“We’re fine, Ma,” Royal soothed. “It wasn’t that bad a crash.”
“Someone took a corner too fast.” Baron threw his brother under the bus.
“What were the two of you thinking? You could have been killed! God, how am I going to afford to replace his car?” She wiped her hand over her face. “Does insurance cover it when two teenagers take it for a joy ride? This is a mess.”
“We intended to give it back, Ma,” Baron told her. “But then Royal crashed it.”
“I didn’t mean to! Piece of crap took corners like a fridge on wheels.”
“Oh God. Oh God. Ink is going to freak! One of you, give me a phone.”
“We don’t have any phones,” Royal told her. “They got taken from us when Forrest had us locked up in that prison.”
“P-prison? I thought you were at school.”
“It was a prison masquerading as a school,” Baron said bitterly. “Beatings disguised as discipline.”
“And we didn’t learn a fucking thing,” Royal added. “We were smarter than the teachers.”
She didn’t doubt that, their IQs were through the roof.
“They beat you?” she demanded. Despair and horror filled her.
“Don’t worry, Ma, we gave as good as we got,” Royal told her, no doubt sensing she was about to shatter. He’d always been more empathetic than his brother.
“That place was hell,” Baron told her. “It’s why we were staging a revolt when that Matthieu guy rescued us. He seemed like an okay guy, but we couldn’t trust what he was saying.”
Anger flooded her. “I’m going to fucking kill Forrest. That bastard sent you somewhere where you were abused? Oh God. Why didn’t I get you out earlier? I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
She started to sob and Baron started swearing. “Royal, she’s crying! What do I do?”
“Hug her, bro.”
“Hug her?”
“Christ. Here.” Royal pulled off the road and then climbed over into the back, sitting on the other side of her. He gathered her close, patting her back. Baron patted the top of her head awkwardly.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know he was sending you away. I swear. It was a punishment for trying to run. I was devastated at first, but then I figured at least you were away from him. That you were safe. And all this time…” her voice broke.
Baron finally hugged her from the other side. “We’re okay, Ma.”
“We’re tough, Ma. It was going to take more than a couple of sadistic teachers to break us.”
“Yeah, if the old man couldn’t break us no one can.”
“That does not make me feel better,” she told them. “All I wanted was a better life for you guys and I’ve failed so many times.”
“You never failed us, Ma,” Royal told her. “You showed us how to care about other people. You protected us as best you could.”
“Not good enough.”
“Hey, I’m not in jail for murder so I figure we’re coming out on top,” Baron said.
Both Betsy and Royal turned to glare at him. “What?” he asked in confusion.
“Ma, why’d you never tell us that Forrest was holding you against your will?” Royal asked.
“We thought you wanted to be with that bastard,” Baron said bitterly.