Brady Remington Landed Me in Jail

"Well this is all nice and sweet. We should have tea." The sarcasm was rich in Frank's voice. He looked down his nose at them. "I can't believe you. You're bonding over this? You're both a disappointment. Kidrick, he's everything you should've been. Brady—"

"Don't talk to me." His eyes were cold. "You have no goddamn place to speak to me. I disowned you in my own way. I want nothing from you, nothing at all. I don't give a shit what place you might think you have in my life. Your seed helped with my D.N.A. That's it. You're nothing else. You told her to abort me then when she didn't, your plans changed, but I don't care. I came here to find out one thing and I know it now. Thank you for that. If you ever come near me or Rayna, I will destroy you. You're not the only one who watches. I've been studying you this whole time too, but I'm better than you. You have no idea." Then he turned for the door.

"She knew."

Frank's voice stopped him in his tracks.

Brady looked back and Frank gave him an evil grin. "Rayna knows I'm your father. If she's so wonderful, why didn't she go to you first?"

He stared at him, long and hard as Brady grew pale. Then he jerked forward again.

"Brady." Kid started after him.

"Don't." He threw a hand up to stop him.

"Where are you going?" He followed down the hallway.

"I'm going for a drink. That's where I'm going."

"Where?"

Brady shoved through the last doors. "To Highpoint Bridge."

The hospital was busy with people rushing back and forth. I walked inside, but stepped back as two policemen rushed past with a guy in handcuffs.

"You don't see that every day." Clarissa stood behind me with wide eyes.

I didn't care. I was on a mission. "What room?"

She gestured straight ahead. "The best in the hospital."

I zeroed in and walked past a group of hospital staff. No one dared stop me as I moved ahead, but I stopped in my tracks. Frank Stephens seemed empty as he stared at me. His eyes didn't blink. His body didn't move. There was no reaction at all.

Then he murmured, "I lost. How did I lose?"

"You lost Brady?"

He nodded, but his eyes watched something that wasn't there.

"What happened?" I clenched my hands together. A part of me didn't want to know what else he knew, what else I should've told him I knew.

"He..." Frank Stephens shook his head.

I watched as his hand jerked beside his leg. It was like he was coming to a decision, but what that was—I had no idea. I just knew he'd made it when he choked out, "He knew everything." Then he blinked at me. "What are you doing here?"

"Where's Brady?"

Frank Stephens closed his mouth.

"What did he say when he was here?"

He shook his head and a wall came over him. "Why the hell would I tell you anything? You're nothing. My son can do better, will do better—"

I stepped forward. "You might not have a great opinion of me, but that's your problem. You think you're above everyone else, but you're wrong. No one cares about you. No one likes you. No one wants you. No one thinks about you, least of all him."

He jerked with every statement I said.

"I don't know what your thing with my mother is or what you thought your thing with Brady was, but I know it's wrong. You're wrong."

His eyes darkened and he opened his mouth, but the door opened behind me. "Rayna, it's Brady."

Every tentacle was stretched inside of me. Then those words flipped everything on its head. I whirled around to Kid. "What happened?"

His face looked like a mask as he looked from his father to me. "He's at Highpoint Bridge. He's been drinking."

No one said a thing. No one had to. Highpoint Bridge overlooked a fall of more than a hundred yards. It was a dam twenty minutes away. "I thought he just left…"

Kid clipped out, "He did, but he was driving fast."

I already knew what could happen. My insides wanted to hurl. "I have to go there."

"I'll take you." Clarissa shouldered through the door. "You're in no condition to drive."

I moved to follow her, but Kid grasped my elbow and pulled me tight. "He's dangerous right now, Rayna. He's not who you think he is."

"I've known him almost my whole life, you're right. I don't know who he is at all."

"Sarcasm doesn't fit you."

I shrugged off his hold and glared. "This is how I am. I don't know what happened between you and him, but I'm tired of people getting between Brady and me. Even if we're not together, he's still my best friend. Look up the word loyalty."

Then I followed behind. Clarissa was quiet as we got in the car and turned into traffic. All I could hear was the sound of my heartbeat.

"Did Brady say anything? Do you know what happened back there?" I wanted to know if there was more.

Clarissa's hands were clenched around the steering wheel. "He went in and I heard yelling. I know someone got hit. I didn't hear what they were saying, but it didn't sound good."

"Why would they fight? Kid told me he knew. If Brady knew and Kid knew and Frank knew, why is everyone fighting?"

"I have no idea what any of this is about so you're in the dark with me," Clarissa snapped.

"Huh?" Why was she pissed?

"I'm pissed because it's the three of you in your little circle of secret trusts and I'm on the outside. I'm tired of it."