The thought had him rubbing his chest hard to rid it of the pain his words had inflicted.

He left A.S. and headed down the main street. Dylan could feel his eyes swinging from right to left. Was someone watching him even now? Was someone here in Ryker seeking revenge?

“Hello, Dylan.”

“Miss Marla.” He nodded to the elderly woman who was outside cleaning the tea shop’s window.

Everywhere he looked there were people he’d let back into his life. Mr. Goldhirsh, the Robbins sisters, the Trainers.

“Christ.” The breath whistled from his mouth. He couldn’t leave now, not with his family sick and a possible target to get at him. But staying here put more people in danger. People he’d tried to keep himself distant from but failed.

He made it to the hospital, but wasn’t sure how, as he remembered nothing of the walk. Once there he sat with his dad for a while, talking about nothing in particular.

“I’m coming home tomorrow, Dylan.”

“The doctors told you that?”

His father nodded, and then eased himself into another position. At least if Dylan had his family under one roof he could watch over them closely.

“Great, I’ll make sure everything’s ready. Mom’s doing better.”

“Tell me what’s going on with Ava, Dylan, and don’t lie to me. I know she’s in here, because one of the nurses told me.”

He looked at the man who had raised him, the one parent he’d always loved unconditionally. He didn’t want to tell him, but if he was strong enough to come home, he was strong enough to hear the truth.

“It’s not good, Dad.”

Allan Howard was shocked, and then ashamed that he hadn’t known what his youngest child was going through. Dylan assured him that they would all be there to support her now. They talked a while longer, and then Dylan left to see Ava.

Charlie was still sitting with Ava when he arrived, and she looked relieved to see him. His little sister was looking away from her, facing the windows.

“She won’t talk to me,” Charlie mouthed to him.

Dylan pulled up a chair before the window so Ava had to look at him. She turned to look straight ahead.

“Hey, how you feeling?”

“I want to go home.”

“Sure, and you will, but I guess we need to run through some things before you do.”

“I’m not discussing this with you.”

“That you had cocaine in your system? Sounds like it’s something we need to discuss.”

“This is my life, I’m an adult.” She turned to glare at him. “I’m not addicted, I just like a hit from time to time.”

“How long have you been using?”

“You don’t need to make a big deal out of this, Dylan.”

“It’s a big deal that my little sister is a cocaine addict.”