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“I told you he wasn’t on his way,” I heard Gabriel say before he entered the apartment, closely followed by Liam.
Glaring at my brothers, I unsuccessfully fought to calm my breathing. “Seriously?”
“We were already on our way here since we knew you wouldn’t come willingly. Now let’s go. We don’t have all day.”
I gave Gabriel the finger instead of dignifying his command with a reply.
Liam cracked his knuckles, a wide smile on his face. “I was waiting for payback. Didn’t think the opportunity would come around so soon. But looks to me like you need an intervention.”
Stomping around the apartment, pulling out cushions and opening every drawer, I growled at him. “I don’t need an intervention. I need to find out where she’s gone.”
Gabriel leaned against the breakfast bar, sipping on the coffee I’d bought for Ariel. “You scared her away already?”
“Fuck off.”
“No can do, little brother.” Liam was advancing on me, rubbing the palms of his hands together. “We have to get to the house. There’s something going down, and we won’t be out in the open to find out what it is. If they’re bold enough to go after Dad again, they might come after us as well. Until we know what’s going on, we’re all lying low.”
Gabriel approached from the other side, grinning at Liam. Before I had a chance to do much more than land a punch to Liam’s gut, they had me facedown on the floor.
I glared at the knee that was now in my vision. “Are you fucking sitting on me right now?”
Liam’s head appeared in my view with a maniacal grin. “I sure am.” He aimed his phone camera at me. “Smile.”
Gabriel laughed, his body shaking on top of mine. “Payback’s a bitch. But such a beautiful one.”
“You coming with us, or do we have to tie you up and carry you to the car?”
I knew Liam’s threat wouldn’t be an empty one. And there was no way I’d let them tie me up. Or carry me. Which was why I relented. I had to get to a computer and find out where Ariel had gone.
“I’m coming along.” The words came out garbled since my cheek was smashed to the floor.
My brothers let me back up, each of us eyeing the other warily. When it became clear that I wasn’t seeking retaliation—yet—they followed me out of the apartment. I set the alarm before locking the door behind me.
“I have to pack a bag.”
Gabriel raised a brow in amusement. “You have more suits in your closet at Mom and Dad’s than you could wear in a year.”
“Maybe I don’t feel like wearing a suit.”
Both my brothers looked at me with a frown, Liam the first to find his voice. “Are you sick? Has this undercover gig fried your brain? Suits are all you wear.”
I waved a hand up and down my jeans and flannel. “Clearly that’s not true.”
“You have five minutes.” Liam turned for the stairs. “We’ll be in the car.”
It took me less than that to throw my clothes in a bag and repack my few personal items into the box that was still sitting in my spare room. Less than five minutes to pack up my life. To leave it all behind.
Not sparing another glance at the apartment, I locked it behind me. My brothers didn’t give me shit for once when I threw my stuff on the back seat and slid in next to it.
Looking at Liam, I nodded. “Let’s go home.”
My family was gathered in the living room when I got there. Mom had been busy, every surface covered with baked goods and snacks. If she was worried enough to go into one of her baking frenzies, then the situation must have been worse than I thought.
She pulled me into a tight hug, her familiar perfume engulfing me. “Honey, where have you been? We were worried about you.”
Liam lifted his wife, Quinn, up and plopped down on the seat she’d occupied with her in his lap. “His girlfriend left him, and he was looking for her.”
I gritted my teeth together, my hands balled into tight fists. “She didn’t leave me.”
