Blood And Water Read Online Free PDF

over anyone else. They should stand together and fight together, as brothers. As family.
    Feeling let down, empty and alone, he slowly slipped to the floor and sobbed. At thirteen he wasn’t yet the man his family expected him to be. Even at sixteen or seventeen or eighteen or ever, he would never be the man that could match the eminence of Seb. He was and always would be just Rian. And that would never be good enough.
    He sat in the water spray until his skin turned soft and lumpy and his tears ran dry. Picking himself up, he took a deep breath and, shoving his feelings of self-pity to the back of his mind, accepted for the moment he was what he was. Slowly he washed himself, starting at his head and working his way down, checking his groin on the way for any visible damage, mentally preparing for what he knew was still to come with Father Sullivan.
    “Are you okay?” Martha asked him quietly, squeezing his arm gently.
    “What?” Rian asked, returning to the moment, his unseeing eyes still trained on his brother.
    “You’re shaking,” she remarked, wiping his brow. “I hope you’re not coming down with something.”
    “I’m fine, just thinking, that’s all. Just thinking …”

Chapter 3
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Sebastian blushed under the intense scrutiny of his brother’s glower. He needed to rein it in: his unusually affable behaviour was arousing suspicion. Until yesterday he’d forgotten that it was his and Kathryn’s turn to host the monthly family gathering. He could have done without it but, given the circumstances, to cancel would have been the wrong thing to do. Anyway, he reflected, it did afford him some time to think tactically and figure out how best to handle this latest crisis; he hadn’t, however, appreciated it would be as difficult a task as it was now turning out to be. Seb was well used to dealing with one catastrophe after another, but this one was that bit different because it involved his father. And the emotional aspect of this particular conundrum was having an unusual effect on his ability to think clearly and rationally.
    Doing his best to ignore Rian’s glare, Seb navigated the table to top up the wineglasses. This was his house, his home, his table and it galled him to see his father lord it over the group. Somehow he and his siblings had become used to it: regardless of whose home the lunch was hosted in, it was a given that William Bertram would somehow usurp the seat at the head of the table. But today, knowing now what his father had done, it stuck in his throat.
    Be smart, Seb, he told himself, replacing the wine on the credenza and retaking his seat while Kathryn brought in the main course.
    What the hell is she at, he thought, momentarily distracted by his wife’s bizarre behaviour, prancing in and out of the kitchen with that look on her face that he tended only to see when she’d got what she wanted. Well, at least she’s smiling, he told himself – one less thing to worry about.
    He let his chin rest on his interlocked fingers to observe his father. Going into business with his dad was never a good idea, but his involvement had, he thought, been minimal.
    “What harm can it do?” he’d asked his friend and business partner Dermot.
    “Just keep it simple,” Dermot had warned and that, or so he thought, was exactly what he had done – kept it simple. But lunch with an old friend told him otherwise.
    Only a few days previously his phone had rung out from his pocket. He didn’t recognise the number when it came up on screen and almost didn’t answer, but curiosity got the better of him.
    “Jesus, Tim. How the hell are you?” he said once his old school friend identified himself.
    With the pleasantries aside, Tim suggested they meet “for a catch-up”.
    Seb was intrigued. Why all of a sudden was it so important that they should catch up?
    “My shout,” Tim offered.
    Well, he’s changed, Seb thought, remembering Timothy Burton as the meanest guy in his