Page 54 of Brutal Game

“When did you know it was more than a fuck for you?”

Micah looked behind him, then turned back to me and smiled. “Subconsciously, I knew the first time I saw her. In reality, it took walking away from her and missing her to realize how much I—we—needed her in our lives. You don’t realize you’re complementary puzzle pieces at first. But when you do, you don’t let go. No matter what.”

A hand—a woman’s hand—appeared in the frame. “Baby, who are you talking to?”

“My little brother,” he told her.

Kara’s face appeared in the screen, soft with sleep. “Jack, what’s going on? Is everything okay?”

The pretty redhead always called me by the right name.

“Jack here is having woman troubles,” Micah told her.

I stiffened. “I’ve got it handled.”

“Do you?” Micah asked.

“When you say you don’t let her go no matter what, you mean no matter what she wants.” I didn’t even ask.

Kara snorted. “He does.”

“Have you fucked her yet?” Micah asked.

“Micah!” Kara chided.

I didn’t answer him. But by his eye roll, it was obvious he knew.

“Two words, kid.After care.”

“I think that’s one word,” Kara told him.

“I provide the aftercare, I think I know how it’s spelled.”

There was a groan behind them, then a very loud, “Unless our world is ending, hang up, and go thefuckto sleep.”

“Shut up, boss,” Micah said fondly to Conor, one of their other partners. To me he said, “One word or two, don’t forget to do it.”

“Aftercare is one word,” I said. “And she—” I had started to saydoesn’t deserve it, but that would’ve been a damn lie. She deserved all the comfort in the world, and I hadn’t given it to her. She’d been shaking, quiet, in shock. I’d hurt her, badly, and then I’dleft her alone.

Bile rose in my throat. I moved to hang up the phone, but my brother spoke.

“Wait one second. You don’t really think she doesn’t deserve it, Yacob,” he said, because the fucker was basically a mindreader. “If you did, you’d have to be a fucking fool, and you’re no fool. Get off the phone with me and go fix whatever you fucked up.”

“Goodnight,” Luke, their other partner, called.

Micah sighed. “We’re going to try to make it to one of your games this season. Have some jobs to complete, but I’ll let you know when. Marcus is coming, too.”

“Whatever.” I couldn’t admit to the hope that bubbled up. I could trust Micah and Marcus when it came to advice, but not much else. I doubted they’d actually show. They hadn’t been there for me in the years I’d actually needed them. That had been Coach.

Who Aviva was still trying to destroy.

That poor girl does not deserve this.

I pressed end without saying goodbye.

Stretching, I pocketed the phone and wandered down the hallway, picking up Aviva’s clothes from the dining room. The house was quiet; everyone had gone to sleep.

Another woman would have broken.

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