Page 27 of The Devil's Pair

Now if only these two would help me work all those calories off later.

Shut. Up. Briley. Shut the hell up.

**

Three hours later, Briley walked upstairs, towelling her wavy hair dry after her shower. She passed the guys’ room, heard them moving around behind the closed door, and she hesitated and slowed and raised her hand to knock. Then she shook her head, carried on down the hall to her own room. When she got there, she saw that the guys had bought her a surprise.

A beautiful, huge bunch of sunflowers was sitting in a new vase, just in front of her dresser mirror. She’d mentioned in passing – some time on their journey from Utah to Colorado to New York to Pennsylvania – that she loved sunflowers, that they were her favorites. And they’d clearly remembered that, and in the middle of all their running around to pick up her new furniture, and the painting and cleaning supplies, Dux and Drake had stopped somewhere and bought her flowers.

She stared at herself in the mirror, looked at the vibrant yellow-orange petals framing her face, and she realized that things were almost completely settled now in her new home… which meant that the guys would be leaving soon. Whichalsomeant that their time together was running out.

Briley wrapped her arms around herself, sat down on her bed, looked at the sunflowers some more, and she found herself thinking about time. Wasting it, losing it, frittering it, wishing for more of it. And as always, whenever the started down this particular train of thought, she remembered her father.

He’d left for work on the last day of his life like he had done any other day. He’d rinsed out his coffee cup and put it in the dishwasher, kissed Briley’s mother on the top of her head, ruffled Briley’s hair. He’d made some Dad joke about his two girls being so beautiful that it should be illegal, which Briley hadn’t responded to and her mother had smiled absently at, as she’d handed him his packed lunch. Briley hadn’t even looked up as he’d walked out the door – she had a history test that day and was studying at the breakfast table – and she hadn’t even noticed that he was gone.

Then he was justgone… gone forever.

Oh, being the kid of a police officer meant that she knew that he was at risk, every single time that he walked out the door, away from her and her mother. But he’d always come home before that day that he didn’t – and Briley had gotten complacent and careless. She’d always thought that there would be another day with him, another morning to give him a hug, another night to sit on the sofa and watch TV together, another chance to tell him all the things that she thought and felt.

And then there were just no more chances; therewasno more time.

Of all the regrets in her life, not smiling at him when he’d joked with her and tousled her hair, not looking up as he’dwalked out of the house that day, were in the top three. Those two, and dishonoring the badge by working with Gideon – she knew her father would be bitterly disappointed in her, even as he saw her need to protect Cheryl.

Sitting here now, looking at the surprise sunflowers, she thought that she had enough regrets behind her, she had truckloads; she didn’t want to have any more. She had lost enough time being Gideon’s little toy and target, by being fearful and stuck; she didn’t want to lose any more, didn’t want to be afraid anymore, didn’t want to stay in a situation that wasn’t serving her. And on the flip side of that, she didn’t want toavoida situation that might be amazing, just because she was scared.

Scared of what? Those two would never hurt you, not in a million years, and you know that.

Briley got to her feet, brushed her hair, and slicked on some face powder and lip gloss. Then she loosened the belt of her bathrobe.

She wasn’t going to waste one more day.

Not one more minute.

Not one more chance.

**

The soft knock took them by surprise. Right away, Dux and Drake exchanged glances, both thinking that something bad was up– Briley hadnevercome to the guest room once the door was closed at night.

Dux opened the door, and his brother stood directly behind him. There she was in her robe and her delicate bare feet, with a strange look on her face: she looked nervous and tense and scared, and she only lookedmoreso when she saw that they were both in nothing but boxers.

“What’s wrong, babe?” Dux asked, tugging her into the guest room. “Why do you look so freaked out?”

“Did you hear something outside?” Drake asked her. “You want us to go take a look?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” she said in a small voice, her eyes lowered. “And I didn’t hear anything.”

“OK,” Drake said, puzzled. “Did you need us for something?”

She looked up at them now, just stared at them straight and open and true, and it was all right there on her beautiful face, in her eyes. They knew.

“Babe,” Dux said softly. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She cleared her throat. “Yes, I am. I’m just… I’m nervous. I know you won’t hurt me or force anything, but… I’m nervous anyway.”

“What are you worried about?” Drake asked her.

“Honestly?”

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