Page 113 of Sharing Silence

“Walk, Silence. I’m losing my fucking patience with you. You go, and you see them, or I lock you in here. Make a choice.”

His mood has shifted so quickly that I almost wish I’d lied to him. If I keep him happy, make him believe I could love him, maybe he’ll let us go. If I destroy his hope completely …

I walk ahead, keeping a safe distance as I follow the hallway. I’m cold now, shivering, and I can finally see light. It’s dim, but it’s there, and my breathing picks up as I close in.

And hear them talking.

“Oh my God.” I rush forward, breaking into a run, and let out a sob when I spot Zayden first. The room at the end of the hall is large, the three walls closed off by bars. Each brother has their own cell. It’s a mini prison, and it’s colder and wetter here than the hallway.

“Q.” Xavier stands. He’s still in the clothes he wore when he left—they all are. Their hair is messy, skin dirty, but I couldn’t care less. I don’t know who to go to first, but hearing Xavier’s voice pulls me to him. I grip the bars, tears flowing free. “Are you okay?”

“Are you?” He reaches through the bars and I kiss him, before going to Yale.

He’s battered and bruised, his lip split, a healing bruise on his right eye. I kiss him through the bars, too. “I was hoping you weren’t here,” he whispers.

And then there’s Zayden.

He’s sitting on the floor, back resting against the wall, head back. He’s so pale, so gaunt, that I rush to him, kneeling. I reach through the bars, but he doesn’t move, just blinks.

“Hey, baby,” he whispers, smiling weakly. At first, I think he’s malnourished, thirsty, but then I spot the blood on his shirt. And he isn’t cold. He’s sweating.

I stand and face Ryker. “He’s fucking dying, Ryker. Let me treat him.”

He folds his arms. “No.”

Terror takes hold of me, because I have no idea how long Zayden has been like this. If the infection has spread to his blood⁠—

I stride toward Ryker and slap him. “Let me into that fucking cell, or I’ll kill you, I swear I will.” He takes the hit, his face turned away from me, and when he locks his eyes on me, the bitterness in him almost puts my fire out.

“Why would I do anything for a woman who won’t even try to forgive me?”

God, I should have lied. I should have made him believe I could love him again, and now I might have killed Zayden.

“Please,” I whisper. “Please, just let me get him some antibiotics. You said it yourself—if he dies, I’ll never forgive you.”

“You won’t anyway,” he says. “So tell me why I should bother.”

I breathe fast, trying to come up with the right words to backtrack, to fix this.

“Maybe I could,” I say. “Maybe⁠—”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Please!” I scream as he turns away. “Please, Ryker. I’m begging you.” He keeps walking. “Ryker!”

He stops.

My chest is shaking with sobs as he faces me again. “Please don’t let him die. I’ll do anything.”

“Silence, no,” Zayden says, but I ignore him.

“I’ll forgive you. I’ll find a way.” I get to my knees, placing my palms together. “I’ll do it. I promise.”

Ryker’s gaze sweeps across my kneeling frame, and he takes slow, predatory steps toward me. He touches my chin, tilting it up. “Could you love me?”

“Could she fuck!” Xavier bellows. “You slimy fucking prick. If the only way you can get her to even pay attention to you is like this, then you don’t love her! You’re fucking blackmailing her!”

“Yes,” I whisper. “Yes. I loved you before. I could love you again.”