Page 13 of Twisted Truths (The Sunburnt Hearts #4)

Chapter Ten

NASH

A week and a half after my family’s murder, the police still haven’t released their bodies, despite not budging on the murder-suicide ruling. When I questioned Shane on it this morning, he said he’s working on something, and I need to give him time.

Time.

My family are lying on those cold slabs at the morgue in Rafters Falls, while the useless cops in this town chase their fucking tails.

Ryan called last night to say the handwriting analysis was a bust. Ziggy’s supposed suicide note was too short for them to compare the two samples or ascertain whether it was written of her own free will.

I’m still waiting on Grimshaw to get back to me about the information I sent him a week ago—I told him to take a good look into Ziggy’s douchebag ex-boyfriend, and even mentioned my father, but I couldn’t come up with anyone else who’d want to hurt them besides the Solomon’s.

While going through Mum and Paul’s bank statements, I found paperwork showing they had refinanced the mortgage just over seven months ago, borrowing an extra fifty thousand against the property.

Why didn’t they tell me they were having money troubles?

I would have helped them out. If this has something to do with what happened to them, I’ll never forgive myself.

My stomach churns at the thought, and I push my plate away, leaving my food untouched.

“I can make you something else if you like,” Paige says softly.

She and Levi are both watching me when I lift my head.

Clearing my throat, I push back from the table. “I’m not that hungry. Sorry Paige.”

“It’s fine,” she says, standing and reaching for my plate. She moves around the island bench and covers it before putting it in the fridge. “It’s here when you want it.”

“Thanks. I’m heading out for a run. Clear my mind.”

I ignore the concerned look she shares with Levi as I head to the back door, where I left my running shoes.

“Do you want some company?” Levi asks, just as Sawyer lets out a frustrated screech.

“You have your family to worry about,” I tell him. “I’ll be fine.”

Paige scoops Sawyer out of her highchair. “Don’t be silly. You’re our family, too. We’re fine. I’m only going to bath this little munchkin and put her to bed.” She leans down and kisses Levi. “Go, get out of here.”

He follows me to the door, pulling on his own running shoes. “Where are we headed?”

I shrug, simply needing to get out of my head. “The old track down by the creek?”

Levi arches his brow. “The one that runs beside the Circle property? ”

“Does it?” I feign ignorance as I open the back door and step out into the brisk night air.

He sighs. “You’re only going to get yourself killed if you go poking around out there. Solomon’s the type to shoot first, ask questions later.”

“Or stab first,” I mutter, running through my stretches. “I want this over so I can bury my family, Lev. Every time I think of them rotting away in the morgue, I want to hurt someone.”

“You’ll be right there with them if you don’t leave the sleuthing to the professionals.” Pausing, he studies me carefully before asking, “Have you ever considered maybe the police closed the case because there is no other alternative?”

My jaw drops. He cannot be serious. “You honestly believe Zara is capable of murdering our family?”

“No,” he says quickly, running a hand through his hair. “Fuck, I don’t know. I don’t think so, but?—”

“But what?” I snap. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Lev. You know Ziggy. How can you think she could possibly do this?”

Levi holds his hands up in front of him. “You’re right. Sorry. I’m worried about you. You’re so focused on clearing her name, I feel like you haven’t even given yourself time to grieve properly.”

“I’ll grieve when we find the murderer. It wasn’t Ziggy.”

“Alright, but going out and sniffing around the Circle is only asking for trouble. You don’t even know they were involved.

” He picks up a basketball and spins it around his finger.

“Why don’t we go shoot some hoops across the road?

Take your mind off this for a little while.

We can look at it with fresh eyes in a couple of days, give you a chance to deal with your loss. ”

I exhale slowly, trying to release the tension thrumming through my veins .

He’s right. I haven’t grieved my family, but it’s a bit hard to do when their bodies haven’t been released, and their murderer is still on the loose.

But if I’m honest with myself, my reasons for going out to the Sunfire Circle aren’t all to do with my family.

It’s been four days since the market, and despite trying to remain focused on finding whoever murdered my family, I can’t get Hadley off my mind.

Those soulful green eyes that drew me in like a moth to a flame.

Eyes that widened when she found out my name.

She tried to lie and say she didn’t know Zara, but that’s the only explanation for the recognition, because I don’t believe she’s a massive basketball fan. Hadley knew Zara, and she’s close to Gabriel. I can’t shake the feeling she might have information about what happened to my sister.

Levi’s won’t approve of me sneaking onto the compound to talk to her, though. I’ll have to go out there when he’s not hovering around me like a bloody shadow.

Snatching the ball from his hand, I dribble it through my legs with a cocky smirk. “You sure you wanna go up against the newest point guard for the Boston Shamrocks?”

Annoyance flashes in his eyes before he scoffs out a laugh and steals the ball back. “You haven’t signed with them yet, little brother.”

I let him in on the secret. “Yeah, I did. I sent the contracts via Ryan’s firm yesterday.”

“Wow,” he says, his tone a little flat. “Congratulations.”

I nudge him with my shoulder as we exit the side gate. “Careful, Lev. Jealousy is a curse.”

“What’s to be jealous of? I married the woman of my dreams and have a beautiful baby girl. I’ve got everything I need in that house.”

“Truth,” I agree, grinning at him. “You got lucky, man. Paige is a real sweetheart, and it’s lucky my little niece looks like her mum.” I dart away as he playfully jabs at my ribs. “Do you miss playing?”

He’s quiet as we cross the road to Barrenridge Park. The sun is setting, but the court is lit up by streetlamps. The methodical sound of the ball hitting the asphalt as we step onto it takes me back to shooting hoops with my mates when we were kids. Back when basketball was fun.

“Some days I miss it,” Levi admits, lining up his first shot. It hits the rim and bounces off, but I’m there to rebound it. “Sometimes I wonder what might’ve happened if I hadn’t thrown it in. But after Kaleb died … I don’t know, my heart wasn’t in it anymore. My priorities shifted.”

“Fair.” I bounce the ball a couple of times before putting up a jump shot that swishes through the net. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for being such an arsehole back in high school. I was jealous, and I’m not proud of the way I handled it.”

The ball bounces in Levi’s direction, but he doesn’t bother retrieving it. Instead, he stares at me, an unreadable expression in those dark eyes we share, courtesy of our sperm donor.

“What?” I ask, when he continues to stare at me.

“You apologised.”

I laugh as I jog over to collect the ball where it rolled onto the grass. “I apologised back then.”

He shakes his head. “No, you didn’t.”

“Come on,” I say, spinning the ball around on my finger. “I would have apologised. I’m not that much of an arsehole.” His silence speaks volumes, and guilt bubbles in my stomach as I realise he’s serious. “Fuck, Lev. I really never said sorry?”

“Forget it,” he murmurs, snatching the ball and running a layup.

“I was such a punk back in high school.”

“No arguments here,” he grunts out, taking another shot without looking at me. “But honestly, forget about it. We can’t change the past.”

Fuck.

“Hey,” I jog over, gripping him by the arm so he has to look at me.

“I know things turned to shit when Dalton moved us back here, and I know I’m to blame for that, but I really am sorry.

He rode my arse hard, and while it might’ve made me a better player, I envied how you had Uncle Kaleb at every game cheering you on.

All I got was the old man tearing apart every move I made on the court.

It was exhausting, and I took it out on you.

Like I said, I was an arsehole, and I’m sorry I never apologised back then.

You stepped up to help get Ziggy out of that cult, and I owe you one.

We may have been thrust into each other’s lives because of our waste of space of a father, but you came through, and I’m grateful to still have someone who has my back. Thanks, brother.”

Levi stiffens as I pull him in for a hug, and I step back quickly. He clears his throat, looking awkwardly at the ground. “We’re good. Let’s just play ball.”

The shrill sound of my phone ringing shocks me from sleep early Friday morning. I blink bleary-eyed at the brightness, but when I see Shane’s name on the screen, all vestiges of sleep disappear.

“What is it?” I ask, foregoing any formalities. “Did you catch a break in the case?”

His weighted sigh is heavy down the line. “Morning, mate. I thought you’d want to know the coroner is releasing the bodies today. ”

“Oh.” The words sink to the bottom of my stomach.

“Do you want me to contact George for you and organise transport to the funeral home?”

I swallow around the lump forming in my throat. “No, that’s okay. I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure?”

No. “Yeah, no worries. I’ve got it.”

There’s a long pause, followed by another sigh. “Alright. Well, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“You said you were working on something yesterday,” I rush out before Shane can hang up. “Did it have something to do with the partial print found on the murder weapon?”