Page 108 of The Moment They Can't Forget

“They’re not treating her right. Why has no one stepped in to help her?”

“Who told you they weren’t treating her right?” Brody frowned. “For all they get drunk and do dumb shit sometimes, the Miller brothers are good guys. I didn’t know they weren’t good to her. I’ve never heard a whisper of that, and they get a sitter when they leave her alone, or so they told me.”

“She shouldn’t have to deal with drunk brothers fighting. She gets caught in the middle sometimes. I’ve seen bruises on her. She’s trying to stop them, and that’s when she gets hurt.”

Brody’s face changed. Hardened, and suddenly he looked like his older brother.

“Those fuckers!” He started walking, and JD followed.

He could do this for Vi, and then he’d leave town.

“I think no one knows what’s going on because they live out of town, plus they don’t talk much. Vi’s pretty much a vault, and her brothers are the same.” Brody led him to where two men were stacking timber.

The Millers were tall, lanky guys, and JD could see instantly their connection to Vi. They stopped work as he and Brody arrived. Both were dressed in jeans and the Duke timber yard shirts.

“This is JD Hopper,” Brody said in a hard voice. “Your sister works for him.”

The surprise on their faces said they didn’t know that piece of information.

“I’m Jack, the oldest Miller sibling.” He stepped closer and held out his hand, and JD reluctantly shook it. The other brother, Seth, did the same.

“How is it you don’t know that your sister spends most days after school and weekends at my house?” JD asked. “Some mornings too.”

“She plays with friends?” Seth shrugged. “Vi’s old enough to do that.”

“She still needs you to give a shit where she is,” JD snarled. “And she deserves to be treated better. I’ve seen the bruises on her.”

Both men dropped their eyes at that.

“You are her goddamned guardians. She should always be front and center in your mind, yet she’s not. You don’t even know that she comes to work for me. I could be an asshole?—”

“Which he is.” Brody smirked.

“Who mistreats her, and neither of you would have known. Do you even talk to your sister? Do you know how she’s doing at school? I bet she does everything for you two,” JD said, disgusted. “She’s fourteen, for fuck’s sake!”

“We work,” Jack Miller said in a belligerent tone that had JD wanting to punch him.

“Look.” He exhaled slowly. “I understand you’ve had a tough run with your parents passing suddenly. I know that you”—he jabbed a finger at Jack—“want to leave and travel, and that you want to study to be an electrician”—he pointed at Seth next—“and you couldn’t because you have to look after your little sister. She gets that and is making plans to be self-sufficient so you can soon. But she’s just fourteen years old, for fuck’s sake!”

“Settle it down, JD,” Brody said when his words turned into a growl.

“You’re taking her childhood away, and you two need to do better. If you don’t, I’m stepping in, and I’ll make your life hell.” He started to walk away and turned back. “And don’t come at her because I talked to you. I don’t want her to know. So man the fuck up and be her big brothers.” He turned away, then back again.

“But wait, there’s more.” Brody sighed.

“Stop drinking so much, because clearly it makes you do dumb stuff. Next time, you could really hurt Vi.” He walked away feeling like he’d woken this morning and pulled on clothes two sizes too small. His head ached from the tension, and he seriously needed an entire roll of antacids. Looking at his watch, he saw it was three p.m. How was that possible? It felt like he’d been awake for twenty-four hours.

“I think that went well.” Brody fell in beside him. “I’ll make sure they sharpen up, JD, now I know. I’ll pass the information on to Sawyer and the others.”

He grunted again, because hearing his best friend’s name hurt.

“Who knew you could be so mean and scary?”

“Brody, I’m not in a good mood right now after this business with Zoe and Sawyer and my family, so don’t come at me.”

“Sorry, man, force of habit. Dukes, we do that constantly.” He shrugged as JD’s phone rang. Pulling it out, he saw it was his brother.

“What?” JD snapped. He listened as Henry talked and then clenched his eyes shut.

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