AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I…well, I?—”
The bell rings a third time.
It’s likely important and whoever’s on the other side is going to wake up my daughter if they keep going on like this.
And then I’ll never get her to go back to sleep.
Something that Stefan seems to realize at the same time. “I’ll get it,” he mutters, bending and snagging the glass of wine from the table and passing it back to me. “Drink. Relax. Then we’ll talk.”
I nod, relieved that he seems to be intent to keep talking, and lift the glass to my lips, taking a sip of the crisp, citrusy white that’s my favorite wine. It’s from a local winery, the proprietor now the owner of the Oakland Eagles and Rome’s future father-in-law.
But that only holds my attention for a split second.
Because then there’s a loud thud in the hall, the sound of flesh meeting flesh, a grunt, and?—
“Fuck!” I hiss, plunking the glass on the table and jumping to my feet, sprinting out of the family room, turning the corner, and?—
Skidding to a halt.
What the actual fuck?
Dan—my big brother and only living biological relative, my brother who works for the FBI and is never home, my brother who is not supposed to get in until tomorrow is?—
“Stop!” I cry, running toward the pair of them. Well, toward my brother who’s got Stefan pinned against the wall, his hand wrapped around his throat, and murder in his eyes.
“You’re fucking in her house, asshole?” Dan is grinding out. “You’re standing in her house in fucking sweatpants and bare feet after all the shit you pulled on her? Fucking really?”
I inhale sharply through my nose.
My brother drops his face even closer, growling out words I can’t hear.
“Dan,” I say sharply before this can get even more out of hand. “Let go of my husband.”
“Ex-husband,” he says, head swiveling toward me as though he knew I was there the whole time.
Hell, he’s an FBI agent. He probably did know I was there from the moment I stepped into the hall.
“Dan,” I sigh. “You’re early.”
“And you’re taking up with this asshole again?” he snaps, still not releasing Stefan.
“You’re not supposed to be here until tomorrow.” I move toward him, warning Stefan to stay still with my eyes. He’s not fighting back, not because he can’t throw down in a fight—he can—but because Dan is my brother and I love him, and?—
He won’t hurt someone who’s important to me.
“I caught an earlier flight,” Dan says, eyes flashing as he glances over at me.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I say. “But I’d rather you don’t commit murder in my hallway.”
Some of the ice leaves his eyes, and his mouth curves up just the slightest bit at the edges as he shrugs. “I can make the body disappear.”
God. My brother.
He’s…
Something else.
“You owe me a hug,” I say softly.
