Jonny's Redemption (Gemini Group Book 7) Riley Edwards (ebook reader screen .TXT) 📖

afraid I’m naïve when it comes to alcohol abuse and I promise she wasn’t speaking like this when I called Jonathan.”

Jonny stood immobile in the room where he’d nearly died, a room in the house he’d been wheeled out of on a gurney. And for the first time since that day he actually looked around.

Really took stock of his surroundings.

The room appeared different but it was the same. Jonny had paid for the bloodstained carpet to be torn out and replaced. He’d bought his mother new furniture, swapping out the old sofas that had bullet holes in them. The coffee table where Jonny had sat as a child and colored was gone. The walls had been repainted. But it would never matter; the pain would always fill the room, it would always steal his breath, it would always be a reminder of his father’s weakness.

The sadness he’d felt his whole damn life would always permeate that house.

Everything would always be the same.

Unless he changed it.

Changed himself.

It was high time to stop being bitter, stop grieving the childhood he didn’t have, and accept this was his life. And it was a good life.

“Babe,” Jonny whispered. “Cool it.”

“I will not,” she returned and Jonny smiled.

The pitch and tone of his beautiful, strong, loyal woman’s voice had risen to nuclear and she was bubbling to blow.

“Bobby, listen to me. Right now you are in my arms, standing between me and a situation you’ve deemed a threat. I love that. And, baby, I mean that from the bottom of my soul. No one has ever tried to protect me from anything except you. But you have to understand, she cannot hurt me, not anymore. I’ve taken that power away from her. You’re fighting for nothing, she will not remember this.”

Bobby’s movements were fast when she yanked herself free and turned to face Jonny.

“You’re not nothing, Jonny Spencer, and I won’t hear you saying that again.”

It was perverse the elation Jonny felt seeing Bobby so upset. But there it was, a certain kind of euphoria enveloped his whole being. The woman was red-hot pissed and on a tear and Jonny had never been happier in his whole miserable life.

“All right. You do what you need to do, Bobby. But just to say, I think you’ve made your point.”

And just as quickly as she’d faced Jonny, Bobby whirled around and looked back to Bryan.

“I’m sorry. I can imagine this is hard for you. She’s your sister and obviously, she needs help. But I don’t think any of us can imagine what your nephew’s been through. It’s well past time that Jonny gets to come first and I’m gonna see that happens. I’m asking you to help me with that.”

“I don’t think you’re asking, sweetheart,” Bryan noted in a soft tone Jonny had heard the man use on his daughters. “But you’re right and I’m sincerely sorry we, as a family, failed to see what was going on. I cannot fix the damage that’s been done, but I can fix this. I’m taking her home. If she refuses inpatient treatment, she’ll find herself recovering in a room in my basement.”

A look of remorse so stark infused Bryan’s body Jonny flinched at his uncle’s anguish.

“Never in my nightmares did I ever think it was this bad. I’ve failed—”

“No, Bryan, you didn’t fail,” Bobby cut in. “And now I see where your nephew gets it from. So strong, taking on the weight of the entire family. Born to be protectors. But you cannot fail at something you had no idea you were up against.”

“Smart and beautiful. Crawford men have excellent taste in women; it’s good to know that particular gene ran true.” Bryan paused and looked at his sister. “Too bad it didn’t pass to the women in our family. Now, you two go on. I’m sorry to have bothered you. And, Bobby, next time I see you it will be under better conditions.”

“It will, Bryan,” she returned.

Jonny’s gaze sliced to his mother. She was so intoxicated they’d had an entire conversation in her presence and she was completely clueless. The woman was looking straight at Jonny but he doubted she was seeing him.

It was time to go.

“Good luck, Ma.”

Anita blinked, seemingly coming back into the room from wherever her alcohol-clogged mind had taken her. She snapped straight and suddenly appeared almost sober.

“You killed him.”

Christ, back to her refrain.

“Yeah, Ma, I did. I killed my brother. I didn’t like the guy much but I still have to live with that. I didn’t like my father either but that didn’t mean I wanted to watch the man die.”

“You killed your father.”

Jonny reared back and wondered if she’d actually convinced herself of that. Was she so fucked-up she’d blocked out what really happened?

“Doug killed his father then he shot me. You were there, Ma. You saw the whole thing so I’m unclear why you think I killed Dad.”

“You. Your fault. Killed him. Happy.”

For fuck’s sake, back to broken babble.

“I know you won’t remember this when you’re sober,” Jonny started. “But there was a time when I loved you. When you were a good mom. When I knew that you loved me. For decades I thought I failed you, failed our family, but now I understand. I was the child. You were the mother. So, it is you who failed me. One day I’ll forgive you but for now, I just want to forget you exist and move on with my life. A life that you are not welcome in. Goodbye, Ma.”

If Anita Spencer heard her son she didn’t respond. If she heard the pain and grief in his tone she didn’t react. Anita stood expressionless and without remorse as her child walked out the door.

18

It was hours later, after Jonny and I went back to his house. The drive home had been silent but Jonny didn’t look like he was stewing, he looked reflective, so I didn’t push for conversation.

When we got back to his house, he pulled me into