“I was a surprise or a mistake.” Bryant shrugs casually as if it’s no biggie.
“That’s no excuse for your brother not stepping up.” Galen’s tone is scathing, but I’m not surprised. He was brother, mother, and father to his little sister before she died, because his parents bailed, and he didn’t hesitate to be there for her even though he was only a kid himself.
“He’d just enlisted in the military, and he ended up overseas for years,” Bryant explains in a defensive tone. “I didn’t realize I had another brother until two years ago when Howie found me.”
“What does he have against The Sainthood? What is he after?” Galen asks.
Bryant walks over to the couch, sitting down on the arm. “What does everyone want?” He arches a brow.
“His beef is with Sinner,” Lo surmises, and Bryant nods.
“Why is he holding that recording over our heads then? That’s got nothing to do with Sinner other than it’d bring heat on the organization if it got out,” Saint says.
“I don’t know. He told me nothing about that recording, but I’ll find out. I promise.”
“I want you to set up a meeting,” Saint adds. “For tomorrow or Monday. This can’t wait.”
“Consider it done,” Bryant says, bobbing his head.
“Your brother wanted you to get close to The Sainthood to help him. That’s why you switched allegiances,” I suggest.
“Yeah. I couldn’t give a fuck about either crew, to be honest.”
“Why does your brother hate Sinner? What did he do to him?” Lo asks.
Bryant’s eyes darken. “Sinner killed our sister.” A muscle pops in his jaw.
Heavy silence lingers in the air like fog. It’s no surprise Sinner has picked up so many enemies or that they’re gunning for him now. It was only a matter of time before someone made him pay.
“I’m so sorry,” Lo says. “Do you know why?”
“She was a hoodrat. Sinner took a shine to her. Got her addicted to drugs, and it all went to shit then. She fell apart, and Sinner wanted her gone. Howie thinks Sinner was worried she might blurt something, because she’d been around him enough to be privy to a ton of shit that had gone down. So, he silenced her.”
Saint shifts uncomfortably on his seat, and his lips pull into a grimace as he lowers his gaze to the floor. Lo looks at Galen, and they share a silent communication. Theo sits up straighter, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. “If this happened eighteen years ago, why is your brother only seeking vengeance now?”
“At first, it was because he was overseas for years with the military, and he buried himself in work to forget his pain. I’m not sure when that changed. When he decided he wanted revenge, but at some point, he hired a couple guys to go after Sinner, but both of them failed. He realized he’d have to take care of it himself and that he needed to be smarter about it. He wanted justice for our sister, and killing Sinner, without him admitting to the crime, wouldn’t avenge Jess’s murder. So, he came home and got a job with the DEA. He’s building contacts and utilizing the resources at his disposal to find anything he can to use as leverage to force Sinner into admitting the truth.”
“If he thinks that recording is leverage, he’s sorely mistaken,” Lo pipes up. “Sinner doesn’t give a fuck about me. He’d probably thank your brother for getting me off his back.”
“And there’s little love lost between me and my father,” Saint grits out. “If your brother releases that tape, Sinner will make us take the fall. He’ll say we acted independently of The Sainthood.”
“Maybe Howie thought it might work because Lo is Giana’s daughter,” Bryant suggests.
“It still doesn’t explain why he didn’t tell you about it,” I add.
“We need to talk to him. Face to face,” Saint says. “It’s the only way we’ll get answers.”
“I’ll set it up,” Bryant says. “Howie is very…dogmatic, but when he learns we share the same goal, that we all want to see Sinner punished for his crimes, I think we can find a way to work together.”
“This could end up being a good thing,” Lo says, looking deep in thought. “We already have VERO and the FBI onboard, and Diesel said the head of Homeland Security will be thrilled to get those files back. If we can get the DEA on our side too, and we all work together, we’ve got to find that evidence.”
“One would think so,” Saint says, lifting his chin. “But I’ve learned to never underestimate my father. That’s something none of us should ever forget.”
_______________
We leave the cabin at eleven a.m. the following morning to make the journey back to Prestwick. Galen is expected at his mom’s house for dinner, and Lo has roped all of us into attending because she has a surprise for Galen, and she wants everyone there to see his reaction.
She hired a landscaping company to tidy up the gardens and restore the maze to its former glory, and they have been working around the clock this week to get it finished for today. Lo even spoke to Mrs. Murphy, Alisha’s babysitter-slash-housekeeper, making her promise not to breathe a word to Galen. She also enlisted her help in keeping him away from the house this week.
I know that maze is important to Galen and Lo, and I can’t wait to see my buddy’s face light up when he realizes what she’s done.
We pull up to the monstrosity that’s been in Galen’s family for generations a couple hours later, and a nasty shiver works its way through me as I glance at the house. Thick ivy crawls up the front façade of the old two-story gray-bricked house, adding to the overall creep factor of the place. This house always gives me a mad case of the heebie-jeebies, and I generally avoid spending much time here.
I help Lo out of the back seat and stretch my arms up over my head, loosening my taut muscles while fighting a yawn.
Mrs. Murphy opens the door with a flourish and a warm, inviting smile. “I’m so glad you could all make it. Your mom is delighted,” she tells Galen, stepping aside to let him in.
“I doubt that,” Saint mutters under his breath. “If Alisha is sober, I’ll eat my dick.”
“Do you always have to think the worst of her?” Theo asks, placing his hand on Lo’s back as we step inside the mausoleum.
“I’m not a total prick,” Saint says, lowering his voice and stepping back as Lo walks up beside Galen, holding his hand as they talk with Mrs. Murphy. “I know my dad and my uncle fucked up Alisha’s life,” Saint continues, “but there comes a point when a person has to take responsibility for their own actions.”
I’m more in agreement with Saint than Theo on this topic, because I can relate. For so long, I blamed my deadbeat father for my mother’s actions. Yes, she’s downtrodden, because he treats her like shit, but she has choices. There are always choices. And she chooses to stay with that piece of shit. That realization hurt, because it means there’s nothing I can do to change the situation. I’ve tried so hard to help her. Offering her my savings so she could take Jake and Nelia away from that bastard, but she refuses to leave him.
That’s when I decided I was done. I still visit weekly, when Dad’s not there, but it’s mainly for my brother and sister, to ensure they are okay and they have everything they need.