Chapter 13

ASHLEY

Silently, I peeked in the doorway at Brice, seeing the bottle in his hand was already more than half empty. With a small shake of my head, I drew in a breath, anger and disappointment washing through me. Brice had changed ten years ago, becoming someone I didn’t know. Even at sixteen he had started leaving the house at night, and not coming back until just before school the next day. Of course, being ten, I’d had no idea why he’d always looked like shit back then, but as I’d grown older and his behavior had continued, I’d begun to figure it out. He’d always have a nasaly whine to his voice that told me he’d been using coke, as well he’d smelled…well, like he’d been fucking all night. Up to the point he’d changed, we’d been close—but something, something had set him off. He’d become surly, hateful, and secretive—I’d lost my brother. Many nights, I’d hear his window slide open in his room, then shut behind him, and since our bedrooms were side by side, and our parent’s room was downstairs, I was the only one who heard his footsteps cross the roof heading toward the tree that stood next to the house. I knew he climbed to the ground using it and after his footfalls had ceased to exist, I’d strain my ears, continuing to listen to the night, and after a while, I’d hear his motorcycle fire to life a little way down the road.

I’d kept silent about the whole thing, never revealing to our parents what he’d been doing, and in hindsight, I realized my mistake, but back then, he’d been my brother, I hadn’t been able to rat him out. This went on for years, then when he’d been twenty, he’d seemed to get over whatever had messed with his head so badly. After gaining a degree in criminology, he’d been hired on with the Sheriff's department, quickly moving up to Team Leader. I’d followed in his footsteps, and got my degree in criminology as well—it’s something I would have done even without Brice’s being in the field as crime scene investigation had always fascinated me. For six years, I’d had my brother back, but now the switch had been thrown again and the man I was watching had become the stranger of years ago. I didn’t know what had him then, and didn’t know what had him now, but it stank of the same shit as years ago. With another shake of my head, I began to quietly step away from the doorframe, but paused when Brice murmured, “Since when have you been afraid to speak your mind, Sis?”

“Since you became a stranger again,” I told him, walking further into the room.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

Though his words were slightly slurred, he wasn't as drunk as I figured after knocking out that much whiskey, and I shrugged. “You snorting again?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“Then what the hell is going on with you?” I quizzed.

“Just…this shit with Ry has me fucked up,” he murmured.

“No, Brice, it’s more than that,” I protested. “What the fuck is going on?”

Shaking his head he growled, “Don’t worry yourself, Ash. Just got a lot of shit going on in my head. I got it, okay? What are you doing bugging me anyway? I thought this was girl’s night, aren’t you supposed to be swapping diary entries or something with Rylee?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “We haven’t done that since we were sixteen.”

After a few minutes, he muttered, “I fucked up, Ash.”

I took that as an invitation and made my way over to where he sat, then grabbing the bottle out of his hand, I swallowed some of the liquid, making a face as it burned on its way down. “What you mean, you fucked up? How?” I asked.

“Fuck Ash, I wasn’t lying when I said this shit has me fucked up. After that bastard threatened her, I got desperate and spilled my guts. Told her I was falling for her. I didn’t want her anywhere near this nutcase, but she had another spell right in front of me. Kinda put me in my place. I hadn’t, I guess, put it together that this guy can play with her mentally no matter where she is. Fuck, he can be watching every goddamn thing she does. She’s not fucking safe anywhere.”

I nodded. “So, how is that a fuck up, Bri? I mean, so you put it out there. She didn’t run screaming the other direction, did she? Hell, you two have been dancing around each other since you were teenagers. Plus, you’re doing all you can to catch this asshole. Don’t beat yourself up over it. His time is coming”

“I should have never told her though. I’m the last motherfucker she needs. I don’t want to hurt her, but one way or another, I will in the end,” he growled.

I just shook my head, then admonished, “Give her some credit, will ya? She’s a grown-ass woman, and perfectly capable of making her own decisions. Besides, you get your shit together, you’ll be perfect for her.”

“You don’t understand, Ash,” he told me.

“Okay, so help me to,” I offered.

“I can’t,” he muttered.

“And why the hell not? I’m your damn sister, you can tell me anything!” I protested.

Looking away from me, Brice murmured, “Not this, I can’t.”

“Bull shit! What’d you do? Kill someone?”

Still without looking at me, he muttered, “Maybe.”

That made me laugh. “Look, you idiot, you may have gone a little astray a few years back, and you seem to be trying to follow that path again, but you’re full of shit if you think I’m going to believe that one.”

He just gave a shrug. “Yeah, I’m just shitten' you, Sis.”

I nodded, “Now what are we going to do about this mental case?

Lifting a shoulder he returned, “Simple, I’m going to kill him.”