“You’re sorry,” Rory roared. “Do you have any idea what you’ve put your sister through?”
“I . . . I never meant for any of this to happen.”
“And yet you did let it happen. You let that bastard string her up with barbed wire in a tree and slice her up with a knife.” Rory ignored the shame and regret in Connor’s eyes. He didn’t believe it. At least not enough to think Connor had any intention of making things right and making better choices in his life. “You let that asshole convince you that making and dealing drugs is a great way to earn a living. You stole my fucking cattle.”
“You don’t understand . . .”
“Save your excuses for your sister. She’s the only one who will listen to that shit, because she still believes that you will eventually do the right thing. I know better. You only look out for yourself.”
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it? Aren’t you really here to convince her to get me to forget about the cattle you’ve stolen?”
Connor’s eyes went wide with surprise that he’d guessed right.
“You think just because I’m with your sister I’m going to let you get away with anything. No way in hell, not after what you let happen to her.”
“I didn’t do it.”
“That’s not fucking good enough. You left her there. You didn’t do a damn thing to save her. Did you even think to call anyone to go and find her? Did you wonder at all what happened to her?”
“I—”
“Shut the fuck up.” Rory saw it in his eyes. He’d left her there, so focused on saving his own ass, he hadn’t thought to do anything to save his sister. The drugs had stolen all his empathy and compassion for others, until all he thought about was himself and his next fix. Probably in the exact opposite order. “What you’ve done is unforgivable and it’s time you paid.”
Rory pulled out his phone, but before he called the cops, it rang.
Bell’s picture popped up on his screen and Rory closed his eyes for a moment, bracing for the worst.
“Bell, please tell me Sadie is okay.”
“She’s fine.”
“You swear.”
“Yes, Rory, she wasn’t hurt.”
Rory forgot himself, leaned back, and exhaled. Connor took advantage and shoved him back. Rory stumbled, but made a grab for Connor. He dodged and evaded, running down the hall and out the door. Frustrated, pissed, too worried about Sadie to care what happened to Connor, he let the punk go.
“What happened? Where is she?”
“Her father fell and hit his head. He’s got major head trauma and lost quite a bit of blood.”
Rory glanced back at the bloody room and shook off the dread he’d carried, thinking someone died in that room.
“I stabilized him, but had to send him to the hospital in Bozeman. He and Sadie left in the ambulance a few minutes ago.”
“I tried to call her, but got her voice mail.”
“She’s barely left her father’s side. Rory, the prognosis . . .”
“It’s not good, I take it.”
“She’s beside herself. I thought you might like to know since the two of you seemed close after you brought her in.”
“We’re seeing each other. I’ll head to the hospital now.”
“If you can, bring her something to wear. She found her father and she’s kind of a mess.”
“I’m on it. Thanks, Bell.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you soon.”
Rory tucked his phone back in his pocket, kept his back to the mess in Mr. Higgins’s room, and walked down the hall to Sadie’s room. He stood in the doorway, staring at her double bed covered in a navy and white floral-patterned quilt. A hairbrush sat on her dark wood dresser next to a picture of her as a little girl up on horseback, with her mother standing beside her holding the reins. A second picture sat next to her bed. Sadie and Connor as children sitting on the porch, Connor on a lower step, Sadie above with her arms wrapped around her little brother.
“You’ve been keeping him safe for a long time, sweetheart. Holding on to him. But who holds on to you?”
If her father didn’t make it, and Bell had hinted that he wouldn’t, who would look out for Sadie? Certainly not her brother. Rory would make sure no one hurt her, especially not her self-centered kid brother who’d never grown up and still left all the hard work to his big sister.
Rory went to the closet door, opened it, and pawed through Sadie’s things and came up with a purple tote bag. He went back to her bed and the basket of laundry beside it. He pulled out a couple of clean T-shirts, a pair of jeans, dark blue leggings and another pair of black leggings, and some bundled socks. Just in case, he picked out a white tank top–style nightgown that flared out at the bottom. Enough clothes to get her cleaned up tonight, but also in case she needed to stay at the hospital or a motel nearby a few days. He’d try to get her to come home, but knew she wouldn’t want to leave her father.