Finding the Light (Whitsborough Chronicles Book 3)

by C. A. Rene

  “He told me you killed him.” She nods, “with your knives.”

  “Seemed fitting,” I shrug. “He made me fear them for most of my childhood.”

  “How?” She asks.

  "Whenever the beatings would happen, I would end up being holed up in my room for a couple of days, unable to lay on my back." I look up into Ember's blazing eyes, "we had a cook at the time. His name was Angelo. He would come to my room and apply a homemade salve to the wounds on my back and legs. Then he would sit with me until I finally fell asleep. Someone eventually told Calen and he pulled me into his office. I remember sitting on the chair as he berated me for being weak and soft. Then they dragged in a gagged and bound Angelo."

  "This asshole is lucky he's dead." Ember growls.

  "Calen forced him to kneel in front of me while I was seated on the chair. He then went on with his speech about how soft I was and that people could see my weaknesses and felt sorry for me, like Angelo did." I close my eyes and take a breath, "he then got up out of his seat and stood behind Angelo. He drew out a large knife and stuck it through the back of his head and it came straight through his eye. The blood sprayed all over my face and I immediately started screaming. I don't remember much after that but I remember being kept in my room in the dark for days. I had nightmares that repeated and I was petrified of anything sharp for a long time."

  "How did you get over it?" Ember asks.

  "Carm and Trent. When they found out about Calen, Carm wanted to kill him but it was Trent that said it should be me to do it. Then Trent started to train me with knives. It was hard at first because I was so scared but I slowly got over it. I took the beatings from Calen knowing that soon I would kill him. And eventually I did, with a knife through the eye, thrown from across the room."

  "That's a happily ever after if I ever heard one." She says and we both laugh.

  "Trent continued to train me but I surpassed him quickly. I just continued on my own, honing my skills and perfecting them."

  "I'm proud of you."

  "Thanks Ember," I smile at her. "Means a lot coming from you. Any idea where Travis and Vin are?"

  "Vin texted me to say they were fine and he'd bring him back later. Vin will help him." She places a hand on my shoulder. "Get some sleep, we have school tomorrow."

  "Yes, Mom."

  15

  I don't know where Vin is driving us and I don't care. I just watched the woman I believed to be my mother die while clutching at the belt around her neck. Her eyes had slowly widened in their sockets and I watched as the tiny blood vessels burst open. Her tongue grew puffy and fell out of her opened mouth. The only thought that ran through my mind was, she should have died with my father. Both of them were evil incarnate and I won the lucky draw on being their son.

  "What are you thinking about?" Vin's voice breaks through my thoughts.

  "Did we really enact justice?" I turn to look at him, "wouldn't it have been better if they just rotted in jail?"

  "I thought like that too for a while. When I found out Em killed our father, I was thinking it wasn't enough. But now? Even more I wish they had suffered. But Bro," he darts a glance at me, "our system here in Whitsborough is not just."

  He's right, they would've paid their way out, if they even got that far to begin with. "I guess. Where are we going?"

  "To my house."

  "What?" I look at him, "why?"

  "Ember showed you the list of our father's victims?"

  "Yeah," I nod. "I didn't read them though."

  "My mother's name was on that list, so was Ember's mother."

  "I know about E's mom," I nod. "Mother dearest taunted her with the details."

  "Fuck." He grunts as he grips the steering wheel tighter.

  "It's hard not to feel somehow responsible." I shake my head, "I really don't want to face your mom with the knowledge of what my father could've done to her."

  "Our father," he corrects me. "And you have nothing to do with it. We are family and always will be. I want you to get to know her and maybe help me out with this. I tried to talk to her earlier and I just couldn't bring it up."

  "Okay."

  We pull into a driveway and I see Vin's house up ahead. It's smaller than mine and E's but still a good size. The lawns are well manicured and the outside of the house looks clean. I was here once for the pool party he had, the night I slept with Adri for the first time. He puts the Hummer in park and I follow him up to the front door.

  "Ma!" He yells out once we are inside. This is Vin's way of greeting everyone I noticed.

  "In the back!" She screams from their backyard.

  We head out through the kitchen and into the enclosed pool area. She's laying on a lawn chair and sipping what looks to be a margarita.

  "Hello, Ms. Germaine."

  "Oh!" She startles and sits up, "Travis. How are you honey?"

  "I'm okay." I shrug my shoulders.

  "It's nice to see you two together." She looks between Vin and me.

  "We want to talk to you, Ma." Vin says and sits on a chair beside her.

  I really don't want to do this. I'm scared as hell she will hate me, order Vin to have nothing to do with me and then I will have no family. None sharing the same blood, that is. I do understand it has to be worked out, sooner rather than later and I can't not help him when he helps me every time I need him.

  "About?" She looks between us again as I take a seat beside Vin.

  "Robert."

  "Greene?" She gets a slightly worried look in her eye.

  "Yes." He nods.

  "What about him?" She looks to me and then back to Vin.

  "I can't tell you how I found out this information but do you trust me?" He asks her.

  "Yes." She nods.

  "Were you raped by Robert?"

  "What?" She whispers, her voice slightly shaking.

  "Were you?" He asks her again.

  "Oh God," she covers her face with her hands.

  "Maybe I should..." I start to get up when I feel Vin's hand on my arm.

  "No," he pushes me back down, "you're our family."

  "He's right, Travis." Sharla looks at me, "you are our family. The first time I had... relations with Robert was at a party. It was actually Halbert's house and his parents were away. That night Rebecca and I got pretty intoxicated and I can't really remember much."

  "Was Rebecca with Ray at this point?" Vin asks.

  "She had just met him the week before. He was friends with Robert's older brother. They weren't at this party since it was just us younger crowd. At that point, I hadn't really seen how possessive Ray could be with her. It was still young in their relationship." She takes a sip of her drink and closes her eyes. "I was always really confused about that night, I had never blacked out before but that night I did. I've drank more on different occasions and I always wondered if I had been slipped something that night. I blacked out but I can still remember snippets of the night. I remember dancing with Rebecca and then everything is black, next thing I remember is being over someone's shoulder but I was too heavy to move or talk. Then I remember very little after except for blurred faces over mine. I was a virgin." Her mouth begins to twitch, "I woke up the next morning with a soreness between my legs and some blood. I knew what had happened and when I questioned Robert, he told me I had begged for it."

  Vin has his eyes closed and he's breathing really heavy, "you believed him?" He asks.

  "Yes." She nods, "I was already in love with him at that point."

  "Where was Rebecca during all of this?" I ask her.

  "I'm not sure," she shakes her head. "She woke up in the back of Halbert's pickup truck."

  I wonder if maybe the same thing happened to Rebecca that night as well? "Did she act any different afterward?"

  "Why?" She looks at me with a frown.

  "She was also a part of the information I received."

  "No!" She says on an exhale while cove
ring her mouth.

  "Could it have been that night as well?" I ask her.

  "Yes," she nods, "she acted very strange after. She didn't speak to Halbert again and she just about hated the whole group of them. She tolerated Robert for my sake but she rarely spoke to him."

  "She may have remembered more than you." I nod.

  "She left with Ray not too long after that." She begins to cry.

  "Why wouldn't she tell you?" Vin asks.

  "Probably because I was so in love and she was worried I wouldn't believe her. To be honest, I'm not really sure if I would've at the time."

  "Thank you for telling us, Ms. Germaine."

  "Oh baby," she reaches her hand out and puts it on my cheek. "Call me Sharla, heck call me Ma but no one in this family calls me Ms. Germaine."

  "Thank you." I say quietly as I try to hide the quake in my voice.

  "Why don't you stay here for a bit?" She suggests, "get out of that house."

  "Thank you for the offer Ms... Sharla, but I've been staying with Ember the last few weeks. My mother hasn't been well." I might as well lay the ground work for her suicide.

  "Yeah," Vin adds, "she kicked him out of the house. Threw his clothes all over the driveway."

  "What?" Sharla shakes her head. "That's terrible."

  "She's been grieving hard for him." I roll my eyes, "Ember has been kind to let me stay there."

  "Well, my house is open to you, too." She nods.

  "I should get Travis back. It's getting late."

  "Yes, you have school tomorrow." She stands up and pulls me in for a hug. "You're loved Travis. Thank you for never giving up on him."

  I hug her back and force myself to keep my feelings in control. I've never had people care this much before.

  I watch as Vin walks into Ember’s room and shuts the door. I’m glad we somehow found a way to overcome our past and become the brothers we were meant to be. I need to give thanks where it’s due and it’s due to Ember. The girl who revels in another’s blood and loves to use her fists to make a point. She’s violent, turbulent and I am convinced an angel sent straight from the hottest depths of Hell. But she loves so fucking hard, and once she’s decided she loves you, there is no end to what she will do for you. I’m so happy she deemed me one of those people, even if I don’t deserve it.

  I turn away from their closed door and mumbling-he’s probably telling her everything we learned from his mother-and I step into my room.

  “Can we make a new rule?” My head snaps up at his voice and I find Emmett laying across my bed in only a pair of black boxers. “Can you start texting me when you don’t come home?”

  “Uhh…” I’m still shocked to find him in my bed… nearly naked.

  “You never had to do that before right? I get it.” He slides his hands up and behind his head, his muscles flexing. “You have people who care about you now, some more than others.”

  “Okay.” I nod, finding my voice.

  “Good talk.” He gets up from the bed and stalks towards me. His hands come out and his fingers sink into the hair at the back of my head, dragging me forward and into a crushing hug. “I care about you… a lot.” He then kisses the side of my head and releases me from his hold. “Goodnight.” He says as he makes his way across the hall and into his room.

  “Goodnight.” I say to his retreating back.

  “Oh,” he turns and smirks. “Call Adri please. She needs to hear from you.”

  “Okay.” I nod.

  He closes his bedroom door and I instantly feel the cold slithering tendrils of loneliness curl itself around my heart. It’s not a new feeling, I just wish it would stop making an appearance. Both of the people who made me feel that constantly are now dead, thanks to Ember. So, shouldn’t this feeling die with them?

  I lay on my bed and pull out my cell phone. I have a few missed calls and texts from both Adri and Emmett. I see a missed call from Vin in there, too. Seeing that makes those cold tendrils shrink back in fear. I do have people who care, and I’m no longer alone. I press on Adri’s name and listen to the ringing. She finally picks up.

  “Travis?” Her voice sounds sad and hoarse, like she’s been crying all day.

  “Hey.”

  “What’s going on? Emmett was here earlier.”

  “I know, babe. He told me what he was going to talk to you about.”

  “And what? You’re okay with all of this?” She asks incredulously.

  “Yeah, I trust him. It’s completely up to you but I want you to trust us too. I want you to give it a try, because right now I am so fucking lost and I can’t give you what you deserve.”

  “Let me help you.” She begins to cry again.

  “I will, I promise as soon as I am ready.”

  “And do you trust me, Travis?” She sniffles, “do you trust that I love you?”

  “Yes, I do Adrianna.” I take a deep breath, “and I love you, too.”

  She begins to softly cry, “I’ve always wanted to hear you say that.”

  “I’ve always felt it, probably since preschool, even though you were so fucking mean to me.”

  She starts to giggle and I join in, “you want me to date Emmett?”

  “Yeah, I do. I promise to fill you in on everything but I need to see if what you two have could be anything like what we already have.”

  “It’s so strange, Trav.”

  “Yeah, it’s different. But you’ll see, it’ll make sense. Just try this out for me?”

  “Okay.” She agrees softly. “I’m gonna try and sleep. School’s tomorrow.”

  “Do you have a ride?”

  “Yeah, I texted Ember, she’s going to start picking me up again.”

  “That’s good.” I smile, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Okay… Trav?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Tell me again.” Her voice becomes low and sultry and my cock hardens in my boxers.

  “I love you.” I say and mean it.

  “Me too.” Then she hangs up the phone.

  16

  I pull up to the school parking lot and rev my engine a little, what? I like the attention, so sue me. It works because everyone looks my way. Even my sister who has her arms crossed at her chest and with a look that could scare Satan himself on her face.

  Adri mentioned that she was going to tell Ember about us dating this morning on the drive to school. Thankfully, I see she's in one piece but Ember looks ready to spill blood. Maybe mine. I know she warned Adri before about liking me but she really doesn't know the whole story so I can't fault her for her anger. At the same time, she doesn't need to know shit until the three of us are ready to fill her in.

  I also got the attention of a small group of girls over by the entrance doors. Purple headed Marlana being one of them. They all start chatting amongst themselves and stealing admiring glances my way, except Marlana. She just stands there watching, her face a mask of boredom.

  I remove my helmet and clip it onto my backpack. This thing is too expensive to leave out here and then I amble my way over to my sister and the others. Travis is there with a small smirk on his face, already knowing the shit kicking I'm going to receive.

  "Buenos dias, mi amigos!" I throw my arms out.

  My sister is quick to throw her fist out and hit me in the chest, "we will be having a chat later, comprende?" She asks through her teeth.

  As soon as I get my breath back, I look at her and nod, "comprendo."

  "Bueno." She sneers and we follow her towards the school.

  "Pussy." Vin snickers and shoulder bumps me.

  "I don't want her to maim my face, it's pretty." I side eye him.

  "I sure do love this face." He says as he grabs my cheeks in one hand, smushing my face together and then smacks a loud wet kiss on my cheek.

  When he releases me I smear my hand down the wetness and screw up my face, "gross, Asshole."

  He just throws his head ba
ck and laughs as he wraps his arm around my sister's neck. They walk ahead and Travis and I follow with a nervous looking Adrianna in the middle.

  "You okay?" I whisper to her.

  "Your sister is scary." She shudders.

  "Did she threaten you?" I stop and look at her.

  "No," she looks over at Ember and Vin entering through the double doors. "She smiled at me and then hummed the tune to Bodies the rest of the way here."

  I can't help it, I laugh out loud. My sister is a fucking sadist and I know exactly why she was humming that song. She's imaging kicking the shit out of me. "I'll handle her."

  "I don't want to fuck up my friendship with her. She's already warned me away from you."

  "I'll handle her." I repeat and throw my arm around her. Travis is waiting for us by the double doors and when he sees us together he smiles. Not a trace of jealousy on his face. It's a good start.

  In homeroom, I'm sitting between Adri and Ember, one tossing me nervous glances and the other shooting me murderous looks. When Mrs. G calls on me to end the class with a prayer-like she did all last week-I stand up and thank God for my beautiful sister and the unconditional love she gives me, no matter what I do. Don't think that softened her, oh no, I just made her that much more livid and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit scared.

  I practically fly out of that class and away from Ember. It wouldn't take much for her to drag me into a janitor's closet and force me to drink bleach. I get to chem and see that Travis has switched our partners and he's now sitting at my table.

  "You said you needed help." He shrugs, looking a bit sheepish.

  "Yeah," I nod, "I really do. Can you create something to make my sister love me again?' I blink my eyes at him innocently.

  He full out laughs and my breath gets lodged in my throat. He looks so fucking sexy and I just want to make him do it again and again. When he stops, he looks just as surprised as I do.

  "Your sister loves you." He clears his throat, trying to regain his composure. "She just doesn't get this yet." He says, waving his hand between us.

  Chem goes by surprisingly smooth and I can't believe I actually understood something today. It's fucking amazing. We pack up our shit and quietly make our way to the cafe. I'm nervous for lunch and seeing Ember. I need to be using this time to convince Adri I care about her but Ember is making that difficult.