It took this chair for Olivia Adams to finally see me. Once I was hurt, I was all she could see. It was perfect… while it lasted.”
I stiffened in my seat and pulled my hand off the table so Sawyer wouldn’t see the way it curled into a fist.
This asshole.
He really had tried to kill us that night.
I shouldn’t be surprised, but I was. He really was sick and twisted. It wasn’t just an overblown exaggeration from my youthful memories.
I counted to ten and blew out a breath. I tried to school my features into a bland expression, but I could feel angry heat crawling up my neck and I was sure my skin was flushed.
“You’re wrong. It wasn’t you that she saw, Sawyer. It was that damn chair. Her guilt made it impossible for her to look away. It doesn’t matter that it was you. Ollie would’ve dropped everything to be at the beck and call of anyone in your position. She’s a good girl with a huge guilt complex. You aren’t special to her. All you succeeded in doing was making her pity you.”
“I also got rid of you, Huck. That was even more than I could ask for.” Sawyer tossed his head back and laughed. “You always belonged on the streets. You never should’ve been born into my family.”
I gritted my back teeth together and exhaled so hard I was sure my nostrils flared like an angry bull. No one got under my skin the way this lunatic did. Even knowing he had issues that should’ve been addressed long ago, it was still hard to let his words roll off my back. It was like we were back to being kids fighting over every little thing, and I hated how inferior it made me feel.
“I agree. I never belonged in that family, and I honestly owe you big time for forcing me to figure out how to make it on my own. It didn’t take long for me to find a family that suits me much better. The family I have now is unbreakable, and they’ll go to the mat for Ollie even if something happens to me. You got rid of me for a short period, but I came back stronger and better than before. Back then, I was trying to play the hero to your villain. These days, I know the only way to beat a monster is to become one yourself.” I leaned back in my seat and lifted my eyebrows in Sawyer’s direction. He was watching me closely now, all hints of maniacal amusement wiped off his face.
“This facility isn’t so bad. You have your own room. The staff is fairly competent. Even though this is a state institution, it’s the best place you could’ve ended up. If you’re on your best behavior and continue to be docile and obedient, there is a chance you’ll get out before you’re an old man. The same goes for your mother. Right now, there’s a solid chance she’ll just end up on house arrest since she’s never been in any kind of legal trouble before other than rich people stuff like bribery. I can make both of those things go away, though. I can have you transferred to a facility that is over capacity and understaffed. I can make sure you get so lost in the system that there is no hope you’ll ever see the light of day again. Instead of therapy and medication, you’ll end up tied to a bed for twenty-three hours a day. You haven’t seen punishment yet, Sawyer. I can make sure your mom serves time somewhere she won’t have a chance of surviving, regardless of how light her sentence is. Keep in mind, I’m Dad’s favorite now. I’m the only one he wants to carry on his name. Money can make anything happen, and I can be far more ruthless now with it than I ever was without it. Decide to do the right thing and admit that you were the one who caused the accident that night; take Ollie out of the equation all together and I’ll leave you and your mom alone. Do something redeemable for once in your life. Forget about Ollie and put in the work to get your mind straightened out. Take this time to be accountable for all you’ve done and try to heal. If you do what you’re supposed to do, there’s no reason you can’t have a normal life when you get