Page 69 of Law Of Love

I imagined Brie's teasing look. I knew she’d be laughing—giggling out of control as she gazed up at me with her bold, grey eyes, urging me to continue and tell her about the girl who was slowly thawing my icy heart.

“She keeps me on my toes,” I said, casting my eyes down and fiddling with a twig, ripping the small delicate leaves off and throwing them to the ground. “She’s fiery.”

Just like me, Brie would have said.

I grinned at the thought, but it quickly dropped. “I fucked up, though.” The wind pricked the back of my neck hauntingly as if my little sister was controlling the weather and warning me. “I dragged her into things. She’s mixed up with the wrong people now, and it's put her at risk."

Brent and my chief had to physically restrain me and shove me against the wall at the Christmas fair. Fury had been coursing through me, and I wanted to do nothing more than march down to the shooting range and choke Will until he was a bag of bones.

I couldn’t, though. He wanted this reaction from me, and killing him would do nothing for me but land me in a prison cell—even if he was a seedy criminal. The police and my organisation didn’t want him dead. They wanted him behind bars where they could gather information from him about the trades he was working in.

I ran a hand down my face, groaning as I tilted my head back and glared up at the looming clouds angrily. They were threatening to downpour on me, and I cursed at them in response.

Fuck, history was repeating itself.

This was yet another person who I cared about that I was going to get killed.

I kept my sopping wet hood up as I entered the house, kicking the door shut, my hands shoved into my jean pockets. Everyone was still out, and I settled down on the couch, not caring if I soaked it through.

I braced my elbows on my knees and held my head in my hands, grunting to myself. Droplets of water trickled down my forehead and nose and dripped onto the wooden floorboards, filling the silence with steady bloops.

Brent had been watching Freya today while she was at college since it was the anniversary of Brie’s death. I’d spent a couple of hours at her burial site—not having visited in a little while. I had a feeling it was the reason precipitation had begun to beat down on my back painfully. Brie was letting me know she wasn’t happy about it.

I’ll be better, I’d told her.

It was fucking hard living with the fact that the consequences of my own actions caused the death of my innocent little sister. Hindsight was a wonderful thing, though; no amount of wishing it hadn’t happened would change the fact that she was no longer alive.

The front door opened, and I raised my head to see Freya entering the house. She smiled at me, and even though I was in a foul mood, it was enough to brighten my thoughts and drag me out of the powerful current that was keeping me under.

“How was college?”

“Same old. How was… Brie?”

I could tell she was hesitant to ask, but as uncomfortable as I felt talking about my sister, for whatever reason, I didn’t mind the subject with Freya.

“Probably pissed at me because it was the first time I’d visited in a while.” I chuckled.

She hummed. “I got you something, and I know it’s stupid, but…” Freya dropped her bag from her shoulder, leaning down to rummage through it.

I watched with curious eyes. “Freya, I don’t need—“

“Shh. Close your eyes.”

I groaned but adhered to her request, scowling as she took my hands in hers and pulled them toward her, forcing them into a cupping position. Another few seconds passed, but I then felt something soft and plush touch them, and I peeked my eyes open.

A fuzzy brown bear sat in my palms—eyes so wide and brown they mirrored Freya’s. A red scarf was wrapped around its neck, and it held its paws out wide—as if inviting me in for a hug.

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Oh… thank you.” I attempted to hide the confusion from my voice, and Freya laughed, tapping the cuddly toy's belly.

“You don’t have to do it now, but when you want to, squeeze his stomach.”

“His stomach?”

Freya dipped her chin. “Yeah, but maybe wait until you’re alone before—“

Without thinking, I squeezed the bear, and my throat constricted as the most magical noise sounded.

Brie. Singing.

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