Chapter 27: Hidden Heir: Chapter 27

“Ant!” Brooke surges up with a surprising amount of energy when she locks eyes with her brother, and it’s admirable how, even under the circumstances, she still tries to do everything she can to try and protect her family.

But as she’s dragged back and subdued, it becomes clear that Ant isn’t a prisoner. He’s not restrained in any way, nor does he have any injuries. In fact, he stands near Paul like they’re buddies, and a cold burning sensation ripples through my gut.

They left the estate together. Ant and Brooke fled my home at the same time but when I arrived at Brooke’s apartment, Ant was nowhere to be seen. I’d presumed she’d sent him off somewhere safe with Tiffany but seeing him here now puts a damper on that idea.

“Calm down,” Paul says. “You’re acting like some kind of animal.”

Brooke relents her struggles, though it’s unclear if she’s doing that because of Paul’s words or exhaustion.

“Hey, Brooke,” Ant says, his eyes darting back and forth between us. I expect to see fear in them or hear something along the lines of shock in his tone seeing his sister endure such treatment, but he just stands there with his hands in his pockets. He looks as casual as if we were all meeting up for drinks.

“Are you high?” I ask, pulling all attention to me. The guard next to me raises his rifle and I brace for impact but it doesn’t come, halted by a raise of Paul’s hand.

“No,” Ant replies. “Do I look high?”

“Yes.” I glare at him as suspicion blares like a warning through my exhausted mind.

“I don’t understand,” Brooke says weakly, sinking to her knees as she’s unable to keep herself up. “Why are you here? Have you made some sort of deal?”

“A deal?” Ant’s brow lifts. “To get you out of here?”

Hope blooms in Brooke’s eyes.

“Nah.” Ant shakes his head.

“Technically, Ant did make a deal,” Paul says with a sinister smile.

“He made a deal with you,” I say, and the situation snaps clear in my mind like the last jigsaw puzzle piece clicking into place. “You’re the reason we’re here.”

“What?” Brooke’s mouth falls open. “No…”

Ant lifts a shoulder and shrugs. “It wasn’t personal, Brooke. You have to understand, I was scared.”

“Scared.” She whispers the word like she doesn’t understand it at all.

“You wanted to leave and I wanted drugs. I was tired of being trapped in that place, forced to stop doing what I enjoyed. So when you asked me to get a car, I made a call.”

“To me,” Paul pipes up. “In case that isn’t glaringly obvious.”

“Why?” I croak. “Why give up your own sister when she’s done nothing but try to help you?” Weakness pulses through my limbs each time I contemplate moving. I have spent the past several weeks desperate to get my hands around Paul’s throat but suddenly Ant is looking like a much better target.

“Because I needed an out,” Ant says. “Look, I knew I could never be free as long as they thought I stole the drugs. I figured if I gave them something better, they would give me a free pass. But then they snatched me when I was looking for a hit because you made them mad.”

“Something… better?” Brooke is as white as a sheet.

“Leon,” Ant says. “Brooke. You don’t understand what it’s like. Imagine someone was keeping your daughter from you, telling you it was for your own good when deep down in your soul you knew that was wrong. Wouldn’t you do anything you could to get her back?”

Brooke’s face hardens. “You’re comparing your fucking addiction to my daughter?”

“It’s basically the same thing. You get tunnel vision when it comes to her.”

“Because I’m a parent!” She forces herself to her feet, and her right hand flexes as tears flood her eyes. “And because I’m capable of caring about another human being!”

“But you would do anything, right?” Ant’s brows lift. “So you understand.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Maybe if I were more sympathetic, I would assume Ant is just delusional, but now I know he’s just a piece of shit.

“So you gave up your sister to clear your debt?” The pain fades, becoming a distant thought as all I desire is to rip that bastard’s throat out.

“Kinda.” Ant glares at me. “You were the real prize and I knew you’d come for her.” He shrugs again. “I get a clean slate. They get you. It’s win-win, really.”

“And through all of that, it never occurred to you to save your sister?”

Ant laughs. “Dude, you should have seen what she did to the guy she attacked. Clawed his fucking eye out, man.”

“Because he was trying to rape her, you sick sack of shit!” I yell. “And she put herself in that position to save your pathetic ass!” I lunge up, ignoring the agony blooming from my broken ankle. My only goal is to get to him.

I don’t make it.

A blow to the back of my injured knee sends me down to the ground with a grunt but I don’t take my eyes off of Ant. “I’m going to kill you,” I snarl.

Ant steps back and bumps into Paul, who loops his arm around Ant’s shoulders. “Hold your horses, Leon.”

“I tried to save you.” Brooke’s broken voice cuts through my rage. Tears pour down her cheeks. “All I’ve ever done is try to protect you and save you from yourself. I thought you were sick and I wanted my brother back. So badly. And you,” she blinks and more tears pour silently down her cheeks. “You sold me to pay off your own fucking debt! When I had nothing to do with any of this!” She wipes hastily at her cheeks. “I gave up so much of my life for you, and all you… look at me, Ant! Look at what he’s done to me because of you. I hate you! You hear me? I hate you.”

“Brooke,” Ant takes a step forward. “You have to understand⁠—”

A gunshot rings out and Ant drops to the floor, collapsing in on himself as he falls down dead. Brooke screams, her hands flying over her mouth as Paul steps over Ant’s body with a sigh.

“You see, Brooke? We gave him one chance and he told us the last time he saw the drugs they were with you. So he’s no longer useful. Do I need to tell you what I will do to your precious daughter if you don’t tell me where they are?”

Brooke’s unable to take her eyes off her brother, so I drag Paul’s attention back to me with a loud snarl.

“You fucker! You better kill me here, right now, because I swear to fuck, when my father finds us there will be nothing that can save you. The Murphys will let me have you. You have nothing, you hear me!”

Paul walks forward, his face twisting with anger as he presses the barrel of the gun to my forehead. “I have you. And I have her.”

Before he can say anything else, a phone notification dings, pulling Paul’s attention away. He waves his gun, and Brooke and I are hauled upward. We’re dragged back to the cell but this time, they don’t chain me up like before. They toss us both in and slam the door shut.

“Brooke.” I crawl to her immediately and the moment she’s in my arms, she bursts into broken sobs.

“I don’t know where they are,” she sobs heavily. “I swear I don’t. I don’t know anything and now he–he’s dead. So where is my daughter? Where the hell is my baby?”