“It’s the truth. You got through to him on the phone. You got him to the window. You told him to shout my name.”
“You would’ve gotten him out with or without me.”
“No,” I snap. Freddie stirs in his sleep but doesn’t wake. “Wesaved him. And not just us, Darren and Martin and Amy, Zack in the control room, the man who made the call from across the street. Don’t give me credit for something I didn’t do alone.”
“I didn’t know what to say to him,” Liam mumbles. “I didn’t know what advice to give him. My mind went blank, I fell silent. For ten minutes I listened to his breathing getting worse, and I know he kept that phone to his ear, waiting for me to say something reassuring, or to tell him what to do, but I didn’t. I went quiet on him when he needed me the most.”
“Heknowsyou, Liam—”
“I stood there and watched, and if . . . if it had been too late, my last words to him would’ve been ‘Keep breathing, Freddie.’”
“Very practical.”
“Don’t take the piss out of me.”
I look away from him.
“I don’t deserve him,” Liam whispers.
I slowly untangle my fingers from Freddie’s and get to my feet. The shooting pains that run up my spine are worth it as I turn to face my brother. Not Sergeant Bridges, but Liam. “Don’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“We’re so close; you’re so close. You’ve been in love with him since you were nine years old. Before you consciously knew it, you loved him.”
Liam drops his gaze to the floor. “I shut the door in his face when he needed me, when his dad had tormented him again. I turned him away—”
“We both made that mistake—”
“And I let him down last night. I went quiet on him. I couldn’t save him. I had to watch, and I know I’m going to let him down again. I’d rather he never be mine than have him and let him down.”
I close the distance between us and rest my hands on his shoulders. He tenses.
“Listen to me. Sometimes—and I’ll admit these sometimes are few and far between—but sometimes I know best. You’re scared, you almost lost him today, you could’ve lost both of us, and this is fear talking. It’s the flighty side of the fight or flight, but I need you to fight for him, for us, all three of us.” I rub his tight muscles. “Because it’s not a fight with anyone else, the threat is coming from you, and its dressing itself up as a solution, but it’s not one where any of us will end up happy, least of all you.”
“What if I can’t be what he needs?”
I slide my hands to Liam’s throat, and lightly, with zero malice or true intent, throttle him. “You’ve always been what he needs. We both are.”
Liam slumps, then folds all the way to rest his head on my shoulder. The hug, if it can be called that, lasts less than ten seconds, then he straightens.
“I’m going to find out who did it,” he says, and like that, he’s Sergeant Bridges again. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I know who did it.”
“Is that why you were asking about Stephen, Freddie’s boss?”
Liam nods. “He’s at the station now. I’m going to drive there in a bit. As soon as the doctor discharges you, call me, and I’ll take you both home.”
I bite my lip, and force back my knee-jerk reaction. I don’t tell him to stay, let someone else deal with Stephen, instead I nod, one quick movement of my head. Liam needs the job right now. He needs to catch whoever is responsible for Freddie’s injuries.
“How long has he been asleep?” Liam asks.
“A few hours. It’s deep . . .”
Liam rocks on his heels, then strolls up to the bed. He takes hold of Freddie’s hand in a gentle grip, swipes his thumb back and forth over his knuckles a few times, then lets go.
“I’ll be back for you later,” he says before he leaves, and I allow a small smile.
That growl sounded more like my brother.
