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He was whispering by the end, pain filling his gaze, and he hung his head.
Channing drew in a sharp breath, seeing it all.
He looked at me. “You want this?”
He was trying to protect me.
“I—” I closed my mouth because what could I say here? He was finally being my brother, something he’d fought to achieve for so long, and I was letting him. I needed it now, welcomed it, but … He was our dad, both of ours.
Channing’s next words were stricken, cutting to the bone. “You got so dark, Bren. So dark. I thought we were going to lose you one day.”
Derrick closed his eyes, as if physically struck. Then he held firm, standing still.
He was doing what I used to do, standing so still that I thought I could disappear.
I was so like him.
I hadn’t realized it until now.
“I have to talk to him, and it’s time. Things are happening. His world is mixing with mine, so I made a call.”
Channing’s gaze held mine, weighing my words, and he dipped his head down. “Fine.” His hands went to his hips. He cursed. “I should put a shirt on.” He eyed Cross. “That’s what you sleep in? When you sleep next to my sister?”
Cross let out a sharp, but strangled laugh. “Fuck you.”
Derrick had opened his eyes, hearing the new exchange, and he looked from Channing to Cross with an almost awed expression.
Channing rolled his eyes. “Where are the other two dwarves?” He swung his head toward Derrick, a hardness biting his tone. “Bren’s decided, so you’re about to meet her three dwarves. Sleepy, Dopey, and Grumpy.”
A creak came from the top of the stairs…it was Zellman and Jordan. Of course, they were staying in the shadows, listening until they needed to be made known. They moved out so they were in view now. Both still shirtless, and Jordan glared at Channing. “I echo Cross’ sentiment. Fuck you.”
A hard smile crossed my brother’s face. “Here’s the Wolf Crew, Derrick. You want your daughter back in your life, they come as a package.” His gaze passed over me, softening. “Moose said he was going to take a shower. That bathroom is small downstairs. I should make sure he didn’t literally get stuck just trying to enter the room.”
He shot our dad another look before heading to the basement. Going down, we heard him holler, “Moose, you alive down there?” There was a thump, followed by a pounding of footsteps, and we could hear Moose’s deep voice responding, though his words were muffled.
Zellman and Jordan came down the stairs, hesitant as they looked from me to my dad.
Right.
Introductions.
That was my job.
Cross beat me to it. “Derrick, I’m Cross Shaw.” He touched the small of my back, nodding behind me to the others. “This is Zellman and Jordan. Like Channing said, we’re a package deal with your daughter.”
I leaned into Cross, his hand sweeping up and down my back. I needed that touch, yearning for more.
My dad saw it, noting my reaction, and he nodded slowly. “I heard, but now I’m seeing it for myself.” He gave me a timid smile. “You’re glowing, Bren. Damned glowing. Makes a dad proud to see that.”
Glowing.
Huh.
Never had that term used to describe me before, but fine. I’d take it.
Zellman yawned. “Okay. Now that it seems like knives aren’t going to be drawn, can you all move it to the kitchen? I’ve got a chick I need to move out of here.”
CROSS
We were sitting outside for a late lunch.
Bren was out there, conversing with her dad. Zellman and Jordan were there, too, but mostly to keep an eye on things. Everyone was on edge. The one who was the most calm was Bren.
I was blaming the concussion.
But still.
We ordered food in, and I was grabbing water in the kitchen for everyone when Channing and Moose got back from running errands.
“Yo.” Channing was coming in, a hard glint to his face.
I was noticing that he had the same look the entire time, and coming to stand next to me, he looked out over the scene before him. A heavy sigh left him, and he crossed his arms over his chest. Moose was coming behind him. He went to the fridge, grabbed a beer, gave me a nod, and headed to the basement.
Channing spoke without looking at me, “We gotta take off, but I need to have a word with Bren before I do.” He turned to face me now. “And since he’s here, I can’t tell all of you guys at once. You’re going to have to fill your crew in without him around.”
That didn’t sound good, but I nodded.
Better to tackle shit head on.
“What’s going on?”
“First.” He pointed at the window. “That fucker is not here just for Bren. She might be part of the reason, but she’s not the only reason. I talked to Brock and Gramps today, and a cop I know on the force back in Cain. It’s the same situation in Fallen Crest. There’s some corrupt cops and some decent ones. There’s enough decent ones that are using Brock’s team to help round up the Red Demons, so that’s saying a lot. Don’t go to the cops. Secondly, they have one big case that spans a shit ton of them with one eyewitness. That witness, I’m going to try to figure out who it is. From the rumblings we’re hearing, the Red Demons are trying to find out who it is, too. Someone local, and someone powerful. Or someone who has local ties, let’s say that. I’m also hearing that there’s a Red Demon at Cain U.”
