Page 66 of No Mistakes

It’s strange how something so polished can still reek of blood.

Carter stirs behind me, groaning like the past hasn’t wrapped its hands around his throat yet. Gunnar mumbles something in his sleep and turns away from the window. They don’t remember it the way I do. Not really. Not the sounds, the arguments that happened between our parents. The evenings when my father held meetings into the early mornings or the aftermath that happened when people arrived, but never left.

My hand twitches on the gearstick, but I don’t move. Not yet.

I hear the sound of another car, and look in the rear-view mirror to see Axel pull up behind me, waiting.

Mandy hasn’t said anything. She’s just watching, but her eyes aren’t on the gate. They’re on me.

I feel her gaze like a weight, feeling the hundred unanswered questions that are begging to be let free.

The window lowers, and I finally reach out, pressing the code into the keypad. The machine beeps once before the gates groan,opening slowly and reluctantly, like even they don’t even want to let us in.

The driveway curls ahead of us like a scar. Long, winding, lined with trees that still bear the memory of summer, though winter’s already nipping at their edges. I ease the car forward, tires crunching over the final leaves that have fallen, each inch closer to the house, scraping across my nerves like a knife against bone.

And then I see it.

The house.

It stands just as we left it, untouched by time, almost defiant in its stillness. Pale stone walls stretch high, crowned with a terracotta roof that glows warm even in the muted winter light. The cold December air dulls the colours, but nothing can dim the weight of the place. It’s too pristine. Too perfect.

Just like they were.

Landscaped flower beds curve around the circular drive, their once vibrant blooms now edged with frost. The grass is neatly trimmed, the hedges sculpted into perfect symmetry. I know our maintenance workers have been looking after the place, but still, the sight of it looking exactly how our mother wanted it, hurts.

The front doors stand tall, flanked both sides by columns, and a golden light burns faintly inside the doors. I swear for a second I can almost hear her. Mom’s laughter floating down from the balcony, the click of glasses on the porch, Dad’s low voice murmuring something about pride and legacy.

My jaw clenches at the memories.

This house raised us and ruined us.

I slow to a stop in front of the entrance, and watch as Mandy leans forward, her face lit up by curiosity, not fear. She studies the place like she’s trying to map the history from the outside in.She doesn’t know what happened behind those doors, how many truths got buried beneath the floorboards.

No one speaks as we all stare, each one of us thinking something different.

Carter is the first one to move, clapping his hands together to break the silence. “Are we ready, boys and gal?” he asks, already climbing out of the vehicle. Gunnar follows shortly behind, leaving me and Mandy alone.

She turns to look at me, her eyes filled with concern, “Are you okay?”

I nod, giving her a small smile even though it’s all a lie.

I thought I was ready to come back here, to face my demons. But after looking at the house, I don’t think I’m ready at all.

CHAPTER 28

AXEL

I can’t fucking believewe’re here again.

I knew we needed to come back if we wanted to take back what’s rightfully ours and to protect the people we love most. I just wasn’t ready to feel…this.

Heartbreak, loss,hate.

No one speaks as we sit outside the house, waiting for someone to make the first move. I watch as Carter climbs out of Ant’s car, shortly followed by Gunnar, who moves towards the trunk to get the bags.

Eva shifts beside me, her presence giving me a form of comfort as I remember every bad interaction that happened behind those doors.

Every step I took to keep my brothers safe started here.