Malachi held his hand up. “Quiet.”
I ground my teeth as he went to my favorite chair and flopped down into it, kicking his boots onto my coffee table. The guy was a beast. Tall. Muscular. Tatted from head to toe and clad in leather. Sinclair wasn’t far behind in that respect. They looked like two guys who could fuck your world up, and I knew they possessed the ability to. The watchers—ghosts—didn’t fuck around. Many people lost their lives dealing with these guys.
Sinclair moved to our mantle and picked up a picture of Riot and stared down at it for a moment.
“I would prefer we get this over with,” I said tightly as Cole and E took up residence on the couch while I stood.
“Yes, well, imagine how my sweet sister feels,” Malachi said. “She’s pretty upset. I spoke to her just before coming in here. Promised to make it right on her behalf.”
I swallowed. “I didn’t realize you had any sort of relationship with her.”
“Well, I have more of one with her than you do.” He smiled at me, which only pissed me off more. At this rate, I’d rather be dealing with Asylum.
“Why not ask Asylum and his fucking personalities?” I snapped at him. “He’s the fucking all-knowing oracle.”
“He didn’t see this,” Sinclair murmured. “It doesn’t work the way you think it does.”
I sighed. “It wasn’t me. It wasn’t Cole or E.”
Malachi stared at us for a moment. “I want to believe that, but I have a very distraught sister who isn’t taking any of this well, and a brother who is chomping at the bit to tear your world to pieces. You know how Church is. He’s been waiting for you to fuck up for a long time.”
“We didn’t fuck up,” I said. “We didn’t do shit.”
“That’s a problem too. She trusted you with these things, and you disappointed her. But I told her to expect that from you, Lorenzo. You have a habit of disappointing her. Fucking other women, the cheating, the lies, the marriage, the kid. Yeah, you’re just one big, walking disappointment.” Malachi pulled a knife out of his leather jacket and cleaned his nails.
“Fuck you.” I made to walk to him, but Sinclair stepped in front of me and pressed his hand to my chest and shook his head.
“You don’t want to do that. You’re already treading on thin ice. Touch Church’s brother after fucking up his sister’s life, and I think that may end very badly for you,” Sinclair said softly.
I knew he was right. If I wanted this to go smoothly, I had to yield. For now, anyway.
It was so fucking hard for me, though.
Malachi pulled a piece of paper from his jacket. “Where were the videos kept?”
“On a hard drive at our old house,” Cole said, glaring at Malachi.
“Where were the videos kept?” Malachi repeated.
“I just fucking told you, dick for brains—” Cole snarled, but E rested his hand on Cole’s bicep to calm him. Cole breathed out and calmed himself.
“They were in my old bedroom.”
“Just sitting out?” Malachi raised his brows.
“No, fuck head. Not sitting out. They were kept in a box in my closet labeledlove of my fucking life. I kept it in a box right next to the box that holds my dead daughter’s ultrasound picture and her onesie.”
I winced at his words, and even E frowned.
Malachi stared him down for a moment. “Unlocked box?”
“Yes,” Cole muttered.
“Who has access to your house?” Malachi continued.
“No one but us,” I said.
“You haven’t had anyone there ever?”
