Page 132 of Root

No. I’m man enough to fight to the death for Jessie.

I’m man enough to fight her for us to be together, for her to admit how she feels.

I’m just not a good enough man.

Maybe I’d be good enough, weak enough, stupid enough, to let her go if she hadn’t come into my room tonight and done what she’d done. Because how the fuck do I see it and she doesn’t?

She gave me her love.

Cracked herself open.

“When her brother gets here, Fred, take him back to the estate.”

His eyes meet mine in the mirror. “And you?”

“I’m good.”

“Uh, Sir…”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, we’ve been out picking up chicks together, years ago, don’t sir me. I know you’re under Nikolai’s employment, and you always have been, so shove the sir up your ass.” I pause. “Unless it’s in front of Nikolai, then you can sir away.”

“He wants you under watch.”

“Do I look like I need it?” I glare. “Take him back. I got this.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Ass.”

I get out of the car and head up to the police car and Jess starts vibrating the moment she’s aware of me.

“The car,” I say to her brother. “Now.”

He mutters something, pats her shoulder and swings the bag up, loping to where the black car is. The cop’s on the phone. I don’t know his name, just that he works for Nikolai.

“And you can go, too.”

The cop hesitates.

“That him?”

The cop nods and I pluck the phone from him.

Nikolai sighs on the other end. “Get the fuck back home.”

“I do all that, dude, and you don’t trust me?”

There’s silence. “It’s not that. I want to make sure we got them all.”

“I need to sort this, Nikolai.”

My hard ass cousin hears something in my voice, or maybe he’s feeling…I don’t know…soft in the fucking head. We haven’t talked about it, just Rose, and one reason they went away, a reason she hadn’t spoken to him about. And that scares me how they can still miscommunicate and mess up when they’ve been together so long, when they love each other so much.

Then again, if that’s all their issues are, I’ll welcome my own if that’s all they are.

Not that I intend on getting the snip. I’m not broody, but I’m young and… Fuck, what am I thinking? I’m going to need a shower. I swear.

“I can do this. And congratulations on your super swimmers.”

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