My Best Friends Brother

Chapter 196

I know that when Brie had the chance to kill someone who'd hurt her, she couldn't go through with it. I'm still not entirely sure what happened to Brie that day at the Vanderbilt estate but from what I do know, she discovered that she doesn't have it in her to take a life.

There seemed to be a fear that ran through her body when she found out that May does.

She didn't even hesitate, she lured him in and she plunged that knife into his body without ever thinking about stopping. That type of thing is going to take a toll on someone, it's something she's going to have to accept about herself and move forward from if she ever hopes to regain a normal life.

We step into Liam's room, as I expected he's fast asleep with Heather curled in next to him, Lee and Jayce sitting on the seats opposite watching him intently.

Heather lifts her head slightly and waves at me before snuggling back down next to Liam again. His injuries are superficial at best, they said physically he'll be completely healed in a few days but mentally... Yeah, that's a whole other issue.

Stephanie was away on holiday but she's flying back in as we speak, as his social worker she can get Liam access to all kinds of help. Josh was fucking terrified that they were going to take Liam for this, Stephanie had made clear that we are on our very last lifeline at the moment, but Hannah said that won't happen. Stephanie had already cleared Liam staying with me while Josh went to the brunch and he was playing in the yard behind a locked gate, there's no way we could've known that someone would try to take him.

Josh can't be held responsible for that... it wasn't him that made Liam a target.

That was all his mother.

Jayce keeps his hand on the edge of the bed, I'm not entirely sure how either of them feel about me right now considering I had to take their daughter to just outside a known gang den, but it turns out Eli did know what he was doing.

He drove straight from The Square Room too the closest safe place he could think of, the gaming diner where Josh likes to take Liam. When he got there Leanna was eating food with her girlfriend, he told them everything, she figured out what restaurant it was that Brie went to and managed to get the call through to Josh and Hannah when Eli left Heather with them and came back for the rest of us.

I owe that girl a fuck tonne of pizza.

Hannah found Hope and Liam hiding out about four blocks away, she'd ran with him in her arms the entire time and didn't fucking stop. Josh was going out of his mind but when Hope saw the police cars she carried Liam straight to the closest officer. She's okay, May said that she's pretty banged up but otherwise she just really wants to go home and be with her family. I'll go and see her as soon as we've visited Eli.

"Has he woken up at all?" I ask just as my brother gets up from his seat and pulls me straight into his arms. I thought maybe they'd be at least a little bit mad at me but apparently not, although my head still feels like it's been smashed in with a sledgehammer so I'd appreciate him not holding me so tight.

Lee forces her way between us, using her growing bump for leverage so that we'll split apart before she wraps her arms around my chest.

"Not yet, he needs his rest. Are you okay?" She mutters quietly but the noise in the room is still enough to stir Liam, gradually opening his eyes and smiling between Heather and Josh until finally they land on me. The tears that fill them break my heart, I never want to see this kid cry again. Nothing will ever hurt him again. I find myself ripping away from my sister just so I can scoop him up into my arms.

My boy, this child right here is my fucking boy.

Fuck, I was so scared. I was so fucking scared that I was going to lose him. I bury my face down into his hair as he cradles into my chest, I swear despite his age he still smells like baby. Sometimes I hug him just because I need a fix of that scent.