29. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Cain

I walk into the room and find my brother already there, asleep on the bed set up to the side. On the monitors, our girl sleeps peacefully in her bed, exactly where I left her.

Anxiety races when I glance over to see my brother twitching in his sleep again, caught in another nightmare that I need to wake him from. I want to move to the chair to watch over our girl, but leaving him in that nightmare would end badly for us all. He's been doing so well, the nightmares staying at bay for so long, but I should have known they would come back this week.

I cross the room quietly, not wanting to startle him more than necessary. Kneeling beside the bed, I place a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. "Brother, wake up. It's just a dream."

He jerks awake, his eyes wide and disoriented for a moment before they focus on me. There's a flash of recognition, and he lets out a shaky breath, sitting up and running a hand through his hair. "Damn it," he mutters, the frustration clear in his voice.

"It's alright," I say, trying to keep my tone soothing. "It was just a nightmare. You're here and safe, and she's here now too."

He nods, though the tension in his body doesn't fully ease. "I thought I was past this," he says, his voice rough with exhaustion.

"Nightmares don't just disappear, especially not with what we've been through," I reply. "But we're managing. You're managing."

He sighs, his shoulders slumping as he leans back against the headboard. "Yeah, managing," he repeats, though he doesn't sound convinced. "I just... I can't shake the feeling that something's going to go wrong."

"That's the fear talking," I say, squeezing his shoulder. "We've planned for this. We've covered every angle. We're ready."

He takes a deep breath, nodding. "Some people are getting too close to her for my liking." His voice is tight with concern.

I nod, understanding his worry. "We knew they might," I reply. "The marks we left should deter most of them."

He frowns, and I can tell something is still nagging at him. "There's one that has been lurking a little too closely, I've seen him near her more than once," he says, and I already know who he is referring to. "You and I both know what he does to those he sets his sights on."

My jaw tightens at his words. "Then we take care of it," I say firmly. "And we use it to give her another clue."