Page 81 of Bravo

The door opens a second time, and the oxygen is sucked out of my lungs when Bradyn walks in. His hair curls out from beneath the baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. One eye is black, his lip split.

But when he sees me, he freezes too, as though he’s drawn to me in the same way I am to him.

“Bradyn! What happened to your face?” Ruth steps in front of me and reaches up to touch her son’s stubbled cheek.

“A slight miscommunication between me and the guy who arrested me. Then another miscommunication between me and my cellmates.”

“Arrested you.” Ruth’s face turns beet red. “I cannot believe they put you in handcuffs.”

“It’s not the first time, and given my line of work, it probably won’t be the last,” he says as he sets his bag down.

“Look what the cat drug in,” Lani calls out seconds before Bravo rushes forward, tail wagging, whining in happiness that Bradyn has returned.

He kneels and pets the dog tenderly. “Good boy. It’s good to see you, too. You did good, boy.”

“You look worse for the wear,” Lani says as she takes a Poppifrom the refrigerator. After popping the top, she takes a drink and sets it down. “Are you okay? Need medical attention?”

He chuckles. “No, thanks, Doc. Besides, I’ve looked worse.” He straightens.

I’m afraid to ask him if he’s okay. Afraid to know what they did to him in there. But I can’t tear my eyes away, even though in some capacity, I can recall we’re not the only ones in the room. But he’s here.

Standing in front of me.

Alive.

That flicker of hope that went out long ago flares to life again. Maybe this time can be different. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll all walk away from this. After all, Bradyn Hunt walked into the belly of the beast andsurvived.Doesn’t that mean something?

“Lani, think you can come help me prep dinner?”

“I sure can.” Lani pats Bradyn on the back. “Glad you didn’t get worse.”

“Thanks, sis.”

“Anytime. See you in a bit, roomies.” She heads out the door with Ruth, and they shut it behind them.

“I’m so sorry,” I say, the tears breaking free. It feels as though I’ve been keeping myself together with paperclips and they’re all popping off.

“For what?”

“You got arrested because of me. And your face—what did they do to you?” I ask, rushing forward to touch his cheek.

Bradyn covers my hand with his own then reaches out and cups my face with the other. “Nothing happened to me,” he says. “I’m fine.”

“Your face?—”

“Will heal. I’m okay, Kennedy.” He pulls me in and wraps his strong arms around me. I breathe him in, enjoying the steady beat of his heart against my ear. He really is okay. Really is back.

God, if You’re up there and listening, thank You.The thoughts echo through my mind, and I feel a bit of myself soften to them. To the idea that we’re not all alone. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again. I thought you’d end up just like Olivia. Like the others.”

“Nah. I told you, I’m a hard man to kill.”

CHAPTER 28

BRADYN

Seeing her standing here in my living room is undoing me.

I’d decided on that plane ride that I needed to pump the brakes on everything I’ve been feeling because those types of emotions only complicate situations like this. You can’t think clearly, strategically, when your mind is clouded.

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