“Why the hell not? I’m just as much invested in this as you are. Maybe I want to face one of the motherfuckers who tortured my brother. Maybe I want to give him a fucking piece of my mind.”
“Ry—” Talon began.
“You want to stop me too? Really? What the hell is going on here, guys?”
“Nothing,” Joe said.
“Bullshit. You give me one good reason why I shouldn’t go confront our uncle. Just one reason that has merit, and I’ll consider it. Otherwise, I’m going.”
Joe and Talon exchanged a look. What kind of look, I wasn’t sure.
“You were there that day,” Joe said. “It could have been you.”
“So?” Could I face one of the men who’d tortured and raped my brother? Who would have tortured and raped me if not for Talon?
I’d do it. Joe had already faced our half uncle several times. He’d faced Tom Simpson. But Joe was strong. He’d always been the strongest of us.
“So…this might affect you more than you think,” Talon said.
“I don’t fucking care. You two have left me out of this long enough. I’m going.”
Joe sighed. “Since there’s no talking you out of it, how about this afternoon?”
“On a Saturday?”
He laughed. “There are no weekends in prison. Besides, I know the guards there. They’ll let us in.”
My stomach dropped. I was about to come face-to-face with one of the men who’d raped my brother.
Who would have raped me.
I swallowed. “Count me in.”
* * *
Larry Wade didn’t look anything like our mother, but then they were only half siblings. My mother had been dark-haired, dark-eyed, and gorgeous. Larry was graying-blond, balding, blue-eyed…and pretty far from gorgeous.
I stared at him. He didn’t look so scary.
Of course, as a ten-year-old boy, and with Larry wearing a black ski mask, Talon had no doubt seen him as a menace.
I cringed as acid slid up my throat like hot lava. I had to get hold of myself. I’d wanted to do this, after all.
Larry was gaunt, his cheeks hollow. One eye was blackened. Joe had prepared me, but still, his appearance shocked me.
He sat down with a plunk and looked at me. “You must be the other one.”
“I’m Ryan,” I said shakily.
“Great. Another Steel. Perfect.” He looked me over. “You have your mother’s nose.”
I did? No one had ever said that to me before. Marjorie was the only one of us who resembled our mother in the slightest.
“Enough, Uncle Larry,” Joe said. “We’re here for answers.”
“Then you’ll be disappointed, as always,” Wade said.
“Maybe. Maybe not,” Joe said. “You already know how difficult I can make your life when I don’t get what I’m looking for.”