“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you alone to make dinner.”
“It’s alright. You have a lot on your mind. It’s nothing fancy, just a chicken, cheese, and potato casserole. And before you say you’re not hungry, you need to eat. Come,” she demanded.
She was right. After I began eating, I was starving, and the food in my stomach made me feel better. I helped her clear things away when we were finished. We went up to the roof to try to relax.
“Sit forward,” she instructed. I did as she asked, scooting to make room behind me on the lounger. Anastasia slipped in behind me, and then her hands bit into my shoulders and neck. I groaned. It hurt, but in a good way.
“You don’t need to do—” I began to say, but was cut off.
“Hush. I want to. Sit there and be quiet. Try to let go,” she murmured.
Twenty minutes later, I was a puddle. My stress had significantly eased. A ringing phone made me jerk. I knew it was mine. I felt the vibration. Removing it from my shorts, I glancedat the screen. Instantly, I tensed. It was Rowan. I held it up so she could see it. Anger flashed across her face.
“Don’t answer it yet. Hang on,” she said. I watched her take out her phone, tap it a few times, then nod.
“Go ahead, if you want to,” was all she said.
Fury was boiling inside of me, but I fought it back. I hit the answer button, then the speaker one.
“Hello,” I said gruffly.
“Reign, you have to tell them there’s been a mistake!” Ro’s slightly hysterical voice said, as a greeting.
I don’t know what made me play dumb, but I did.
“Tell who? What mistake?”
“The cops! They came to my place and arrested me earlier, bro. I was sitting there watching television when, bam, there was pounding on the door, and they shouted it was the cops. I thought for sure they had the wrong place, but they didn’t. They handcuffed me, dragged me from my home, and threw me in the back of a cruiser. My neighbors were watching. I’m telling you, when I get out of here, they’ll pay.”
I wanted to scream at him to shut the fuck up, but I swallowed it. Instead, I asked more questions.
“Why did they arrest you? Where are you? Have you been charged?”
“They’ve got me in a cell. I need you to come down here and post my bail. They’re talking nonsense about stealing and forgery. I don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about. I haven’t stolen from anyone. Oh, and I need you to bring the lawyer. We’ll sue their asses,” Rowan boasted loudly.
“Rowan, you need to listen to me. I need to know as much as possible in order to make this right. Who did you steal from? Did they show you proof?” I asked.
He remained silent for several beats before he answered.
“They say I stole from you, Reign. But I didn’t. I swear to God, I didn’t. They babbled about unlawful loans and other crap. I don’t know. They’re making my head hurt. Please, we can talk about this later. Right now, get our lawyer and then come get me out of here.”
His tone pleaded. I changed tactics.
“You’re in there because you used my identity, applied for a loan, and then forged my signature. You stole half a million dollars and put it on my back, Ro! That’s why they arrested you, and you’re sitting there,” I snapped.
All I heard was the hum of something on the other end of the phone line. It lasted ten or so seconds.
“Reign, listen to me. We can talk about this—no need to involve the law. Call and tell them that you’re not pressing charges. It’s all been a mistake. I’m your flesh and blood. You can’t want them to arrest me. I could go to prison for this, bro. Please, we’ll work this out. It wasn’t stealing or all that other shit.”
“Then tell me, what was it?” I asked.
“Temporary help. You fired me. I needed a way to pay bills, keep up my rent, and feed myself. You left me without anything. I planned to pay it back. Why didn’t you call me and talk about this? You didn’t need to tell the cops,” he whined.
“When someone steals from you and forges your name, calling the police is exactly what one does,” I reminded him.
“That’s for strangers, not family. Your money is there to help both of us. I know you’re spouting off about inheriting your assets and all that, but you’ll see. You only have family as the ones to trust at the end of a day.”
“You were to get another job. Figure out how to make something of yourself, not steal from me. The fact that we’re brothers makes what you did worse. You deserve to be there,” I snapped.
