Free The Singing River by R.K. Ryals Page A

that hard.”
    I shared a look with River.
    “We’ll take care of that,” River said, and I breathed a sigh of relief.  
    As much as I loved the river, I had no intention of falling in it. It’s not that I believed an entire Indian tribe hid beneath the waves or a mermaid was waiting to drown me, but the muddy waters hid a lot, and I was good staying to the shallows.
    There was a rumble of thunder. Marley glanced up, but River moved past him back up toward the cabin.
    “Trust me, Uncle. There won’t be any rain tonight.”
    River’s confidence had me convinced. I walked behind him, my eyes on his back. Frankly, he baffled me. This wealthy boy who seemed fit enough to be a laborer, who could look at the sky and tell you if it was going to rain, who handcuffed his brother to the inside of a pick-up truck simply because he wanted to help him.
    The thought of River and Roman suddenly made me miss my mother.

 
     
    Chapter 12
     
    River
     
    I knew when we walked back into the cabin there was going to be a problem. Roman was leaning against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed, his chin pointed at the floor. Trouble was written all over him, his hands fisted and trembling.
    “I need to go home,” Roman insisted.
    I used my black T-shirt to wipe the sweat off my brow before throwing it aside.
    “I’m not taking you, Roman.”
    He held his hand out. “Then give me the keys to the truck. I’ll take myself.”
    Haven had moved up next to me, Uncle Marley just behind us. Neither one of them spoke, intruders now on a private brother to brother moment.
    I shook my head.
    Roman exploded. “I have to go home!”
    Roman’s hair was wild, his eyes wide. I started to step toward him, but Haven placed a hand on my shoulder. She had small hands, chipped fingernail polish covering nails bitten to the quick.
    “It hurts less if you lay down.” Her voice was low and soothing, her eyes on Roman’s face.
    Roman didn’t listen. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!” His blazing eyes took in her face. “I just need to go home.”
    My gaze moved between them. “Roman, maybe she’s right.”
    Uncle Marley cleared his throat. “Does he need to see a doctor?” he asked.
    Roman scowled. “Where are the keys?”
    I didn’t answer him, but Marley looked at the door. It was the only provocation Roman needed. He made a run for it.
    “Damn it!” I grumbled, leaping to tackle him.
    We landed against the hardwood, my back slamming against the wall, my arm around his chest. He fought me, but I didn’t release him.
    Haven rushed past us, her feet pounding the stairs, the sound of the truck door opening as she jerked the keys from the ignition.
    “You’re not going anywhere, Roman,” I said.
    Haven edged back into the room, her hand clenching the keys, her back against the opposite wall. I could see fear in her eyes, but there was trust there, too; trust that I’d keep my brother pinned and under control. He fought me, and my muscles strained against the hold.
    “Talk to me,” I begged him. “Talk to me damn it!”
    Roman’s shoulders shook, but I knew he wasn’t crying. Braydens didn’t cry.
    “I can’t do this,” he said. “I can’t handle it.”
    My arms hurt, yet I still pinned him against me. “Can’t handle what? The drugs? What are you taking?”
    Roman quit moving, but I didn’t relax my hold. “I can’t deal with it without them. I just can’t.”
    It suddenly dawned on me what Roman meant, and my gaze slid to Uncle Marley’s. His glasses were on the tip of his nose, his shirt on but damp with sweat, his eyes big behind the frames of his crooked spectacles. His face held the same knowing expression mine did.
    “Taking something to forget it is only temporary.” I whispered the words, my eyes on the top of Roman’s head.
    He fought me again, and I almost lost my grip as he slammed his head backward. I felt the pain as my skin split open, and blood welled up on the inside of my