Cataclysm by C.L. Parker Read Free Book Online Page B

becoming something not of this world. All those other lives, innocent or not, had been profoundly affected by him—all in the name of protecting his three-member family. The truth of the matter was he really didn’t give a rat’s ass about himself, but his little brother? He didn’t deserve to suffer. Neither did any of those mothers, wives, and children of the men he had put six feet under.
    His day of reckoning had come. Maybe not at the pearly gates of Heaven, but most certainly in his own private Hell.
    Colton knew. Well, most of it anyway. By the end of the day, he would know it all. Because Dominic needed to purge his soul of the sins he had committed against mankind, against himself. Whatever the end result, he would live with it, somehow.
    Kerrigan had accepted him for what he used to be because she was just the kind of person who always saw the good in people. The thing about that, though, was he hadn’t committed any of those sins for her sake. He had justified the wrong he had done by the right he had done by his brother. Sure, some of it had been for his alcoholic mother as well, but it was because of Sarah Grayson’s handicap that he had to be the one to make sure Colton would be all right, that he would have everything he needed to live a somewhat normal life—a life with the same opportunities kids who came from normal households did.
    Still, the end didn’t justify the means. Colton was such a good kid that he would hate Dominic for the guilt he was about to strap onto his shoulders like a backpack full of lead.
    Damned if you do. Damned if you don’t.
    Last night when they had reached the house, Kerrigan had pulled the Barracuda into the garage, and Dominic went invisible from his manifested state as they greeted their friends. Olivia’s eyes pled a thousand pardons for the mishap—a mishap that was completely at the fault of one very inebriated Tyson. He had apparently had a delusional moment in his drunken state and decided the solution to everyone’s problem was for them to beat Kerrigan and Dominic home, not fall behind. He had pushed down on Olivia’s knee, forcing her to stomp on the gas pedal. By the time he had relented, it was already too late.
    Sydney’s slaps to the back of Tyson’s head had been unrelenting, and all he could do was duck and endure the barrage while repeating his mantra of apologies. He couldn’t even fend off the attack because then he would have dropped Colton.
    That’s right. When he saw Dominic disappear before his very eyes, Colton had screeched a, “Dude... What... the fuck... was that !?” and then passed out in the back seat. It had taken both Tyson and Talon to haul him out of the car and up to his room. Gabe, the mothering hen, flailed his arms behind them and barked orders. Three people, smashed out of their minds, carrying another who barely looked to be breathing while bumping his head into nearly every wall or stationary barrier along the way—it was quite a sight to see. Hopefully, Colton wouldn’t have multiple concussions when he woke.
    Needless to say, Dominic hadn’t thought it would be a good idea to pull out the smelling salts to rouse him. He wanted Colton to sleep it off and give him some time to come up with the words to tell his little brother what he should have told him the day he had arrived.
    Restless and unable to sleep, he had lain next to Kerrigan while she had continued to give him a pep talk, but not even she could soothe his frantic mind. He wouldn’t be at ease until the truth was out there, and he knew where he stood with Colton.
    Around noon the next day, the moment of truth arrived.
    Colton was sitting out on the screened-in back porch sipping a cup of coffee, nursing his hangover, when Dominic finally got up the nerve to go to him. Ever faithful, Gabe was by his side with his legs curled underneath him while talking to Millie in baby-speak as the pup licked incessantly at his chin.
    Gabe looked up when Dominic and