Chapter 2 - THE FAMILY INSIDE THE KENNELMason did not touch Brent.
Every part of him wanted to.
He imagined taking the cane.
Breaking it.
Driving Brent into the ground.
Instead he looked at Lily again.
Her face said one thing clearly:
Do not make this worse.
So Mason forced himself to breathe.
“Where’s the key?”
Brent crossed his arms.
“Mason.”
“Key.”
“You’ve been gone almost nine months. You don’t know what she’s been doing.”
Mason stepped closer.
Brent stopped speaking.
“Key.”
Nicole reached into the pocket of her cardigan.
She took out a small silver key.
Mason stared.
Nicole hesitated.
He held out his hand.
She gave it to him.
He unlocked kennel.
The door opened.
Emma ran first.
She crashed into him so hard he almost lost balance.
“Dad!”
Mason dropped to one knee.
His arms went around daughter.
Emma buried face against his chest.
She was shaking.
“I’m here.”
She sobbed.
“I’m here.”
Over her shoulder Mason saw Lily trying to stand.
She winced.
He immediately reached.
“Easy.”
“I’m fine.”
“No.”
“You’re not.”
Lily looked embarrassed.
That enraged him.
Not at her.
At whoever had taught her that being visibly hurt was embarrassing.
He helped her out.
Scout pressed against her legs.
Lily reached down and buried fingers in dog’s fur.
“Good boy.”
Scout whined.
Mason stared at welt marks.
“How long were you in there?”
Lily said:
“Since last night.”
Mason’s face changed.
Emma whispered:
“It was cold.”
Brent snapped:
“It was seventy degrees.”
Mason looked at him.
Brent immediately regretted speaking.
Mason stood.
“Go inside.”
Lily looked.
“With Emma.”
“Mason—”
“Please.”
She studied him.
“You won’t do anything stupid?”
His jaw tightened.
“No.”
Brent laughed.
“That’s rich.”
Mason ignored.
Lily took Emma’s hand.
They walked toward back door.
Nicole shifted as if she might stop them.
Mason moved one step.
Nicole stopped.
Scout followed Lily and Emma until Emma turned.
“Scout, stay with Dad.”
The dog returned and stood next to Mason.
Now only four adults remained.
Mason looked at Brent.
“What happened?”
Brent sighed.
“Your wife has been making this house hell.”
“How?”
“She spends.”
“She argues.”
“She tells Emma not to listen.”
“She tries turning everyone against us.”
Mason frowned.
“Why are you living here?”
Nicole spoke.
“You asked us to help.”
“I asked you to check in.”
Brent:
“You were gone.”
“Lily couldn’t manage.”
Mason’s voice hardened.
“Who decided?”
“We did.”
Mason looked at cane.
“What’s that for?”
Brent glanced.
“Dog training.”
Scout growled.
Brent laughed.
“Relax.”
Mason extended hand.
“Give it.”
“No.”
Mason stared.
Brent’s smile faded.
“Give me the cane.”
After several seconds, Brent handed.
Mason examined.
Thin rattan.
Flexible.
There were faint fibers at one end.
He did not know whether marks on Lily came from it.
He would not assume.
He took out phone.
Photographed cane.
Kennel.
Lock.
Patio.
Brent frowned.
“What are you doing?”
“Documenting.”
Nicole’s face changed.
“Mason.”
He looked.
“You said don’t call police.”
“That was Lily.”
“I didn’t.”
Brent stepped.
“You’re going to ruin family over a misunderstanding?”
Mason almost laughed.
“You locked my wife and daughter in a kennel.”
“She needed to calm down.”
“Emma too?”
“She refused to leave Lily.”
Mason stared.
The casualness was worse.
He went inside.
Lily sat at kitchen table.
Emma beside her.
Mason placed cane on counter.
Lily saw.
Her face drained.
“Put that away.”
“Why?”
“Please.”
He slid it farther from sight.
Then knelt in front of Emma.
“Can I look at your arm?”
She nodded.
He didn’t touch marks immediately.
“Does it hurt?”
“A little.”
“How did it happen?”
Emma looked at Lily.
Lily’s face tightened.
Mason noticed.
“You don’t have to answer right now.”
Emma whispered:
“Uncle Brent gets mad.”
Mason felt heat rise.
“What happens when he gets mad?”
Lily interrupted.
“Mason.”
He looked.
She shook her head.
Not now.
Mason stood.
“Okay.”
He called a trusted family doctor, not police yet.
He requested evaluation for both.
Lily resisted.
“I don’t want hospital.”
“Doctor can come here.”
She nodded.
Brent entered kitchen.
“You’re making this ridiculous.”
Mason turned.
“Get out.”
“This is family property.”
“This is my house.”
Brent smirked.
“Is it?”
The question hit strangely.
Mason frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Nicole appeared behind Brent.
“Nothing.”
Brent smiled again.
“You’ve been away a long time, little brother.”
Mason stared.
His older brother had always called him that when trying to establish hierarchy.
Little brother.
Even though Mason now stood taller.
Brent continued:
“A lot changed.”
Mason looked around.
Family photos moved.
Bills stacked.
A file box near office.
He suddenly felt like stranger inside his own home.
“Pack your things.”
Brent laughed.
“No.”
“Then I’ll have you removed.”
“By who?”
“Police.”
Lily stood abruptly.
“No!”
Everyone turned.
Her breathing became rapid.
“Mason, please.”
He moved toward her.
“Why?”
She looked at Brent.
Then Nicole.
Then whispered:
“Because they have things.”
“What things?”
Lily’s eyes filled.
“Messages.”
“Papers.”
“What papers?”
Brent smiled.
“There it is.”
Mason turned.
“What did you do?”
Brent sat casually at island.
“Maybe before you start acting like hero, you should find out what your wife has been telling people while you were gone.”
Mason looked back at Lily.
She looked terrified.
Not guilty.
Terrified.
He realized Brent expected Mason to doubt her.
That expectation itself told him something.
Mason walked closer to wife.
“Look at me.”
Lily did.
“Whatever they have…”
“They don’t get to keep you afraid.”
Her face crumpled.
“Mason…”
He held her.
Emma joined.
For several seconds the three remained together.
Scout sat at their feet.
Then from behind Mason came Brent’s voice.
“You’re going to regret believing her.”
Mason slowly turned.
“No.”
“I’m going to regret leaving you near her.”
That was the first moment Brent looked genuinely unsettled.
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And when the doctor arrived twenty minutes later and quietly told Mason the marks on Lily and Emma appeared to have happened on more than one occasion, his anger stopped being about the kennel.
The kennel was only the first thing he happened to see.
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