Page 184 of Savage Hearts

We never told him.

Maverick was the one who found her as our father had planned.

He was the one who had to dispose of her body, and the one who cleaned up the room.

He spent an entire weekend scrubbing all the blood from the walls until it was spotless.

After that, he had trouble sleeping, and I?—

I didn’t know what I was.

I was fucked up, that was for sure, but fuck, just how fucked up was I when I couldn’t even see it for myself?

I shifted on my bed and took in Maverick’s tall form.

At sixteen, he was already taller than our father.

Not as wide, but we all knew he would be.

Someday soon, he would be bigger than the bastard, and our father could see that.

I would sometimes catch him staring at Maverick with a sort of hatred and fear.

Maverick was set to take over his empire, and he feared it might happen sooner than he should.

He was afraid the three of us would kill him.

He wasn’t wrong.

Maverick’s body was tense. “What are you doing? I asked.

I was only eleven months younger than Maverick, but at fifteen, I needed my brother more than he needed me.

And Silas…

I didn’t want to think about him.

Didn’t want to think about how we hadn’t been able to protect him.

“Nothing,” Maverick answered, his eyes glued to the window. Because of where my room was located, he could see the entire back property of the mansion.

It was the best spot for surveillance, and it was where I often found Maverick.

Suddenly, he tensed.

I tensed along with him.

“Killian.”

I stood, my entire body going on high alert.

“Go wake Silas. Tell him to put his shoes and jacket on, got me? You do the same,” Maverick said, his voice stiff.

“What’s going on?”

“No time. Just do as I say, and come back to this room right away.”

I nodded and got up, heading for Silas.

---