Page 166 of Bona Fide

So him showing up at my door, unexpected, something’s wrong. I can feel it prickling at my skin, and my defense is already starting to rise.

“I’m about to tell her in a second,” he mutters. “And just update me when you hear something back—by text.” Another second goes by and he says, “You’re a dick.” Then he hangs up and pivots to face me again.

“Everything okay?”

He sighs. “Yeah, buddy in the Marines and half the reason why I’m here on top of the ‘homesick’—” He air quotes with his fingers. “—thing. His wife is pregnant, had some false labor, and our commanding officer sent me to babysit.”

“Oh, wow.” I’m not buying it. “So you’re dealing again.” His brows cut down as he gapes at me from my accusation.

“You must be out of your damn mind, Tsarina,” he leers at the glass. “I barely have time to wipe my ass let alone sling coke around.”

“You don’t think I remember you coming home every other day with a bruise or a slash somewhere on your body from fighting?” I lean against my island. “You didn’t think I forgot about all of that, did you?”

“I’m not dealing, geezus Christ, I just told you why I’m here.”

“It looks like you got your ass kicked, Marty.”

“By tripping and fucking up the shit I already had. Damn, you need to work on your trust issues.” My nostrils flare as I stare at him.

He could be telling me all the facts, I could be totally off. Completely out of my mind, which wouldn’t surprise me with everything going on.

However...I know my brother. And I’m privy to the no-eye-contact shit that he does when he’s not wanting to spill the truth.

“I have a surprise for you, brat.”

“What is it?”

“Pack a bag, we’re leaving tomorrow.”

“I can’t leave tomorrow, I work.”

“I already have it handled,” he vouches, giving me a gentle tug to my hair when I’m close enough. “I have Sadie coming into town for a few days to help Mila.”

“Seriously?” Marty smiles.

“No, seriously.”

His smile grows. “Seriously serious. You need a vacation, and...you need some drills of your own apparently.”

“I’m a civilian.”

“You need some discipline and your head screwed on tighter.”

I tsk. “Well, was Sadie okay with it? She hates big cities.”

“Yeah,” he quips, stealing another glance down at the street. “She agreed with the vacation, and as long as she didn’t need to live in New York, she was good with staying here.”

“Where are we going? How are you getting—”

He flicks his eyes back to me. “There you go with the million questions again.” I huff, pushing away my paranoia even though it’s sticking pretty heavily in my chest right now.

“Do I get a hint?”

Marty chuckles. “It’s warm.”

“Nice.”

“Where are the Band-Aids?” We walk back together to the kitchen island, and he frowns. “You don’t have any cool ones?”

“Sorry, fresh out of Pokemon Band-Aids.”

“We’re going to get some and some damn groceries when we get back.”

“How long are you staying?”

“A while.”

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