Page 121 of Boulder's Weight

"Scared," he finishes for me. "Yeah, me too."

We sit in silence for a moment, the distant sounds of the clubhouse—motorcycles pulling in and out, laughter from the garage, Zorro’s deep voice calling out orders—the only interruption.

"Remember when we used to go to the lake?" Sam asks suddenly. "Just you and me, sneaking away when Benji and Craig were with Dad on 'business trips'?"

A smile tugs at my lips even though I’m anxious as all hell. "You were terrible at skipping rocks."

"I was ten," he protests. "And you were hardly Olympic material yourself."

"I was better than you," I say, feeling grateful we’re able to have this normal sibling banter.

"Yeah, you were," he admits. "Better at a lot of things. Braver too."

I shake my head. "I wasn't brave, Sam. I was terrified every single day."

"But you still did the right thing," he says softly. "You stood up to Dad, to Benji. I should have done more to help you."

"You were a kid," I remind him. "And you did help me. You're the reason I got away from Billings before Benji could finish what he started."

Sam's eyes darken at the memory. "He was so angry after you left. Tore the trailer apart looking for any sign of where you'd gone. For weeks, it was like living with a tornado. Then one day, he just... calmed down. That's when it got really scary."

A chill runs through me. "Cold Benji is worse than angry Benji."

"Always has been," Sam agrees. "It's like he shuts off everything human inside him."

The image of Benji's eyes—flat, emotionless, calculating—flashes through my mind. The man who was once my protective big brother transformed into something hollow and cruel.

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if Mom hadn't died?" I ask quietly.

Sam’s gaze goes distant. "All the time. She was the only one who could ever really rein Dad in. The only one Benji truly respected." He pauses. "But I think maybe Dad was always going to be who he was. Mom just... delayed the inevitable."

"And Benji was always going to follow in his footsteps," I murmur.

"Probably." Sam's expression softens. "But you weren't. And neither was I. That counts for something, right?"

I reach over, taking his hand. "It counts for everything."

My phone rings, cutting through the moment.

I snatch it up, heart hammering when I see Astra's name on the screen.

"Astra?" I answer, already rising to my feet.

"Kelsey, thank God," her voice sounds strained, bordering on panicked. "I need you at the café. Right now."

"What's wrong?"

"No time to explain. It's an emergency. The cats—" Static cuts through the call. "Just come quickly. Please."

The line goes dead.

I stare at the phone, dread pooling in my stomach.

"What is it?" Sam asks, pushing himself up.

"Something's wrong at the café," I say, already moving toward the door. "Astra needs help."

Sam follows. "I'm coming with you."

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