Page 156 of Rest In Knotty Pieces

Merle says nothing. Aaron watches her. Daega watches him. Blaze is lost in the dark of his past.

I have a bad feeling about this, but I’m not one for running.

“We know it’s a trap. We’re not going,” I say firmly.

I pause, catching sight of something under the birds. I shift them and grab another envelope. This one is heavier. I peel it open and pull out the photos.

The first one shows a photo of Bonnie. The second is of Meg. I fan through the photos, seeing everyone we’d told to run. He doesn’t have them, I don’t think. I pull out my phone, looking at Blaze who is curled up on the floor, his arms wrapped around his knees.

The phone rings. And rings. And rings.

“Vale, pick up,” I whisper urgently.

“Sage, what’s going on?” King snarls and cracks his knuckles. I give him a look, one that communicates without words how much shit we are in. He turns away, swearing but snags the photo.

He stops on the image of his brother Cyn. King explodes. He smashes up the hotel room, breaking everything in sight. His chest heaves, he’s covered in sweat and on his knees when he’s done. But he can’t take his eyes from that photo.

Merle is crying silently, safely protected from him in Rolly’s arms.

“Cyn,” King pants. “Fuck! Not Cyn.”

I’ve called everyone. There’s no answer. I called Kota, Cyn, Rory, Mitchel, and finally, Desi. No one answers. Over and over. I keep trying.

Has he got my family? I feel sick.

A knock at the door has me freezing. I rush to it and yank it open, finding one of the hotel staff on the other side.

“This is for you.”

I look at it and feel ice go through my spine.

“What is it?” Rose asks.

“Someone has got a court order to have Rolly committed.”

Rolly lets go of Merle, stepping away, his eyes huge. He looks like he’s a teenager, all the maturity is gone. He’s just a scared boy.

“What?” his voice comes out in a whisper. “What do you mean?”

I look down at the official document, feeling sick.

He rushes and snatches it out of my hands. He reads it and laughs hysterically. “I’m not going back. You can't make me. No! No! This isn’t happening. I can't go back there!”

He shreds the document and screams.

“I can’t…I can’t…” he just keeps repeating it, losing himself, falling apart.

This isn’t my dad. This is Father. His reach is everywhere. The only way to save ourselves is to end him.

“Roseland, you need to stay with Merle. We’re going to go and kill this fucker.”

There, that will keep her safe. I trust Roseland. I can’t leave Blaze with them, he will be a liability. Perhaps I can find him someone to kill.

I have to spend fifteen long minutes talking Rolly down from his freak out, but his eyes are red-rimmed, and his hands shake.

We get ready, and at dusk, we head out. We have to save our family if we can, then kill that fucker.

I kiss Merle hard and then kiss Aaron. He pulls me close, his lips to my ear.