Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1)(47)

The defeated set of Isaiah’s jaw told me he’d already walked that road with Beth. He headed toward the house. “You know, you look like you’re going to a dance, man.” I flipped him off and backed out of the drive.

TO MY SURPRISE, MRS. COLLINS was sitting at the table in the visiting room wearing a knee-length black sequined dress. I hated being on the same continent as this woman, but today? Didn’t care. In five minutes I’d see my brothers. “‘Sup, Mrs. Collins.”

She gave a hearty laugh. “I feel honored. I never thought you’d grant me the privilege of your patented ‘sup greeting.”

“Maybe you’ve never been to one of these things, but they aren’t that formal. Check this out.” I opened my bag and pulled out a box. “I loved this game as a kid. Me and my dad used to play it over and over again.” I’d always chosen black and he’d let me drop my round piece into the slot first. Whoever got four in a row won. I won more often than my dad.

“Thanks for the tip. I’m heading to the dance after this. Will you be escorting some lucky young lady?” Mrs. Collins did that thing where she appeared as harmless as a puppy while she asked a question that could bite me in the ass if I answered wrong.

“Sorry. No dance for me.”

“Hmm, pity.” She drummed her fingers against the table. “What happened to that girl you loaned your jacket to last month?”

Damn, I’d backed myself into that one. I stared at the door, praying my brothers would come barreling in to save me. “She’s got a date.”

“She’s missing out.”

I clasped my hands between my knees. The uncomfortable silence building between Mrs. Collins and me took hell to a whole new level. Echo’s foot would have dug a hole to China by now. Echo, the girl embedded in my brain.

The second hand on the clock over the door ticked loudly. Where were my brothers? “Why are you here?”

Her eyebrows lifted as she smiled. “We talked about this, Noah. As your clinical social worker, I’m involved in every aspect of your life. That includes your brothers.”

“Noah!” Jacob’s scream from the hallway pierced my heart. I jumped up to find him, but Mrs. Collins blocked my path.

“No.” She pressed her manicured hand against my chest. “Trust me, he’s fine.”

A good foot taller than her, I purposely towered over her. “In case you haven’t caught on, I don’t trust you. Now get out of my way, before I remove you.”

Shocking me, she kept her hand on my chest. “He had a basketball tournament this morning and fell asleep on the way here. Joe put him on a couch in another room to let him sleep. Jacob doesn’t sleep well and Carrie and Joe didn’t have the heart to wake him. I promise you will have your two hours.”

I glanced at the door and back to Mrs. Collins. “You’ve got thirty seconds to explain before I bust past you and the door.” She took a deep breath, wasting my time. “One …”

“How well do you think a child would sleep if he suffered something traumatic?”

Her words stopped me short and Echo’s issues pushed forward in my mind. “Are you saying he has night terrors?”

“I’m not saying that, but I know a child who does, and I’ll tell you that in three years that child has never slept through the night.”

I closed my eyes. So many things were wrong with this picture. “Why was I never told?”

“Because it’s private information. Besides, Jacob wants you to view him the way he sees you—as strong, as a hero.”

The last part of her statement blew my mind, but I couldn’t focus on that, not when Jacob needed me. “Private?” I opened my eyes and the only color in the room was red. “I’m his brother.”

Her gaze bored into mine. “That’s right. You’re Jacob’s older brother, not his guardian. You know you’re not allowed private information.” I wasn’t. I lost all rights to my brothers the moment my fist connected with my first foster father’s jaw.

“Noah!” His bloodcurdling scream echoed into the room. Fuck it.

“Please, let Carrie and Joe handle this,” pleaded Mrs. Collins, but I hustled around her and exited the room. Keesha stood in the hallway holding Tyler. What was their excuse for keeping Tyler away? I’d deal with that later.

“Get your butt back in that room, boy. Carrie and Joe have this covered,” Keesha said.

I ignored her completely as I walked past, placing a hand on Tyler’s head for a brief moment. Muffled cries carried out of the room next to mine. I shoved the door open to find Carrie and Joe sitting on the carpet beside Jacob, who thrashed uncontrollably.

Joe’s eyes widened when I entered the room. “What are you doing here?”

Tears soaked Jacob’s cheeks and basketball jersey. His face flushed red, hands clutched tight to his chest, mumbling incoherently. I knelt beside Carrie, inches from my brother. She grabbed hold of my wrist as I went to touch him. “Touching him makes it worse.”

I flicked my arm from her hold and placed my hand on Jacob’s head, mimicking the way Mom used to stroke mine. “J-bird, it’s me. Noah. Can you wake up for me, buddy?”

His body shook and he moaned, “Noah.”

“You don’t understand, he’s not awake. He doesn’t know you’re really here.” The woman wiped her eyes. “We know what to do. We’re the ones who take care of him. Not you.”