Taken While She Slept by C.J. Grayson

Author:C.J. Grayson [GRAYSON, C.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 43

Tony had managed two hours of staggered sleep. He was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking his second coffee, when someone knocked at the door. He peered up at the clock and wondered who’d be knocking at this time.

‘Morning,’ his brother James said when he opened the door. There was a sympathetic smile on his face. He leaned forward to shake his hand. ‘How you holding up?’

Tony smiled thinly, unsure what to say. If he was being honest, he didn’t have a clue what to do with himself, constantly wandering around the house or walking the streets in search for his wife and daughter. Finding the car was something, but why was Amanda’s passport in the glovebox?

‘Sorry I haven’t been to see you, Tony, I’ve been—’

‘Busy?’ Tony said, finishing his sentence.

‘—really tied up with work stuff.’ Michael’s shoulders dipped a little. ‘Sorry.’

Next to Michael was his other brother Peter.

They hadn’t told Tony they were coming and he wondered why they were there.

‘Got you some breakfast . . .’ Michael said by way of a very small apology, holding up a brown bag filled with something and a white coffee cup with a lid on, steam rising through the small sip hole.

Tony smiled and moved aside to let them in. The divine smell of whatever was in the bag made his stomach rumble as he closed the door and followed them both through to the kitchen.

They took a seat around the table. Michael opened the bag and dug his hand in, pulling out something wrapped in white paper. ‘This one’s for you, Tony.’

‘Thanks.’

They spent a few minutes eating, then squashed their empty wrappers up and put them in the bin.

Michael was wearing smart trousers, a white shirt, and brown shoes that cost more than Tony made in a week. He often worked from home, but liked to go for meetings and needed to look good for his clients. Even when he wasn’t working, he still dressed immaculately.

‘Working today, Jim?’ Tony asked.

He nodded. ‘Meeting someone later this morning.’

Tony looked at Peter, who was dressed in his casual clothes — T-shirt and jeans — which was a welcome change compared to the workwear he wore when he usually saw him.

‘So,’ Tony said, ‘to what do I owe this pleasure? It’s rare to see you both together.’

They both waited for the other to speak until the silence became deafening. Finally, Peter said softly, ‘We’re worried about you, Tony.’ His words were genuine. It wasn’t hard to see Tony was a shadow of his former self, even just in two days. His skin looked greyer; his hair appeared unwashed. The bags under his eyes had become noticeably darker.

‘I’m fine . . .’

‘Are you taking your tablets, mate?’ pressed Peter.

He shot him a tired look. ‘Yes.’

Peter wasn’t convinced. ‘Every day?’

His hesitation gave his brothers the answer.

‘They’ll help you, Tony, especially through times like this. It’s important.’

Tony peeled his attention away from them, knowing his brother was right, and that their only intention was to help him.

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