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“Aren’t you going to stop him?” I asked as Otto swung again.
“Nope,” Leo said, leaning against the wall. “Micky’s got it comin’.”
“He didn’t know—”
Leo shot me a look. “After that scene at the club, he took off poutin’ like a baby and left his teenage brother to look after his woman,” he said flatly. “Fuckin’ stupid.” He looked back at Otto and Michael. “And seriously unfair to Otto.”
“We thought he was gone, man,” Michael said defensively, dodging Otto.
“You didn’t think he was gone.” Otto threw another punch, hitting Michael in the stomach. “Or you wouldn’t have asked me to watch the house.”
“Man, I knew you could handle it,” Michael defended.
“I didn’t know what the fuck I was handlin’, asshole,” Otto spat, his arms finally dropping to his sides. “They coulda fuckin’died. He waspointin’ a fuckin’ gun at them.”
Michael’s face lost all color as he looked across the room at me, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Otto.
He shoved Michael away from him by the neck of his sweatshirt. “When I hit him, she dropped to the floor,” he choked out. “Covered Rhett so well you couldn’t even see him. Only way you knew he was there is ’cause you could hear him cryin’.” He let out a sharp sob and angrily wiped at his nose with the back of his hand. “She didn’t even hear me calling her name.”
“Alright, son,” Tommy said quietly, putting his hand on Otto’s shoulder. “Alright.”
Otto shrugged off his dad’s hand, ducking his head in embarrassment.
“I knew you didn’t hate me,” I said, my words practically echoing in the suddenly silent house. Otto looked at me. “I mean, I would’ve preferred an ‘I forgive you, Emmy,’ but saving me from a psycho works.”
“Fuck, Em,” Otto said, his body shuddering.
I moved through the men and wrapped my arms around Otto’s waist, laying my head against his chest. “Thanks, Otto-mobile,” I said softly.
“Fuck,” he murmured again, his arms coming up to encircle my head, his biceps resting on my shoulders. He shuddered again as he laid his cheek against the top of my head.
It was so weird. When I’d left three years ago, he’d been the same height as me and now suddenly he was man-sized. He’d grown up when I wasn’t there to see it.
“We’re headed out,” Tommy said, patting Otto on the back so hard that I felt it. “Come on, son.”
“You good?” Otto asked as he pulled away.
“Yeah.” I let him go and tried to smile. It must’ve been really unbelievable because Otto snorted.
“You stay here,” Gramps ordered, pointing at Michael as he shuffled by. He kissed my forehead and kept moving, which made me sigh in relief. If he’d babied me even a little, I would’ve fallen apart.
Michael tried to argue. “I’m not—”
It was the first time I’d ever seen that particular expression on Gramps’s face as he stared Michael down, and I hoped I’d never see it again. “You stay here and take care of Emilia.”
Michael’s mouth snapped shut.
In less than a minute, the house was empty except for the three of us. The silence was deafening.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t—”
“Save it,” I murmured tiredly, cutting him off. “Just save it.”
“Emilia—”
“No.” I put my hand up to stop him as he walked toward me. “I’m not—I can’t do this right now.”
“I shoulda been here. I know that now.”
