Fractured Sky (The Tattered & Torn Series Book 5) by Catherine Cowles

Author:Catherine Cowles [Cowles, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

25

RAMSEY

The walls of the guest cabin seemed closer than earlier in the day, the air warmer and thicker. I cracked my neck as I took in Hadley and Calder in the kitchen with Shiloh. Hadley handed her a cup of tea, saying something I couldn’t hear. Shiloh nodded, and I didn’t miss the wince with the action.

She needed rest, but I knew that wouldn’t happen anytime soon. The tension between my shoulder blades eased a fraction when she headed towards the couch, Hadley and Calder on her heels. My gaze stayed locked on Shiloh as she eased onto the sectional, Kai lying down on the floor next to her.

Hadley dimmed the lights overhead in the living space, and the lines of strain around Shiloh’s eyes lessened the barest amount. Beckett had returned home to his pregnant wife but had given me strict instructions to wake Shiloh every three hours tonight just to be safe.

As Shiloh took a sip of her tea, I turned back to Hayes. He had clearly perfected his mask over his years in law enforcement, but I saw glimmers of his true emotions beneath it. He was ravaged. Too many letters to count lay across the dining room table, each one placed in an evidence bag. But there were still more in a box that Shiloh had retrieved from her bedroom.

I hated the idea of her sleeping near the container of vileness, and that Howard Kemper’s voice was always close. If Hayes hadn’t needed them, I would’ve burned every damn one.

I didn’t want to see the words, but they jumped out at me.

Keep yourself pure for my boy. You’ll be his one day.

You’ll pay for running from the family I tried to give you.

I forgive you. You know not what you do.

Each letter oscillated in its level of sanity. Some read as completely unhinged, while others sounded like a pen pal had written them, with Howard sharing what books he’d been reading and how bad the food was in prison.

“How did she live with these and not tell anyone?” Hayes’ voice was barely audible.

My hands tightened around the back of the chair where I stood. “Because she has a strength that’s otherworldly.”

He pulled his focus away from the letters and glanced up at me. “I’m seeing that more and more.”

I couldn’t help the flare of annoyance at his words. Shiloh’s family had mistaken her silence for weakness for too long. I let out a breath, searching for calm. The mistake hadn’t been made because they didn’t care. Anyone could see how much they loved Shiloh.

I pulled the chair back and lowered myself into it. “You have to let her fight these battles. Trying to shield her from everything isn’t helping.”

A muscle in Hayes’ cheek ticked. “I know.”

A little more of the tension along my shoulders bled out of me. “But it can’t be easy.”

“Do you know what it’s like to blame yourself for someone’s life being destroyed?”

I sucked in air. He had no idea how well I knew.

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