Page 56 of Twisted Truths

“Where are we going?” I ask as he leads me through the quiet paths of the commune towards the gated entrance.

“Trust me,” is all he says in response.

I shake my head, panic rising in my chest. “We can’t leave Franklin. I promised Zara I would protect him.” Another thought twists my gut, and I gasp. “If Nash finds out … Gabriel, I should have told him about his nephew. He needs to know.”

“Franklin will be safe for now,” Gabriel assures me as weslip through the gate and onto the road that leads back into town. “We’ll come back for him. I promise. We just need a couple of days. I have a plan.”

Chapter Twenty

NASH

I’m staring out the window lost in thought when Levi’s mother pushes a plate of sandwiches into my hand. The low hum of mourners gathered throughout Levi’s kitchen and living room, and spilling outside into the backyard, is distant background noise. No one has approached me in the last hour or so, and I’m counting down the minutes until they all leave. I want this day to be over.

“How are you holding up, love?” Katerina asks, giving my back a gentle rub which is so similar to the comfort Mum used to offer me that my knees nearly crumble on the spot.

I glance at her with glassy eyes, and her returning smile is filled with sympathy and sorrow. “I’m sorry,” I mumble, bowing my head. Shame curdles through me.

“Whatever are you apologising to me for?” she asks, a surprised lilt to her tone.

“I’m sorry about the way Dalton treated you, and I’m sorry I was such an arsehole to Levi in high school. Neither of you deserved it.” I exhale out a shaky breath. “Mum roasted megood for what I did to him, and I hate thinking I’m the reason Lev gave up playing.”

Katerina chuckles and pats me on the cheek. “You’re a good man, Nash. Thank you for your apology, however unnecessary it might be. You’re not to blame for what your father did. The only person responsible for that man’s actions is himself. As for Levi, well, I’ll leave that between the two of you, but I don’t think your actions caused him to give up playing. Not entirely.” She sighs. “Basketball was his connection to Kaleb, and he really struggled after the mining accident. I think what happened with you only gave him the excuse he was looking for.”

I swallow thickly. “Does it get easier?”

She squeezes my arm, knowing exactly what I’m asking. “Time doesn’t erase the loss, but it softens the edges. It won’t always feel this raw.” Pain flashes in her eyes. “The circumstances surrounding the loss of your family are tragic, and I know you’re still seeking answers. I wish I could relieve the burden for you, but no one can. All I hope is you find peace.”

My chest constricts. The only way I’ll get peace is when I find out who really killed my family.

“Thanks, Kat,” I say, pulling her in for a tight embrace.

Someone clears their throat behind us, and we turn to find Levi standing there wearing an unreadable expression. “Phil’s looking for you,” he tells his mother.

Katerina smiles, and wipes at her eyes before moving towards her son and kissing him on the cheek. “Look after each other.”

He gives her a tired smile and then joins me at the bench.

“Who was the girl I saw you with at the church earlier?”

“No one.”

Pain lances through my chest at the thought of Hadleybeing no one, but it has to be my truth. I can’t let myself be pulled into something I don’t understand, and I can’t be with a member of the same cult I suspect murdered my family.

When I saw her earlier, sitting in the back of the church, something inside me cracked wide open. Somehow, seeing her there made getting through the day a little more bearable.

I don’t know why.

I don’t know where this pull comes from, but it’s there, buried under my grief and rage, humming like a low current every time she’s near.

It’s dangerous, and I hate that I can’t explain it.

“Hey,” Levi’s voice breaks through my thoughts, and I glance at him, noting the exhaustion lining his face. “What now?”

My brows knit. “What do you mean?”

“Now we’ve laid Zara to rest…” He runs a hand over his face before meeting my eyes. “Are we going to keep looking for answers?”

I stare at him like he’s grown a second head. “Are you seriously asking me that?”