Just then Alik and Cole burst from the back door, semiautomatics held with safeties off in their huge fists, ready for battle.
“What the hell is going on out here?” Alik barked as he looked back and forth between Creed and Evan.
“Hey brother,” Evan nodded to Alik.
“Evan? What are you doing out here?” he called, lowering his weapon and thumbing the safety back on. Cole followed his lead.
“I was just out for a walk,” Evan shrugged, completely ignoring the daggers Creed was glaring at him, still waiting for a response to his question.
Ignoring the conversation around him, Creed pressed Evan. “Answer me, coward!”
“Creed, man. Whatever you want to talk about with Evan should wait till morning when everyone has cooler heads.” Alik reached out and put his hand on Creed’s massive biceps, gently pushing him back toward the house.
“No, this happens now.” Creed stepped forward, narrowing the space between him and Evan. “You need to hear him say it too, Alik. She’s your sister.”
“Say what?” Alik looked back at Evan with confusion on his face.
“I asked him why he didn’t warn us sooner that Arkdone’s men were coming back at the motel. Why did he let her leave and get captured?”
“You’re not mad at me, Creed,” Evan said calmly. “You’re mad at yourself for not being there to protect her when you think she needed you the most.”
Every muscle in Creed’s back tensed as though he’d just been struck by a cattle prod.
“I’m right,” he paused before continuing, “and you know it. You’re mad at yourself for letting her slip between your fingers. Your hurt ego stopped you from following her that night and you still have nightmares where she’s just out of your reach. However strong or straight laced you are, you couldn’t make the new Meg love you. So don’t take your shit out on me, Creed Young.”
Farrow had to stifle a gasp at the last remark. She’d never seen Evan say or do anything that wasn’t generous and kindhearted. Now all she saw was a shell of the guy he used to be. And this Evan’s words were just cruel.
Creed was shaking he was so angry, but he forced himself to swallow the words Evan threw at him, knowing in his heart they were true. He did blame himself for not being there to protect her. His ego and his heart had been crushed by her indifference.
“I failed her because of my ignorance, and I am still trying to atone for that sin. But you,” Creed was slowly walking to close the distance between them. Cole and Alik were walking at his shoulders, ready to pull him back if he moved to beat the crap out of Evan, which is exactly what it looked as if he was about to do. “You are her brother and you knew she was in danger, but you did nothing to protect her. And since she’s been gone, you’ve done nothing to make amends for your choice. How could you abandon her?”
Creed’s question hung as a black cloud, poisoned and thick with sulfur.
“I had no choice,” Evan took his hands out of his pockets and ran his fingers through his freshly cropped hair. He still had no sense of touch on three of his fingers and most of his palm, the scarring was so severe. All he felt was pressure.
“That’s not good enough!” Creed roared.
The commotion outside had attracted everyone from inside the house, except Danny who was snuggling with Maze in his race car bed—both breathing deeply, dreaming peacefully. Even some nosy neighbors had come to their yards pretending to need to hang the wash at three in the morning.
“What do you want me to say, Creed? What? What do you need to hear so you let her go? Do you need to hear me say she did this to herself? She’s the damned empath, Creed, not me! She knew they were coming for her! Do you need me to say it? She knew she didn’t belong with us anymore—she didn’t want to stay with us! She couldn’t make herself feel anything but obligation for us, so she made her choice. She went for that run that night and made me swear not to say anything until it was too late! And why did she bother to involve me? Think about it, you thick-skulled idiot! She cared enough to make sure we got away!”
“You sick son of a bitch!” Creed moved to attack, but Alik and Cole were ready for him. It took both of them, but they held him back.