forth. “No way. Siwas is my favit.”
“What?” Elena cried, peeking over at me with playful eyes.
Our grandmother chuckled low as she flipped eggs in a skillet, her craggy voice joining the conversation.
“Now, what have I told you all? There are no favorites. We just love one another for each different, special thing about us.”
“Sounds like the perfect way for you to hide the fact that I’m actually your favorite.”
At the sudden gravelly words coming from behind, I glanced over my shoulder to find Brody shuffling through the archway. Wearing no shirt. New tats exposed on his chest.
His dark brown hair stuck up in every direction, except for where it was mashed down on one side. The bags under his eyes were so heavy that it looked like he had to have come crawling back to the house at sunrise.
Knowing my younger brother, that’s exactly the way it’d gone down.
Meems, which I’d started calling our grandmother when I was learning to speak, tsked and waved a spatula at him.
“You know better than that. I love you all equally.” Staunch affection rolled out of her as she turned back to the eggs she was frying.
“But you can be sure what I’m not loving right now is you looking like you spent the night tussling around in a dumpster. ”
“Oh, I’m sure he spent the night tussling around with something.” Elena wagged her brows.
Brody only grinned a cheshire grin.
I was going to need to have a talk with him about that.
I’d all but forbade him not to run with this life, but he’d insisted on trying to patch in, and I was worried he was taking the challenge too far.
We might have lived outside of rules and boundaries, but I still demanded structure.
“Too handsome for his own good, I tell you that,” Meems muttered.
Rounding the counter, he ambled up behind our grandmother and pecked a kiss to her cheek. “See, you do love me.”
“Always,” she gushed. “Now grab me some milk so I can finish up this gravy.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, tossing me a knowing smirk as he turned and moved for the refrigerator.
“Now, is someone going to put me out of my misery and tell me about our guest we have on the property?” Swiveling a fraction, Meems looked directly at me when she asked it.
That was all it took for my stomach to fist.
Last thing I needed were reminders of that stunning face.
“Oh my God, Meems. She’s soooo pretty.” Elena groaned it toward the ceiling. “Wait until you see her.”
My eyes narrowed. “And when did you see her?”
Elena had been instructed to leave Brinley Webber alone. Knowing Elena, she’d have her upstairs in her room braiding her hair or some shit, and she needed to know Brinley was not her fucking friend.
After what happened to Elena a few months back, you’d think she’d be more cautious. Realize she couldn’t be stepping out and inviting people in.
My sister was far too fucking trusting.
Innocent.
And my enemies were all too willing to take advantage of that.
A blade of guilt stabbed into my spirit.
I never should have let it happen, and now…
“Um, how do you think I saw her? Did you think I was just going to stay in my room?” She widened her hazel eyes like I was dense.
Of course not. It wasn’t like she ever listened to what I said.
“But don’t worry. I made sure I was set up in prime position to get a peek at her without drawing attention to myself when you showed her to her room. Out of sight like you told me.”
She gave me a sass-filled look that declared my rules were ridiculous. Then she arched an accusing brow. “She didn’t seem to like you all that much.”
Brody laughed as he set the milk onto the counter next to Meems. “What sane woman does? Why all these passarounds try to catch Silas’s eye, I’ll never know.”
“Now, none of that,” Meems scolded. “We’ve got little ears in the house.”
I glanced at Kai who was sweetly oblivious, back to sucking at another orange slice that had been set on his tray.
“Want you all to keep your distance from her,” I warned as I strode around the counter, heading for the coffee pot. “Know you want to make her feel welcome, Elena, but this isn’t playtime.”
“You don’t need to talk to me like I’m five, Silas,” she spouted back. “I know it’s not playtime, but I don’t see anything wrong with her feeling like she isn’t alone while she’s here. You could at least be nice to her.”
“There’s no need for her to like me,” I grumbled as I filled a travel mug full of dark brew.
Steam billowed out from the top, and I took a sip of the hot liquid, that first hit soothing my senses.
I turned to my family.
Gaze pointed. “My only concern is her safety, same as the rest of yours. I expect you to respect that.”
“So you plan on keeping her in a box the way you do me?” It was a straight accusation from Elena.
Frustration huffed from my lungs. “I don’t keep you in a box.”
“Twelve-foot-high walls in a perfect square around ten acres.” Elena lifted her hands like she was juggling an equation. “Seems to me the property is quite literally a box.”
I sighed, not in the mood to argue with her. “What I plan on is you keeping your distance from her. I don’t need this situation any messier than it already is. Have enough on my plate without having to worry about what she’s up to, or what you’re up to, for that matter.”
Hated that it looked like hurt that bunched up Elena’s brow, but fuck, she had no idea the burden that was sitting on my shoulders.
My head barely above water.
Meems must have picked up on my agitation because she shuffled over to me.
Our grandmother was nearing eighty. Plump and her head barely coming up to my chest.
She might have looked frail, her gait hobbled a bit, her back slouched with her age, but she was the strongest woman I’d ever known.
She was the one who’d stepped in and cared for us when there was no one left to do it.
The one who remained at my side even after I made a choice she begged me not to make.
She set her hand on my cheek, her hazel eyes peering into mine like she was searching for someone she used to know.
“You don’t have to carry it all, Silas. I’m right here.”
She glanced at my brother and sister, who were staring back at us, before she returned her attention to me.
“We’re all right here. And we’re always going to be.
I know you think everything falls on you, but it doesn’t.
And we do respect you. We respect who you are and all that you’ve done for this family.
But if that girl is here and doesn’t know anything like you said, then she’s probably scared and feeling alone, and she’s going to need support.
It’s not right to treat her like a prisoner. ”
Brinley Webber scared? Not even close.
My stomach clutched around the thought. Something about it didn’t sit right. Not when it was clear what had been in her voice when she demanded that I release her last night.
Terror.
Terror hidden behind black, viscid rage.
“She’s not going to be alone,” I forced out around the lump in my throat. “She’s going to be working at the shop.”
Elena fucking clapped, giddy as hell. “Best news ever! Guess I’m going to have to take a jaunt over there today and formally introduce myself.”
I started to tell her not a chance in hell but clipped off with a grunt of surrender when Meems sent me a warning glare.
I took a swig of my blazing hot coffee. Burning the fuck out of my tongue.
Yup.
This was a mistake.
A terrible fucking mistake.