Page 49 of Twisted Truths (The Sunburnt Hearts #4)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

NASH

“ W ho’s the girl?”

I ignore Dalton’s question and continue to pace the sitting room. “Why did Zara come to you?”

He settles back on the couch, his eyes taking in the stacks of boxes. “She’s not a local girl. Someone from out of town?”

“What did Zara say?” I ask through gritted teeth.

“Touchy,” Dalton chuckles, and I clench my fists.

Hadley is taking a shower, and I told her to stay in my bedroom until Dalton is gone. She doesn’t need to put up with his bullshit, and I don’t want him finding out who she really is.

“If you’re not going to talk, then you can leave.”

The smile slips from his face. “Don’t get smart with me, boy.”

“Why are you here now, Dalton? If you’ve been sitting on information about the murders, why haven’t you told the police?”

“Who said it had anything to do with the murders?” he asks casually .

My patience is wearing thin. “What’s your play here?”

“Nothing comes for free.”

I slam my fist against the wall. “What the fuck do you want?”

“Don’t take that tone with me,” he snaps. “I made you who you are, and you’ll show me respect.”

“Respect is earned,” I mutter. “You’re wasting my time. I want you to leave.”

“Your sister got herself knocked up,” he says smugly.

“And?” I ask, my voice flat.

His lips turn down, like my indifference is some kind of offence. “You knew?”

I ignore his question. “Why did she come to you?”

“She said if anything happened to her, I needed to save her baby.”

My throat tightens, but I don’t show it. I can’t. Not with him.

A million thoughts are running through my head, but the main one is why she went to Dalton and not Mum, Paul, or even Levi.

“She was scared,” Dalton continues. “Paranoid.”

I scoff. “So naturally, she went to you. ”

He shrugs. “Your sister was always coming to me when any of you stuffed up. Looking for someone to fix it. You, Levi, Zara. Seems you were all incapable of getting through life without the help of your old man.”

“I didn’t need anything from you,” I spit.

“Oh, no?” the smug bastard grins like the cat who got the cream.

“Are you forgetting the little joyride you and your mates took in the team bus in high school? Aren’t you wondering how said bus ended up back in the parking lot with no damage?

Not to mention the idiot move of tying your brother to the basketball ring overnight.

Your sister came to me to save your arse from getting expelled. ”

Damn it, Zara.

“And I bet you loved that. I bet it made you feel real important.” I can’t hide the snark in my tone. “So, why didn’t you help her?”

“It wasn’t my fault she went into that cult and got knocked up with her bastard child. I warned you as kids to stay away from them. If she chose to ignore that warning, that’s on her. They’re welcome to your sister’s mistake.”

“That mistake is your grandson!” I shout, unable to contain my rage. “Unbelievable. You turned your only daughter away at her time of need and sent her home to her death, then you just wash your hands of it all and expect me to be okay with that.”

“You and your brother are so high and mighty, but have you stopped to ask yourself why she never came to you for help?”

Every goddamn day.

“The difference between you and me, Dalton, is that I will do anything for my family. Zara’s baby will not suffer at the hands of the Circle because his own flesh and blood is too heartless to fucking save him.”

His face goes slack. “Don’t do anything stupid, son. Get on the first flight back to Boston and forget this town and all its ghosts. Your sister paid the ultimate price for her mistakes, but you’ve got too much on the line to get caught up with that cult.”

Too late.

“Get out,” I say with no emotion. I’m done. This man is dead to me.

He frowns. “Nash?—”

“I won’t ask again. ”

Dalton stands and moves to leave but hesitates in the doorway. “You know your problem?”

“I’m sure you’re going to tell me, and I know I’m not going to care.”

His jaw clenches at my insolence.

“You’re too soft,” he grits out. “A bleeding heart, like your mother. That woman coddled you until you mistook emotion for strength.”

I stare at him, letting his words hang in the air.

He says it like it’s a flaw. Like empathy is something to be ashamed of.

When I give him nothing, Dalton continues. “Paul was no role model. The man was pathetic, and weakness breeds more weakness. I might have ridden you, but at least I gave you something to strive for. They let you grow up thinking you could save everyone and fix everything.”

“I’d rather be like them than anything like you,” I mutter.

He sneers, stepping forward. “Look at you, ready to throw away your future, your career, hell, your dream, chasing ghosts and fairy tales. Christ, next you’ll tell me that chick you’re fucking is someone special.

Forget about her, forget about your sister and her bastard child.

Concentrate on basketball and making someone of yourself.

You’re on the precipice of something huge.

Don’t throw your life away to clean up your sister’s mess.

The kid’s probably better off where he is. ”

I don’t say anything.

There’s no point.

I turn my back on him.

He’s not worth anymore time or effort.

With a final derisive sound, he leaves.

When the back door slams shut, Hadley finds me with my palms resting against the mantle, my head bowed.

“Are you okay?” she asks cautiously .

“Please tell me I’m nothing like that man.”

“Definitely not,” she rushes to assure me.

I look up, meeting her forest green eyes. “How can he walk away from his own flesh and blood? I haven’t even met Franklin yet, but I know I’d never turn my back on him. I’d burn the world down before I ever let him feel like he’s unwanted.”

“He’s lucky to have you as his uncle.”

My thoughts drift to my uncle Kaleb. Regret burns deep in my stomach at the way I pushed him away when we moved to Barrenridge.

I was so jealous of his close relationship with Levi, and hating how controlling Dalton was.

While the pressure I was put under from my father definitely made me a better player, I can’t help but hate the arrogant son of a bitch I was back then.

“I want to be someone he can be proud of,” I choke out.

“You will be,” Hadley says without hesitation.

“I don’t know who you were before, but the man who stands in front of me is strong, loyal, and brave.

Despite losing your family in a horrific way, you’ve kept going.

You’ve had every reason to give up, but you’re fighting for your nephew’s freedom and your sister’s innocence.

You’re letting Gabriel help you, even though I know you’re struggling to trust him because of your past. Going up against the Circle is dangerous, but we’ll do it together. Franklin will be proud of you.”

I pull her into my arms, my body relaxing when she wraps hers around my waist. Pressing my lips to the top of her head, I murmur, “Thank you.”

“For what?” She tilts her face up to look at me, those wide eyes causing my heart to beat double time.

“For seeing the best in me, even when I haven’t always deserved it.”

Her lips tug up in a warm smile. “You saw the best in me when I felt weak and trapped in a cult. We bring out the best in each other, Nash.”

Cupping her cheeks, I lean in and capture her lips in a searing kiss, letting her know everything I’m too afraid to say out loud. She’s my anchor, my hope, and the only light keeping me from falling apart.

The sound of a throat clearing in the doorway alerts us to Gabriel’s presence, and I reluctantly pull away from her, rolling my eyes at the amused smirk on his face.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Hadley groans and buries her head in my chest.

I flip Gabriel off before asking, “How did you go with Isaac?”

All humour disappears from his face. “He’ll make sure we have clear access to Franklin. All he wants in return is to leave with us.”

“I don’t care what he does, as long as we get in and out safely,” I say. “What about the evidence to bring down your parents? Does he think he can get access to it?”

Gabriel gives a grim nod. “The timeline will be tight. He can’t risk them finding out it’s missing before the ceremony, but he thinks he can get it. Grimshaw already has everything I got from my uncle, and I’ll hand deliver my cousin’s journal when we get to Sydney.”

I press my lips together, the hope stirring in my chest warring with the fear of the unknown.

This plan is more than risky, it’s downright dangerous. I want to believe we’ll finally bring the Circle to their knees, but wanting isn’t going to will it into fruition. If we fail, I’ll never be able to return to Barrenridge. Not that there is anything here for me anymore.

I want nothing to do with Dalton, but things between me and Levi have been good.

Although, when things come to light with the gambling ring, I can’t see him staying in Barrenridge himself.

Maybe I’ll see if he and Paige will bring Sawyer over to the States to visit her cousin.

While I’m disappointed with the decisions he made, I don’t want to see him suffer for them.

Deep down, I know he’s a good man who simply found himself pushed into a corner.