AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He smacked my shoulder before pushing me back. “Then take care of this.”
I’d just started begging Dare to find Willow when Maverick grabbed my arm, rushing us both into the large room directly next to the conference room.
The rockstars had turned it into what we called their peacock room—where they could show off or look over all their accomplishments and awards. But this room had been built for war, so that’s what we were using it for while we occupied their house.
But as Maverick and I tied bandanas around the lower halves of our faces and geared up with enough guns and ammunition for whatever awaited us outside this house, and as he recounted what he and Einstein had seen on the security cameras, I wasn’t there.
Mentally.
Emotionally.
I was in a bed in a darkened apartment, asking questions and evading answers. I was falling for that girl no matter how many times I’d told myself not to.
“Where are you?”
“Right next to you,” I muttered distractedly as I finished putting the last handgun in my double-shoulder holster, then reached for my rifle.
A worried scoff bled from my brother. “You’re quiet as shit. You’re prepping like we’re about to walk out to our funerals. You’re not here.”
“What do you want me to say?” I snapped, voice rough and low. “They want her, Mav. They’re here for her. And I could’ve prevented everything that happened this morning if I hadn’t let myself get distracted by her.”
“Diggs,” Maverick whispered, my name leaving him disapprovingly. “I told you not to do that shit.”
“Don’t tell me I’m wrong. I know I’m not.” A bitter laugh scraped up my throat as I finally met my brother’s worried gaze. “And the fucked-up thing? No matter what I try telling myself—what I know I should do—given another chance, I’d let myself get distracted by her all over again.”
“This isn’t on you.”
“Except it is,” I countered with a forced shrug. “This morning, you said your job’s to end threats—but there’s no ending it if I don’t find them. If I don’t even try.”
“Not sure you’ve ever actually tried anyway,” he said on a delay, his slow words thoughtful—almost lazy—and I stilled.
“I’m sorry?”
He nonchalantly lifted a shoulder as he released the charging handle of his rifle. “I mean, do you find them?” He shrugged again before mumbling, “I think you just happen to be there when shit finds us.”
“I know what you’re doing,” I said in warning as he continued.
“You ask me? You just stand around, getting in the way.”
“Fuck you, I saved your wife,” I shot back, stepping closer when I added, “I saved you countless times overseas.”
“And I returned the favor,” he reminded me carelessly, using the butt of his rifle to tap my side. “Debt repaid.”
“I know what you’re doing,” I shouted, the repeated words lashing from me and snapping around the room.
I knew my brother, and careless wasn’t a word that would ever describe him. Just as I knew he would never go into battle without me and vice versa.
“I’d say you could try to prove me wrong, but...”—he sucked in a sharp breath—“you’re busy falling apart, and I already know how you shoot.”
I smacked the rifle out of his hands so it swung from the strap around his neck. “See if I don’t drop more of those neon clowns than you and look like more of a badass doing it.”
Maverick just shrugged and pointed to the door. “Prove it, tracker.”
“I want pancakes when I do,” I responded easily.
“Jesus.”
“Keep up, assassin.” I knocked Maverick’s rifle out of his hands again and started past him, repeating, “I know what you’re doing,” one last time as I did. Only this time, there was an edge to my voice.
