Page 37 of Escaped
“I’ll take care of him,” I added.“Thank you, Owen.”
Shifting from the sofa, he nodded at me.“I did it for you, sis.You know how important family is to me.”
“Yeah.”I did know, and standing there, I couldn’t fathom why I hadn’t been in more regular contact with him.
“Which brings me to what I need to tell you.”
Owen frowned, and suddenly, I could see the hurt in his eyes—an emotion I hadn’t noticed until that moment.
“What’s wrong?”I reached for Owen’s hand, one latex finger brushing another.“I’m sorry I didn’t listen before.I was worried about Eli, but you have my attention now, Owen.What did you want to tell me?”
Chapter Fifteen
The Bombshell
Eli
My shoulder ached like a motherfucker, Owen and Erin’s conversation melding into the background as my focus fixed on the amber liquid in the crystal tumbler.
I wanted that drink.It wouldn’t heal me, wouldn’t stitch the flesh Owen had sliced back together, but I hoped it might just take the edge off the insistent agony.
Glancing up at the two of them, I considered asking Erin to pass it to me—orderingher to.There hadn’t been so much obedience since we’d arrived at Owen’s, but I could understand why.She was obviously worried about me, and she presumably felt awkward calling her impromptu male guest ‘sir’ around her brother.Still, the matter would need to be addressed as soon as my strength returned.
“Please.”Erin’s louder voice attracted my attention.“You’re worrying me now, Owen.What is it?”
Owen sighed.“All of this has rather taken the wind out of my sails.”He gestured toward me.“But when you knocked on the door, I assumed you’d heard the news somehow and had come to me.”
Inhaling, he balanced on the arm at the other end of the sofa, and for the first time, I noticed how fatigued the man looked.Granted, I’d never met Owen before, but in principle, he had the same good genetics as his sister—the same dark hair and green eyes.I hadn’t spotted his tiredness until then.
“What news?”The urgency in Erin’s voice splintered my analysis, and as my gaze traveled between the two of them, I sensed something was wrong.
“It’s Mum.”Owen’s eyes fell closed.
“Oh, God.”The blood drained from her face.“What’s happened?”
Her gaze slid to me, her eyes full of unanswered emotions.I’d seen that look on her face before, but never when I hadn’t been the cause of her confusion.That lack of control gnawed at me.Whatever had happened to their mother, she was the motivation for Erin’s current distress, not me, and that was difficult to deal with.
“She passed away.”Owen yanked off his gloves as he explained.“Her cleaner found her body yesterday, but it looked as though she’d been there at least a day before that.”
“She’s dead.”Erin’s expression was vacant, as though she hadn’t understood what Owen’s words meant.“H-how?”
The tremble in her voice was the only indication that she’d registered their meaning.
“It looks like natural causes.”Owen threw the gloves, which were covered in my blood, onto his no doubt expensive wooden flooring.“Pneumonia, maybe.”
“I didn’t even know she was ill.”Disbelief resounded in her voice.“I… I messaged her recently and I didn’t get a reply… but I never imaginedthis!”
She flung her hands out wide as her tears started to flow.
“Erin.”I wanted to go to her, wanted to wrap her up in my arms and take away some of the pain, but in my current state, I was rendered useless.Irritation flooded my system at my sudden impotency.I’d been a lot of things in my life, but incapable was never one of them.It was an unsettling reality.“I’m so sorry.”
She glanced my way, her eyes filled with emotion.“I can’t believe this.”
“I’ve been calling you.”Owen ran his fingers through his hair.“But I never got an answer.I’ve taken a few days away from work and had intended to go looking for you if necessary, but then, there you were at my door.”
He peered over at me.“I’d never been so glad to see anyone before.”
“Owen.”She ran to him, throwing her arms around him and burying her face into his shirt.“We’re orphans now.”
