Broken Brotherhood

Imani's POV

Roy's words hung in the air.

My brother. Dashiel Reginald.

The ground shifted.

I grabbed the wall. Missed. Grabbed again.

Roy caught me before my knees hit the floor. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me into his chest.

I looked up.

"That was your brother—Dash? The man at the hospital? That was Dashiel?"

Roy didn't answer.

"He was sitting outside my daughter's hospital room. He was right there."

"I know."

"We need to get her out. Right now. We need to move her somewhere he can't find her."

Roy put his hands on my face. Made me look at him.

"I already sent men. Security is everywhere. Every door. Every elevator. Every hallway. No one gets near Yara without going through me first. Do you understand? Yara is safe."

I stared at him.

Dash. The name we never said. The name that sat in our house like a locked door no one was allowed to open. Fifteen years ago, he killed their parents. Roy never talked about him.

I had known Roy for eight years. Married for six.

And I had never met his brother.

"Why now?" The words came out fast. Why did he show up now? When did he get out of jail? What does he want?"

Roy pulled me into his chest again. His hand pressed against the back of my head. His heart was beating fast. I could feel it.

"I don't know, baby. I don't have all the answers yet. But I'm going to find out. I swear to you. I'm going to find out everything."

"He was in our house. He was inside our bedroom. He wrote something on our mirror. In blood. What does it mean? L'Incendiario Avido. What does it mean?"

Roy's arms tightened around me. But he didn't answer.

I pulled back. Looked at his face.

"You know what it means."

He didn't say yes. He didn't say no. But I saw it. In the way his jaw tightened. In the way his eyes went somewhere else. Somewhere far.

"Roy."

"It's nothing you need to worry about."

"What if he pushed her? What if Dash pushed Yara down these stairs?"

Something changed in Roy's face. The softness disappeared. His eyes went cold. His jaw locked.

"If he touched her," he said, "if he put his hands on my daughter..."

He stopped. Swallowed.

"I will kill him."

His voice was quiet.

"I swear on Yara's life. On everything I have. I will kill him."

My head started to hurt.

Like someone was pressing their thumbs into my temples.

I pressed my fingers against the spot. Tried to push the pain away.

Roy noticed. He always noticed.

"Migraine?"

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine. You're pale."

He put his hand on my forehead. His skin was cool.

"You're burning up."

"I just need to sit down."

He didn't wait. One arm went under my knees. The other behind my back. He lifted me off the floor.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. Pressed my face into his shoulder.

He carried me down the stairs. Past the spot where Yara fell. I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to see it.

He laid me on the couch. Pulled a blanket from the back of the chair and covered me with it.

"Stay there."

He walked to the kitchen. I heard water running. A cabinet opening. Then he was back. He sat on the edge of the couch. Helped me sit up just enough. Put two pills in my hand and held a glass of water to my lips.

"Slow, baby. Don't choke."

I swallowed. Lay back down.

He tucked the blanket around my shoulders. Pulled it up to my chin. His fingers brushed my cheek.

"Rest. I'm going to take care of everything."

He kissed my forehead. His lips stayed there for a second longer than usual.

He stood up to leave.

"Baby?"

I caught his hand.

He turned.

"Promise me we're going to be okay. Yara. You. Me. Promise me."

He knelt beside the couch.

"We are going to be okay. I promise you. You and Yara are my whole world. Nothing is going to take that from me. Nothing."

He looked down. Saw my feet, sticking out from under the blanket. He pulled the fabric down. Covered them.

Then he stood.

"I love you so much, Imani."

"I love you too, Roy."

He walked to the door. Paused. Looked back at me.

Then he was gone.

***

I don't know how long I slept. When I opened my eyes, the clock said 9:47. My head was clearer.

Yara.

I grabbed my keys and drove.

***

The hospital lobby was different.

Men in dark suits stood by every door. By the elevators. By the stairs. They watched everyone who walked in. Their eyes followed every person who crossed the lobby.

Roy's men.

I felt something loosen in my chest. Just a little.

Ingrid was just arriving. She saw me and started walking. Fast. When she reached me, she grabbed my arms.

"What is going on? There are men everywhere."

I hugged her. Held on for a second longer than usual.

"It's for Yara's safety. I'll explain later. I promise. I just need to see Yara."

Ingrid didn't argue. She took my hand and walked with me.

***

The men outside Yara's room nodded when they saw me. One of them opened the door.

Yara was still there.

Same bed. Same white sheets.

I sat in the chair beside her. Took her hand.

"Mommy's here, baby."

I held her hand and watched her chest rise and fall.

The door opened.

Malcolm walked in.

He smiled at me. Then at Ingrid.

"Sorry to come so late. I wanted to check on her before I left."

He checked the machines. Listened to Yara's chest. Shined a small light in her eyes. When he stepped back, he was almost smiling.

"Her vitals are stronger than they were this morning. Brain activity is increasing. She's fighting."

My heart jumped. "She's going to wake up?"

"She may wake up soon. I can't say exactly when. But she's moving in the right direction."

Ingrid grabbed my arm. Squeezed it. Her eyes were wet.

"Did you hear that? She's going to wake up."

I couldn't speak. I just nodded.

Malcolm wrote something on his clipboard. I found my voice.

"Thank you, Malcolm. For everything."

Ingrid squeezed my arm again. "He's been amazing. You know, after you begged him to personally save Yara, he took it upon himself. He's been treating her ever since. Even when he didn't have to."

I looked at Malcolm. Then at Ingrid. Then back at Malcolm.

A question came out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"Why did you two break up?"

The room went quiet.

Malcolm's face changed. Something passed through his eyes. Pain. Old and deep. He looked at Ingrid. She looked at the floor.

I wanted to take it back.

"I'm sorry," I said. "That was none of my business. I shouldn't have—"

"It's fine." Malcolm's voice was soft. "We were young. Things just... didn't work out."

Ingrid still wasn't looking at him.

I cleared my throat. Tried to shift the mood.

"When Yara wakes up, I'm going to bring you the best bottle of wine I've ever made. It's not even on the market yet. You'll be the first person outside my family to taste it."

Malcolm smiled. "I'd like that."

I hesitated. Then: "You should spend more time with her. When she wakes up, I mean she's going to need doctors she trusts."

Ingrid laughed. Playful. "Imani, you're bothering him. The way you're talking, someone would think Malcolm was Yara's father."

My heart stopped.

I kept my face neutral. Smiled. Said nothing.

Malcolm looked at Yara. His eyes softened.

"She's special," he said. "Strong. She's fighting so hard to stay alive."

A pause.

"I would love to have a daughter like her someday."

I coughed. Couldn't help it.