they still held me responsible. They made sure to tell him what they did. I know the cops talked to him at some point, but thatâs it, really. I havenât spoken to my brother since then.â
âWhat about your parents?â
âMy parents called a couple of times. They believe itâs my fault, that I led him down a dark path. He was always their favorite. I was the accident.â The echo of his motherâs voice flitted through his mind. Her words had long since lost the ability to cut.
âEmery.â Tori had one hand over her mouth and her eyes were wide. Maybe heâd spoken too much, shared more than he should have, but he wouldnât take the words back. They were the truth of his history. Someone might as well know.
Chapter Five
Tori wanted to jump across the table and wrap Emery in a tight hug. He wasnât exactly the hugging sort, so she remained in her seat, hands clasped tightly together.
Not only had his brother betrayed himâbut his family blamed him? She couldnât fathom such an awful thing. Sure, it wasnât as if sheâd had a perfect family. Her mother was out of the picture before Tori could remember, and her father had subjected Roni and her to a torturous upbringing that had left scars on her soul. But that was her weird life. Emery, the others, they should have what she didnât. Warm, loving families who worried about them.
âIt was a long time ago,â Emery said quietly.
âBut still, that sucks.â
He simply shrugged.
Her heart hurt for him, for what kind of life made him accept the betrayal so easily. Her father might have been a cold son of a bitch, but heâd provided for his daughters. Not always in the expected manner, but theyâd had food, a home, and they hadnât died. Heâd given them the tools to survive, and survive they had.
Emeryâs laptop chimed. He sat up, peering at the screen, and started clicking away. She let it go, not wanting to force him to talk. Though she might chat away with her imaginary Emery, the real one was far more closed off and silent. She couldnât imagine why heâd actually answered her, but she treasured the fact that heâd been willing to share.
âSomething happen?â she asked.
âNot exactly.â He sat back, frowning at the screen.
âNot exactly what?â She didnât think it could be anything to do with her sister, but her heart beat a little faster and she tugged on her hair. The sitting and doing nothing wasnât her style, but she didnât want to abandon the crew that had become her family.
Emeryâs gaze rose to her face, and though he didnât smile, there was a fleeting sense of humor in the way the corners of his eyes crinkled. âWhole sentences?â
âYes, please.â
âThereâs too much data to search through by hand. I set a search to work through it and return items that fit certain parameters. Most of the information is coming back on front companies weâve already looked into. The chime means a new-to-the-search company has been flagged.â He didnât look at her, but was already scanning away at his computer.
âWhy havenât we looked at this one yet?â
âBecause it hasnât been operational.â
âWhat is it?â
âThe company name is just Greenworks, no description or history. They donât even have an office or a telephone number. Or . . . they didnât.â He spoke slowly, his brows a dark slash across his brow.
Tori didnât want to distract him, but she also wanted to know what the hell was going on. She got up and circled the table, peering over his shoulder as windows flashed across his screen so fast she couldnât tell what they were.
âAre you actually reading those?â she asked.
âYes.â
She perched on the windowsill, watching him more than the screen. On average, he spent three seconds on each
âWhat about your parents?â
âMy parents called a couple of times. They believe itâs my fault, that I led him down a dark path. He was always their favorite. I was the accident.â The echo of his motherâs voice flitted through his mind. Her words had long since lost the ability to cut.
âEmery.â Tori had one hand over her mouth and her eyes were wide. Maybe heâd spoken too much, shared more than he should have, but he wouldnât take the words back. They were the truth of his history. Someone might as well know.
Chapter Five
Tori wanted to jump across the table and wrap Emery in a tight hug. He wasnât exactly the hugging sort, so she remained in her seat, hands clasped tightly together.
Not only had his brother betrayed himâbut his family blamed him? She couldnât fathom such an awful thing. Sure, it wasnât as if sheâd had a perfect family. Her mother was out of the picture before Tori could remember, and her father had subjected Roni and her to a torturous upbringing that had left scars on her soul. But that was her weird life. Emery, the others, they should have what she didnât. Warm, loving families who worried about them.
âIt was a long time ago,â Emery said quietly.
âBut still, that sucks.â
He simply shrugged.
Her heart hurt for him, for what kind of life made him accept the betrayal so easily. Her father might have been a cold son of a bitch, but heâd provided for his daughters. Not always in the expected manner, but theyâd had food, a home, and they hadnât died. Heâd given them the tools to survive, and survive they had.
Emeryâs laptop chimed. He sat up, peering at the screen, and started clicking away. She let it go, not wanting to force him to talk. Though she might chat away with her imaginary Emery, the real one was far more closed off and silent. She couldnât imagine why heâd actually answered her, but she treasured the fact that heâd been willing to share.
âSomething happen?â she asked.
âNot exactly.â He sat back, frowning at the screen.
âNot exactly what?â She didnât think it could be anything to do with her sister, but her heart beat a little faster and she tugged on her hair. The sitting and doing nothing wasnât her style, but she didnât want to abandon the crew that had become her family.
Emeryâs gaze rose to her face, and though he didnât smile, there was a fleeting sense of humor in the way the corners of his eyes crinkled. âWhole sentences?â
âYes, please.â
âThereâs too much data to search through by hand. I set a search to work through it and return items that fit certain parameters. Most of the information is coming back on front companies weâve already looked into. The chime means a new-to-the-search company has been flagged.â He didnât look at her, but was already scanning away at his computer.
âWhy havenât we looked at this one yet?â
âBecause it hasnât been operational.â
âWhat is it?â
âThe company name is just Greenworks, no description or history. They donât even have an office or a telephone number. Or . . . they didnât.â He spoke slowly, his brows a dark slash across his brow.
Tori didnât want to distract him, but she also wanted to know what the hell was going on. She got up and circled the table, peering over his shoulder as windows flashed across his screen so fast she couldnât tell what they were.
âAre you actually reading those?â she asked.
âYes.â
She perched on the windowsill, watching him more than the screen. On average, he spent three seconds on each
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