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"No. I'd rather not talk about any of it," he said harshly.
"You're upset."
"I'm pissed. I'm more angry than I've been in a long time, and I don't want to take that out on you."
"I appreciate that, but I think we should talk it out."
"I can't. I'm going downstairs and…" His lips tightened. "You know what? I'm not going to work. I'm going to pack up my things and find a hotel. I cannot stay in your mother's house."
A wave of disappointment ran through me. "Okay. I understand."
"It's not you," he said. "I can't stay here knowing she…" He shook his head. "Do you realize that she might have actually killed my father, Brynn? We keep thinking she let the crew in. Maybe she was part of the crew. Maybe she pulled the trigger."
"I can't believe that, Kade."
"You didn't know her. You were a little kid who loved her mother, but you didn't know who she was, what she did."
"That's true, but—"
He cut me off with a hard shake of his head. "Where do you think she got the money to pay my mother all those years, Brynn?"
"I don't know."
"Where do you think she got the money to buy this house?"
"I don't know," I repeated.
"Yes, you do know. She used what she stole to finance her life. It's the only answer that makes sense. No one ever found the diamonds or the cash or the art that went missing that night. And think about what happened here, all the holes in the walls. It's obvious that someone was looking for something. I think it's what she stole all those years ago. She probably took it from whoever is trying to kill her, from whoever else was in the crew."
His words painted a horrifying scenario, but there was a lot of truth to them.
"You should go home," Kade continued. "Your mother was lost to you a long time ago. Even if she recovers, you'll never get back the person you lost, because that person doesn't exist. Let her live in your memories. It's safer."
"I thought you were the one who never chose safe," I reminded him. "And I need to hear my mother confirm everything you just said."
"You think she's suddenly going to confess to crimes she committed more than twenty years ago?"
"Yes, because I'm her daughter, and I think she loves me enough to tell me the truth now."
He shook his head. "You're living in a world of delusion." He moved toward the door, then turned back to me. He blew out a breath. "I'm sorry. I just said I wasn't going to take out my anger on you and that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm not walking out on you. If you're staying here, then I'll stay, too. I don't want you to be alone."
"I don't want you to stay here if it's going to make you crazy. You don't deserve that. I can take care of myself, even though it might not look that way."
"Why don't I take you to a hotel?"
"Why don't you just do whatever you need to do, Kade. I need time to think about what we've learned and what I want to do next."
"Are you going to stay here?"
"Until my mom wakes up. Then I'll go to the hospital. After that, I'll see."
"Touch base with me before you leave. I'll go with you."
I shook my head. "I don't think that's a good idea. I've already lost a day of talking to my mom because I got her agitated. If you try to talk to her in this mood, she'll probably freak out again."
He frowned. "Well, call me before you go. We'll figure it out."
I turned the dead bolt after he left, feeling more alone than I had since I'd arrived. Whatever had been brewing between us had been instantly snuffed out by the knowledge that my mother was probably involved in his father's death. He would never be able to look at me without being reminded of the tragic loss of his dad.
