Page 162 of Unforgettable

“You can talk about anything, can’t you?” CJ asked, and suddenly, I was at a loss for words. So I nodded. “My errands didn’t involve any of the things you mentioned. I was actually meeting with your brother.”

Everything else around me stopped. My brother?Mybrother? There was no reason for CJ to be meeting Adam. He must have been mistaken, I was sure of it.

Until suddenly, each of my interactions with CJ, especially those that included Adam, were at the forefront of my mind, playing in quick succession. My memory felt faulty, though, in my state of duress.

I remember him taking an interest when he realized my brother had moved in with me. And their little stare down in my apartment felt like a dick-measuring contest more than anything, at least at the time. But he’d seemed to be aware of my brother’s movements even more than I was.

He was the one to call me, frantic and concerned that my apartment had been broken into. That my brother was in danger.

CJ’s face split into a devilish, knowing smile. I was sure he saw the confusion and apprehension play out over my face. I felt tears threatening to spill as the strangest thought crossed my mind. But there was no use for tears. Everything in the moment I could feel later—fear was a useless emotion when you already knew what the danger was and where it lurked. Especially when it was standing right in front of you.

But suppressing the anger, frustration, and confusion powering through me was no easy task, and my next question came out choked.

“Meeting with my brother, huh?” I swallowed and glanced up at Reed, something I’d refrained from doing since CJ was staring directly at me, and it felt like a bad idea. He was gazing down at me, concern shining in his eyes as it should have been.

“Yes, meeting with your brother. We had business to discuss. Well, we actually had to discuss his lack of discretion and overall insubordination in conductingmybusiness.” CJ continued his perusal of my classroom with his hands tucked back into his pockets like he hadn’t just admitted that he was the drug dealer my brother worked for. The one he owed nearly one hundred thousand dollars.

Calvin.

Understanding washed over Reed’s features, and I nodded. He tensed beside me and scrubbed a frustrated hand over his dark stubble. Waves of intense anger rolled off him as CJ took silent, slow steps toward the middle of the room.

Everything we thought we knew was a lie.

Unable not to, I reached out and gently ran my fingers down the inside of Reed’s arm, hoping to soothe some of whatever he was feeling. If Reed was anything, he was fiercely protective.

“Did you know before he moved in that we were related?”

After my apartment was destroyed, Adam confessed that he’d been dealing for longer than any of us could’ve imagined. He’d worked for Calvin for years. The likelihood that CJ intentionally sought me out to find another way to my brother was completely plausible.

“No,” he said with a sigh. “Meeting you was pure coincidence. I had no idea the two of you were related until I saw that photo in your living room. Before that, I really did consider us friends. Still kind of do. Adam talked about you—his big sister who’d always looked out for him. And I knew I could use it to my advantage if I needed to. You were his weak spot. That was reaffirmed at our little meeting tonight.”

“Your meeting?”

“Yes, I guess you could say it was eye-opening. Your brother, Mandy, he’s a lot of things—he’s lazy, irresponsible, selfish, inconsiderate. He has a lot of traits most people would find unflattering. But Iwillsay he usually is a good liar.”

Knowing I wasn’t going to like where he was going, I braced myself for him to continue.

“Had I not already known that he’d gone behind my back to the cops, I probably would have believed him when he lied to my face earlier.”

All of the air was sucked out of the room. My panic was at an all-time high, and my mind immediately flashed to the worst-case scenario. Adam was a little shit on the best days, but if he was hurt, no one would compete with the vengeance of an older sister.

“I can see the panic all over your face, Mandy. Don’t start to worry yet. He’s fine for now, which is actually why I’m here.”

Finally, he stopped pacing around the room and propped his hip against one of the tables. He stared at us with intense curiosity, not saying anything more.

Beside me, Reed was humming with energy, and his hands clenched by his sides. There was no doubt that we were both done with CJ’s stupid cat-and-mouse games.

“Get to the fucking point,” Reed growled.

CJ’s chuckle was likely the most annoying response he could have mustered.

“Your brother still hasn’t come up with the money he owes me, and I’ve run out of time. There are bigger players involved—players that expect your brother to pay for the goods he didn’t deliver. One way or another, these guys are going to get their money. And… the last thing I wanted to do was involve you, Mandy. I knew I could, but I didn’t want to.”

“That’s why you trashed the apartment,” Reed supplied while his jaw ticced.

CJ winked, and the gesture was unsettling.

“I knew it would either scare him straight or, better yet, you would get involved. I knew you wouldn’t let your brother take the fall for all of this. You wouldn’t let him lose his life over some cash, so you’d find a way to help him, especially when you realized how close to home it all really was. But what I didn’t account for was the other two men in your life. They’re very good at getting you to do the exact opposite of what I was hoping. Instead of involving yourself, you walked away.”

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