Shattered Bonds novel Chapter 6

He glanced at Mom, their eyes meeting, both filled with unimaginable pain. When they learned that the killer had targeted me to get revenge on them for putting his brother behind bars, they both collapsed, unable to bear the guilt. The son they had cared for the least was dead because of them.

Wyatt’s face drained of color at the news. His fingers clutched his shirt nervously, and sweat began to bead on his forehead. “They’ve already found the killer? Why… why would he kill Jason?”

Mom, her face gaunt and tired, softly replied, “Wyatt, your dad and I couldn’t make it to your tennis match, and that’s our fault. We’re sorry we let you down.”

Natalie’s sharp voice cut through the room. “He wanted Jason gone for good. You can see it on his face. Look at him! He’s not even sad about his brother’s death.”

Wyatt blinked innocently, tears forming again as he shrank into Mom’s arms. “Natalie, I know you were close to Jason, but blaming me isn’t going to bring him back.”

“I’ll take care of Mom and Dad for Jason’s sake,” he added, his tone syrupy sweet, winning over my mom in an instant.

Seeing Mom cry for me had stirred some bittersweet emotion in me, but watching her fall for Wyatt’s lies again filled me with nothing but regret. Wyatt had pushed me to my death, and yet they still couldn’t see it.

Mom cradled Wyatt, whispering as she clung to him, “Wyatt, Jason’s gone now. You’re my only son left.”

Wyatt comforted her with one hand while typing something on his phone with the other, barely paying attention. Mom noticed the red marks on his arm. The scratches I had left when I fought back against him that last time.

“You’re hurt, Wyatt?” she asked, concerned.

“It’s nothing, Mom,” Wyatt lied smoothly. “Just a tennis ball hit me. I’ll be fine tomorrow.” He quickly pulled his sleeve down to cover the marks, a hint of nervousness in his eyes. Mom seemed to hesitate for a moment, but she didn’t push further.

My parents quickly returned to work, desperate to catch the man who had murdered me. My dad, his voice tight with anger, vowed, “I’ll find that monster and make sure he pays for what he did to my son.”

My parents threw themselves into the investigation, but the killer had gone into hiding, making him hard to track. My dad was growing increasingly frustrated, knowing that each passing day made it harder to catch the man who had tortured and murdered his son.

It was my brother, Wyatt, who unintentionally led the police to a break in the case. As a journalist, he had a knack for noticing things. He began feeling uneasy, thinking someone was watching the house. After a couple of days, he asked the security guards to check the surveillance footage. There, in the grainy footage, was a man delivering milk, but something about him seemed off.

My dad’s instincts kicked in. He knew that killers often returned to the scene of their crimes to relish in the chaos they’d caused, and this man wasn’t delivering milk. He was lurking.

The killer, Leo, had been watching our family, savoring their grief like some twisted form of satisfaction. He had murdered me out of revenge for his brother, and now he was basking in my parents’ pain. But his arrogance led to his capture. He had become overconfident, assuming no one would recognize him. That carelessness was what got him caught.

When the police finally arrested Leo, he showed no fear. In fact, he was disturbingly calm as my dad, mom, and Natalie entered the interrogation room. Leo smiled, as if their suffering was some kind of reward. He even asked for a cigarette, like he was about to chat with an old friend.

“You think this is your home, Leo?” My dad slammed his hand on the table, furious. “You murdered my son, and you think you’re going to sit here and smoke?”

Leo’s smile only widened as he looked at my dad, then turned to my mom, relishing the hatred in their eyes. “You two are quite the power couple in law enforcement. But you didn’t see this coming, did you? You never thought you’d be sitting across from me, talking about your son.”

My mom, her voice raw and hoarse, could barely hold back her rage. “Your brother killed his wife. He deserved to be behind bars. Jason didn’t deserve any of this. Why did you kill him?”

Leo leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with malevolent glee. “He deserved it because he was your son. That’s the only reason. You want to know what I said to him before he died?” He grinned wider, enjoying every word. “I told him the last thing you said to him. How you wished you’d never brought him home.”

My mom’s face went pale, her lips trembling. “No…”

“Oh, yes. And you know what else? He didn’t say a word against you. Not one. I carved up his face, waiting for him to curse your name. But no, he kept saying you were his heroes. He was so loyal, even when I cut his tongue out. He didn’t want to disappoint Mom and Dad.”

My mom stood up. Her face twisted in fury, but her eyes were filled with unimaginable pain. “You’re a monster. You don’t deserve to breathe.”

Leo leaned back, satisfied, like he had achieved some grand victory.

At that moment, I saw my dad’s anger waver. He glanced at my mom, the guilt finally cracking his tough exterior. They both knew Leo was right in his twisted way. They had failed me, and my death was proof of that failure.

My mom’s body shook, her hands gripping the table so tightly her knuckles were white. She could barely contain her sobs. “Jason didn’t deserve this. He loved us.”