Page 75 of Severed Heart (The Ravenhood Legacy #2)

Chapter Forty-One

T YLER

B LINK .

Ringing his number, it’s answered on the second trill.

“Evening, brother,” I greet, beating him to the punch, my heart lighter with the news on the tip of my tongue, but forcing myself mute so as not to deny Delphine what she’s rightfully earned to share herself.

Mere days from her victory, her spirits are high despite her grueling daily therapy.

It’s then I continually repeat his name for long seconds of the connected call despite hearing his breath clearly on the other end of the line.

“T?” I prompt again, hearing a barrage of background noise, which sounds like a bar, as I steer my truck into a nearby parking lot. Checking my signal, a second later, I hear a French prompt. “En voudriez-vous un autre?” Would you like another?

“T? I think we’ve got a bad connection. I’m going to ring you back.”

Hanging up, I dial his number again. This time it’s answered on the first ring as confusion sets in.

It’s as the seconds of silence tick by that the smile I’ve been sporting for days begins to fade with realization.

Realization that there’s nothing wrong with our phone connection, but it’s our bond as brother’s that’s rapidly fissuring across the line because of my treachery.

A full minute of silence ticks by as I grapple with what I could possibly fucking say because he’s waiting for the start of a confession .

It’s then I physically start to sense the rage coming from the man at the end of the line as the noise around him ceases as if he’s entered a room.

Anxiety ramping, I palm my forehead and let out a harsh exhale, knowing I’m fucking damned no matter what words I choose. “I’m so fucking sorry, brother—”

Before I get a full sentence out, he’s gone.

Pulling up to the garage minutes later, I pass Russell, Jeremy, and Peter—who we haven’t let isolate since the night of our latest secret—taking off in one of our FLEET vans on a new mission.

They sound a horn in greeting as I pull in, and they speed away.

With their absence, I’m thankful when I catch Sean working alone in a bay, a lit cigarette dangling from his lips.

He glances over at me as he secures a part, his eyes lighting up as he greets me.

“Hey there, stranger, I paid your part of the light bill, not that your light is ever on these days.”

Tossing his smoke, Sean grinds it out with his boot and finally looks over to me, a smile on his face.

A contented smile. One I’ve spotted on both my brothers’ faces in recent months.

However, their expressions are a continual mix of both contentment and fear when we’re behind closed doors and away from Cecelia because of one reason—their deception to their brother.

It’s the look of happiness on Sean’s face now, of being in love and knowing what it feels like.

Like this fucked up world finally makes more sense.

Like there’s purpose and meaning. A feeling of belonging that’s fucking indescribable with the right woman.

Which is exactly how I feel when I’m with Delphine.

It’s when Sean gauges my return expression that I rip every bit of that contentment and happiness away.

“He knows,” Sean deduces, lowering his eyes for long seconds before chucking the tool in his hand. It clangs loudly on the bay floor as he begins to pace, lighting up again. “Do you know how he found out?”

“If you’re in any way suggesting—” I grit out, taking fast offense, and he cuts me off mid-sentence.

“I’m not, brother. Hand to God. I know you didn’t tell him, and for your own sake, you should have. Question is, who the fuck did?”

“He’s not a fucking idiot, Sean. He’s actually quite brilliant. In fact, him being distracted while a continent away, along with his collective trust in the three of us, was your only shot at keeping an upper hand.”

“What did he say?” he asks before taking a massive pull on his cigarette.

“Nothing. Just long, tense seconds of damning fucking silence, and trust me, that’s enough.” Sean pauses his footing and stops, really looking at me with remorse-filled eyes.

“I’m sorry, Tyler. I really am. The situation we put you in is fucked.”

I nod, knowing that not only will I have to face the fucking hell coming my way for my silence, but in breaking the oath Tobias and I made years ago, I lost a level of trust I may never earn back.

“What do we do?” Sean asks.

“ We ? I’m not in this. In fact, I’m ten steps removed. You and Dom work it out. I’ll deal with mending my relationship with T my way. ”

He swallows and nods.

“Where are they?” I ask.

“On a date,” Sean sighs.

“Dom ... on a date.” I shake my head at the irony. “Hell really has frozen over.”

“He loves her,” he states emphatically, forever having Dom’s back. “ I fucking love her, Tyler. She’s it for me , brother,” he admits hoarsely.

“I know.” His eyes fill with more trepidation as he resumes pacing. “But Tobias is not going to hear it, Sean. This went too far beyond any rectifiable time frame, so you need to expect the fucking worst.”

“And that would be?” Sean stops, dread evident in his posture.

“That you’re both out,” I state.

“Best case?” he asks with pleading eyes.

“Truth? A punishment fitting of the crime in addition to months or years mending the bridge back to his trust. I can’t fucking imagine what he’s feeling right now.” I grimace. “And honestly don’t want to.”

“Would you be so hard on us?” Sean prods.

“Putting myself in his shoes, if I didn’t know what it was like to be in love ... yeah, I would. But this isn’t about me. I just get to share the fucking punishment.”

“I’ll make this right with you,” he vows. “One day. I swear to you, Tyler.”

“Don’t worry about that right now. I’ve got me. But you best call Dom and know this heads-up is the last thing you’re getting from me.” I turn to stalk back toward my truck and stop to glance back at him. “And if France finds out it was me who warned you, I’ll never have your fucking back again.”

“Understood,” he says, my implication clear, “where are you going?”

“I’ll be back when you really need me,” I say.

“That won’t be long,” he utters, devastation filling his timbre, which has me hesitating in leaving him.

Because I’ve felt what he’s feeling. Not in the same way, but enough to ache for him.

The crack happening in my brother’s massive heart is palpable from feet away.

“Forgive me, brother,” he pleads, “I was selfish to ask this of you. I just ... wanted to be happy a little longer, you know?”

“Unfortunately, man, I really fucking do,” I admit honestly. “So count on me to be there when you really do need me, but Sean ... choose your next moves very wisely .”

“I will ... thank you, Tyler,” he relays, already lost in the panic filling him as he pulls his burner from his jeans.

* * *

Back aching, I pull up to Delphine’s and stare into the house.

Anticipation brews in my veins as I continue to block out the panic I’ve been tamping down for hours, thanks to T’s discovery.

Scraping some of the residue from my thumbnail, I scour Delphine’s prison, hating every fucking bit of brick and mortar that makes up her cage.

My contempt for the house almost as powerful as my contempt for Alain.

She had a long session with Mom today, who reported by text earlier that she was in decent spirits when she left.

In knowing that my general might be up for an escape with me—and after burning my candle at both ends since the beginning of summer—I can’t think of a better time to finally see if my efforts might pay off.

Cracking my neck, I haul myself up the steps, feeling every bit of the residual effort I made this morning as I stalk toward the door.

Much to my delight, my refuge meets me at it.

Hand on the knob, she sports a smile as she ushers me in, wearing a thin white robe which is covered in light blue flowers.

Her frame is slightly healthier now, and her coloring is better, too—though the chemo robs her of progress in the days following treatment.

And fuck am I thankful she has so few left to go.

She’s battling so much at once and taking it all on the chin for the most part.

Though some of her visits with Mom set her back emotionally, it seems today’s session didn’t, as she eagerly ushers me in, beaming at me as she does.

“Soldier, I thought you would never get here!” It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her of the shit show about to go down, but in gauging her mood, I decide to keep the peace with a white lie. “Sorry, General. It was a busy day, which threatened to turn into a busy night.”

“No, no, it’s okay. I just ... I have a present for you,” she admonishes breathlessly, her silver eyes lit with anticipation.

“Oh, yeah?” I ask, as she nods enthusiastically and takes my hand, leading me toward the kitchen table where our latest game of Battle awaits.

“Oui!” she says, anxiously pulling me through the living room.

In the short time we’ve been together, we’ve fallen easily into our old groove.

We spent a night watching Star Wars when she was fatigued and managed a few games of Battle.

My ask tonight might push her out of her comfort zone, so as she rattles in anticipation, I do too.

It’s when I spot the flowers that I got mere days ago already wilting in a mason jar on the divider counter that I speak up.

“You need to toss those, or they’ll stink up the house.”

“I can’t bring myself to part with them yet,” she spouts.

“Why not?” I frown at the length they lasted as she, too, eyes the limp flowers.

“Because my soldier bought them for me,” she finally says. “They remind me he’s coming back the next day.” I pause my footing at her admission, and, in turn, stop her from guiding me toward the table.