Chapter 15
I thought of where my brother would most likely go.
“I have to take a chance. I’ll go alone, or he’ll panic.”
Grace insisted on coming.
“If you don’t want your brother to have a breakdown and kill my father, you’re welcome to follow.”
Reed held me back and played a recording on his phone.
It was my conversation with Noah in the hospital the night before.
“He sent this to me early this morning, before he took Mr. Zhang.
“Noah was right–I do love you.
“I’m coming with you.”
He held my hand, his palm damp with sweat.
The car sped along, turning into the mountains.
Where would Noah go?
When we were little, whenever our father won money gambling and was in a good
mood, he’d stuff some bills into our mother’s hands.
Mom never spent it on herself, instead buying a bag of snacks for each of us.
She’d take us to lie by a wild lake in the mountains for the afternoon.
Mom would say, “This place is good. Far away from bad things.
“In the future, my little Olivia and little Noah will stay far away from bad things too. “And when I’m gone someday, bury me in this place.”
Around the next bend, we’d see my mother’s grave.
The familiar Bugatti was parked by the roadside.
We got out and ran, turning the corner to see a heavyset man kneeling before the
grave.
He was crying and kowtowing, the sounds echoing as his forehead bloodied the
stone.
Beside him stood my gaunt brother, holding a knife.
I stood at a distance, begging him not to do anything foolish.
Reed approached him step by step.
1/2
“Noah, give the knife to me, okay?
“I’ll take you back. From now on, I’ll take care of you and your sister.
“I promise, you’ll never suffer again.
“I’ll help you bring the bad people to justice, okay?”
Noah looked up, smiling like he did as a child.
“I’m useless. I don’t have the guts to kill this animal.”
He raised his hand, pointing the knife toward his own heart.
Reed lunged forward, knocking him down, his palm gripping the blade. Instantly, his hand was covered in red.
