AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I hope you made sides,” Cody said, rubbing his stomach. “We’re hungry.”
Somehow the absurdity of the humor broke the tension. I laughed and I laughed, and for some reason I just couldn’t stop.
Then something fell over behind me — a shelf of ceramic plates giving way, shattering all over the already-messy floor.
And my laughter grew even louder and more hysterical.
Seventeen
BRYNNE
“And that’s the last time you saw Evan?” asked Santiago. “The night he took off after your argument?”
I nodded numbly as we descended the stairs. It was a moment I’d been over a hundred times already, in my guilt-stricken mind. I could still envision my brother’s angry face, storming out of our apartment.
“Alright, we’ll start from there, then. Trace his path up through his acquaintances and known hangouts.”
The four of us had spent the night in the coziest corner of a quiet bar, sipping beer from a plastic pitcher and ordering the junkiest food on the menu. That part didn’t matter, though. The only part that mattered was being with them. Beingsurroundedby them, in a place where I felt naturally safe and invulnerable.
Thank God they came back for me.
I’d never been so thankful than to see their three handsome faces amidst the ruins of my shattered apartment. I had a trio of strong men now, protecting me from harm. Three actual warriors keeping me from getting broken into pieces, like everything else in the world I ever owned.
Somehow they’d all returned, despite my storming out of their place in the poutiest, brattiest way. I really didn’t deserve their help. But I took it anyway.
“Now, about your brother’s phone…”
At the moment we were pushing through the door and into their apartment. Sebastian – having been safely dropped off a little earlier – ran right past me and straight to Cody. A few seconds later, he was happily barking up his leg.
“Looks like I’m in and you’re out,” Cody grinned at me, while scratching the dog behind the ears.
I smirked back at him knowingly. For some reason the dog had taken a serious liking to Cody. Not that I could blame him, of course.
“Listen, Brynne…”
I turned, and Santiago was taking my coat. Silas had switched on just enough lighting to keep things mellow, and even put on a little music. Cody, from what I could see, was raiding the fridge for another round of beers.
“We were always going to help you,” Santiago continued haltingly. “With Evan, I mean. With finding him, or at least finding out what happened to him—”
“Stop, please. Let me talk first.”
My words seemed to set him back a little. He looked prepped for an apology, and probably some kind of rehearsed one. Maybe even one prompted by the others.
Still, his dark skin and broad, mountain-like shoulders were making it difficult for me to concentrate on anything but how ridiculously hot he was.
“I should be the one apologizing,” I went on. “All things considered; I was the one who got you in trouble—”
“Through no fault of your own,” Silas cut in.
“Still,” I amended, “if it weren’t for me none of you would be looking over your shoulder for the Lozanos. You’re all in danger now because of me, and every time you tried to help me out I only pushed you away.”
Cody tipped his beer back and smiled. “Well, noteverytime.”
“Most times then,” I smirked back, knowing exactly what he was talking about. “But yeah, I was pushy and presumptive and ungrateful. I expected your help automatically, rather than ask for it.”
“Brynne—”
“Most of it was because I was desperate,” I went on. “My brother’s been gone for a while, and I’ve been completely on my own. But then I found out you were mercenaries, and dangerous ones at that. The three of you seemed uniquely qualified to help me, in ways others couldn’t.”
