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“And you can tell them what we know.” Griffin sat straighter. “The only thing you can’t tell them is all evidence has been collected because we can’t find the videos!”
Griffin pushed away from his desk, lowering his head and taking several long, deep breaths. The last thing he needed to be doing was blowing up at his brother. It wasn’t his fault that they couldn’t find any of the videos. Sure, they had the cameras, but those videos were still out there. Moments that weren’t meant to be shared.
“We’ll find them.”
Duke’s quiet confidence did nothing to dispel the anguish building a large hole inside him.
“I’m sorry, Grif. I get it.”
Griffin lifted his head and shot his brother a dirty look. “I don’t think you fully do. I don’t say that to be an asshole, Bryce. But you can’t understand it. There are things on those videos that…” He blew out a breath as he tore his gaze away. “I agree you should make a statement. Rumors will run rampant if you don’t. It’s better to be upfront about things.”
“Grif—”
He threw a hand up to stop whatever Bryce wanted to say. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He knew in the way Bryce started to say his name that he wanted to delve into a topic that should never be brought up.
Bryce’s lips drew into a tight line. “Like Juliet never wanted to talk about it?”
That wasn’t fair.
But it also hit right on the truth.
Gerald had hurt his sister. Things he and Bryce would never know. That bothered him, knowing his sister had suffered and he had been clueless. But he was understanding more about why she didn’t want to talk about any of it. It didn’t mean he liked it. Or that Bryce liked it.
“He had cameras set up in the bedroom and bathroom. I think you can infer on your own why it bothers me we can’t find the videos.”
Bryce nodded. “I know you’re not being an asshole when you say I don’t get it. Because you’re right. I don’t know what that must feel like. I don’t know what it feels like to get hit either like Juliet went through.” A tremble coated his body. “But I know what it feels like to be degraded and yelled at constantly. As if my very existence has put the world in turmoil.”
Duke inhaled sharply at the confession.
Griffin stiffened, gritting his teeth. “You should leave her.”
He had no idea Bryce’s marriage had gotten this bad. To the point she made him feel the way he just expressed.
That was the thing about life—you never know what goes on behind closed doors. Look at the secret Mark had hidden for as long as he had.
“I should. You’re right.”
Griffin heard the unspoken but.
But he wasn’t going to. The question was why? Honestly, Griffin had no idea how they’d gotten this far off the original conversation.
Since he had no clue how to respond, he didn’t. Nor did Duke. Bryce didn’t add anything else. Silence reigned.
As each second ticked by, the air grew thicker, more awkward. He felt a tiny distance emerge between him and his brother. Something that had never happened before.
He wasn’t about to let it happen now.
“I’m here for whatever you decide. No matter what. But I will say, Juliet didn’t deserve anything Gerald did, and neither do you.”
Bryce gave a short nod and that was it.
“Make your statement. I’m not sure we should admit about the videos not being found yet. I don’t want to cause a panic.”
Bryce stood up. “I agree. I will give reassurance all is well because I know it will be.” Bryce looked at Duke, then back at him. “You might not have found the videos yet, but you will. Because you’re a Stuart, and Stuarts never quit.”
With that true statement, Bryce left.
“Let’s look at his financials. Maybe he bought property we don’t know about. Maybe he’s paying someone else to use their property or something.” Griffin ran a hand through his hair. “They have to be somewhere.”
