Reign (The Sainthood - Boys of Lowell High #3)(87)
I grin, because I take that as a compliment.
“But I never said Saint was like Sinner, because that’s not true,” he continues. “Saint isn’t like his dad. He isn’t a cold-blooded murdering bastard of women and torturer of children.” He looks over at us, waggling his brows. “He loves Lo, and he’d take a bullet for his cousin and his friends. His loyalty may be hard-earned, but it’s steadfast. Sinner doesn’t know the meaning of that word, and he’s incapable of anything even close to love.”
“Is it true?” Howie asks, clutching the back of the chair.
There’s a pregnant pause as we all wait to see how Saint responds. I’m wondering why we’re so focused on him and where this is leading, but I’m trying to summon patience. Saint slowly nods. “I hate him. He’s a bully and a psychopath, and I want to put him in jail where he can’t hurt me or anyone I love. He needs to be removed as Sainthood president before his poison infects every part of the organization.” His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat, and I know this is tough for him. Frankly, I’m surprised he’s being so open, but there’s a weird vibe in the air, something I can’t put my finger on.
“When I was little, I was his punching bag,” Saint adds. “Now that I’m older, I’m a minion he pushes around to do his bidding. I’ve always been a means to an end for him. That’s all. I’ve never meant anything else.”
A crack appears in my heart, and I bleed for my broken man. Inside, I curse Sinner for the damage he’s caused, and I curse his mother for running off and leaving him with a monster.
A strangled sound rips through the air, and I eye Howie curiously when he drops to his knees on the floor in front of us. Bry stiffens, his brow puckering. Saint goes rigidly still underneath me.
“I had no idea it was like that for you growing up. I should’ve stayed here. I should’ve taken care of you and Bryant,” Howie says.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Bryant snaps, rubbing his temples.
Howie gulps, looking up at his brother. “I didn’t tell you the whole truth.”
Tension is so thick you could slice it with a knife. I cling harder to Saint, because I sense a whirlwind is coming.
“What are you saying?” Bryant asks, his gaze dancing between his brother and Saint.
“Sinner didn’t murder your sister because she knew too much,” Howie admits.
My eyes lift to Galen’s, and I see the moment it registers with him too.
Holy fuck.
Howie turns to Saint. “Sinner knocked my sister up when she was just nineteen. She was so sweet, so pure, until she met that bastard,” he hisses.
My heart is lodged in my throat as I look at Saint’s shell-shocked expression. I can tell he’s connected the dots too. “He ruined her. Abused her. Beat her. Forced her to take drugs even when she was pregnant. Now that I know about his history with Giana, it makes sense. He knocked Jess up on purpose after he found out Giana was expecting Harlow. It was some sick retaliation. I knew Sinner was dangerous the first time I met him, and after I checked him out, I was even more worried. I begged Jess to leave him, but she refused. She loved him up until the end, when he told her point-blank he never loved her, that Giana was the only woman he would ever love.”
I hold Saint tight, and his body trembles as anger rolls off him in waves. Tears prick my eyes, and I want Howie to be wrong about this, but my gut says he’s telling us the truth.
“What happened?” Theo asks. “What did Sinner do?”
Howie eyeballs Saint. “Jess realized what a monster he was, and she planned to run away with her baby. I helped her to get a new ID, and she fled to Texas a couple of weeks before she was due to give birth. I helped her get settled in the little two-bedroom house she found, but I had enlisted by then, and I was gone a few days later.” He swipes at the tears pooling in his eyes. “I should never have left her alone. She wouldn’t let me call our mom because Mom was still grieving our dad plus she was pregnant with Bryant.”
Bry is as white as a ghost, and it’s obvious this is the first time he’s hearing this.
Howie maintains focus on Saint. “Sinner found her, and he refused to let her leave until she’d had the baby. Jess gave birth to you in that house, and he took you from her the second you were born.” Tears stream down his face, and I’m fighting to keep my emotions in check. “She never even got to hold you. That bastard listened to her scream and cry and plead for you.” Murderous rage washes over his features. “He killed her right there and then,” he sobs. “Burned her body, and buried what was left of her in the backyard.”
Saint’s left eye ticks repeatedly, and I rub my hands all over him, trying to get warmth into his cold bones.
“Why didn’t you tell me this?” Bry demands with his chest heaving.
“Because I thought it was too late to save Saint, and I knew if you realized who he was that you’d try. I assumed Saint was his father’s son. The stories I’d heard about him seemed to confirm it. I believed that the part of him that shared DNA with us was too deeply buried.” Howie wipes his tears away, standing.
“How could you leave him with Sinner knowing that?” I cry out.
“I couldn’t do anything for him from overseas, and my mother was too fragile. Then she killed herself. She was heartbroken when Jess died. I couldn’t tell her she’d been murdered, and she never knew she had a grandson, because I lied. I told her Jess and the baby died in a car accident. I also knew if Sinner murdered my sister because she tried to take his son away from him that there was nothing I could do to rescue him.”