RYDER (Slater Brothers 4)(31)

“Honey, I won’t leave your life, not when I’ve just gotten you back. I love you to death, you’re me family and that will never change whether I’m with Ryder or not.”

“Tell me what he did,” Damien bit out, ignoring me. “I can’t help if I don’t know what he did. Just tell me, please.”

“He’s done a lot of things,” I replied, my shoulders sagging. “While you’ve been away, things changed between us and they’re just goin’ from bad to worse.”

“But… why?”

I managed a snort. “Sweetie, I’ve been askin’ meself that question for months.”

“I don’t understand, Branna,” Damien grunted, furrowing his brows. “I need to understand, help me to. Please.”

He took my hands in his and carefully pulled me to my feet then we sat at the kitchen table across from one another.

“It started off small,” I began. “He’d go out for a late night run or to grab some food, but instead of being gone only a little while, he’d be gone most of the night. Honestly, I didn’t notice a pattern until a few months after it first occurred. Workin’ at the hospital wipes me out so I paid no mind to when he left the room at night because I’d fall into a dead sleep, but when I started to mention it, that’s when the fightin’ started. He refused to tell me anythin’ when I asked so he resorted to blockin’ me out and ignorin’ me. It got worse when nothin’ was resolved so we’ve just been growin’ apart from one another ever since, and I’m at a point now where I want to detach meself completely from ‘im so I can start to move on from ‘im.”

Damien’s brows were drawn together. “My brothers, do they know what he is up to?”

“I’m confident that they do.” I swallowed. “Keep what I’m about to say between you and me, okay?”

Damien nodded.

“All of Ryder’s money—our money—is gone.”

Damien’s jaw dropped open. “I don’t understand. How?”

“I’ve no idea,” I said with frustration at my situation. “I asked about it, but Ryder threw up his wall and blocked me out so eventually I stopped askin’ and just started payin’ the bills and for food out of me own wages.”

Damien looked more confused than I felt.

“It gets more mind bogglin’,” I frowned.

“Jesus, how?”

I gnawed on my inner cheek.

“Dominic’s money is gone too, and so is Alec’s. Ryder told me about a bad investment they made with Brandon Daley. It’s why Dominic started to fight again, he needed money and he knew fightin’ got ‘im good money and that bein’ a personal trainer didn’t. He tried the ‘normal’ side of workin’ and it’s obvious he finds fightin’ is best suited for ‘im. I’m sure me sister is in the dark as to what happened to his money, too, she’d tell me otherwise.”

I hated not telling Bronagh the real reason I thought Dominic was back fighting, but I couldn’t do it. Not now. Not while she was pregnant for him.

I turned my attention from my thought back to Damien and noticed he was processing everything I told him, I could see the wheels turning in his mind as he thought.

“How could I not know any of this?” he whispered after a few moments of silence.

I frowned. “You’re the baby of the family. From the start, the deal was to keep you out of the life they were roped into, and I guess they’re still tryin’ to protect you.”

Damien growled. “I don’t need any f*cking protection. I’m not a damn child, Dominic is only four minutes older than me!”

I sighed. “I know that, sweetie, it’s just that you’re precious to them. They risked everythin’ to see you safe, it’s a trait that’s instilled in them. You can’t blame them for wantin’ to keep you safe from harm, can you?”

“No,” he agreed, “but I’m not in danger anymore. Marco and Trent, they’re dead.”

“And thank God for that,” I said and blessed myself.

“I don’t see why they couldn’t fill me in on their problem. I’m a brother, too.”

“Of course you’re a brother, too. You’re my favourite Slater brother, if I’m being honest… don’t tell Alec that though.”

Damien managed a snort. “You say I’m a Slater brother, but since that day back in New York with Trent when he baited me into a fight about my dad, I’ve felt like nothing but an outsider to my own flesh and blood.”

“Damien,” I whispered.

He sighed. “I’m cool, it’s cool. Don’t worry about me, you’ve got enough going on.”

I wanted to argue that I’d always worry about him no matter what I had going on, but he didn’t give me a chance.

“You stay here in case Ryder comes back, I’m going to see Dominic. I’m bringing all this to him. He may be silent with you, but let’s see him give me the run around.”

I blinked. “You look a little scary right now, Dame.”

His lips quirked. “Well, hell, I might be a Slater after all.”

“Smartarse.”

He kissed the crown of my head then walked out of the kitchen, and a few steps later, out of the house, closing the front door behind him. I didn’t like the silence, so I got my phone and dialled my sister’s number. I put my phone to my ear and waited for her to answer.