"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
