Page 31 of Full of Wrath

"Aww." Her eyes go soft and you can just tell that having her big sister talk about her makes this girl happy.

“Shootings? Babe, you didn’t tell me about any shootings.”

“I didn't know. All she told me about was the break-in and she only told me because she knew me and you are dating. Technically she isn't supposed to say anything about it at all, so if anyone asks…”

"I’m Memphis by the way.” Memphis gives my brother’s hand a shake without letting me go. “How did you find us?”

He says it so causally, but I can almost feel him vibrating under me.

“Oh, I go to school with your cousin.” Like that should clear it all fucking up.

“Danny!” I give him the same tone I would when he was only telling me half-truths or lying about doing his homework.

“Yeah,” he starts to explain. The voice always works. “I told Ari I was worried about you since you hadn’t checked on us in a couple of days, and she told me about the break-in her sister told her about, so she called her, who then told her you took her somewhere safe. I went to ask your cousin where you might have gotten off too since I couldn’t get in touch with you. I told him we had a bet going and I owed you money. He told me to go ask the Chief’s son, who told me about this place.”

“Well…,” Memphis relaxes again, totally speechless, which is a state a lot of people find themselves in when Danny is involved.

“Can we stay for dinner, sis? Getting up that mountain was hell, and I kind of don’t want to do it in the dark.” He's only had his driver's license for a year and a half.

I look up at Memphis and wait for him to answer.

“Sure, buddy. You guys can stay up at the big cabin with my sister and her …assassin.”

“Memphis!”

Multiple people say it at the same time, causing my man to start chuckling which in turn makes me laugh. He picks me up and I wrap my legs around him. If there is one thing Memphis understands better than anyone I’ve ever met… it’s family. The good, the bad, and the brothers.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Memphis

“So have you swirled the ole honey hole or fully dipped your stinger in the pollen pit?”

I look at my girl’s brother with a mixture of astonishment and anger. “Excuse me?”

I am going to have to kill him and come up with some excuse for his untimely demise so my girl doesn’t hate me for the rest of our lives. And he's a fucking kid on top of that.

“Have you been getting the honey or not?”

“I don’t want to have to kill you…,” I say the words slowly but enunciate each syllable.

“But you will if I keep talking about my sister like I am?” He gives me an odd look for a man whose life has just been threatened.

“Yes.”

He breaks out into a big smile and starts nodding his head. I wonder if there’s insanity in her family.

“That’s all I needed to know, man.”

He starts to walk away, but I reach out and pull him back.

“Explain.”

“Sis has always kept Silas and me safe. She’s always watched out for us and made sure we survived childhood. She wasn’t just sort of a mother; she basically was our mother. I wouldn’t let just any bastard waltz his way into her life and take advantage of her.”

My brows go up as understanding dawns. The kid might be a couple of years younger than Waverly, but he's got her back.

“I might not have been able to take care of her when we were young, but I can now that I’m a grown ass man. Sort of.” No way he's eighteen yet.