Page 13 of Kissed in the Dark

At the front desk, I make arrangements for bail but ask that they don’t release either man yet. I need to make sure they’ll settle down first. The sympathetic officer leads me down to where Chris is. He stands up, staggering to the bars. “Well, well. Hello, sis. Here to bail me out.”

I glare at him and cross my arms. “Maybe. Depends on if you can behave yourself.”

He huffs at me and sits back on the bed in the cell. “I’m not the one that broke the bro code. He’s lucky I didn’t break his nose.”

“Well, you better get over it cause I need you to help me.”

He cocks his head. “How?”

“I intend to marry that bastard and you’re gonna get him to the altar.”

He rears back, stunned. “The hell I am! That bastard shouldn’t have touched you. He deserved to get his clock cleaned.”

“That bastard is your best friend and the man that I’ve been in love with my whole life. He said he loved me too. And I’m gonna make sure that he gets exactly what’s coming to him.” When my brother briefly lights up, I huff out, “a lifetime with a woman who loves him desperately.”

Chris’s face falls. “Are you sure? I mean, I know Jude is a good guy but marriage doesn’t seem in the cards for us.”

I sigh and move closer. “I’m sorry Jess left you at the altar and you’re hurt.” I stop and then grumble. “Alright, I’m not sorry she left you. You know how I feel about Jess. I don’t think she’s right for you.”

“I don’t think Jude is right for you,” he huffs out angrily.

“But you don’t get to make that decision for me. I do. Jess made your decision not me. This is between Jude and I. No input from you and if you touch him again, I’ll sneak in and throw away all your fancy legos and turn up the heat on your wine cooler.”

“Savage,” he snaps. “Fine. I’ll stay out of it but that doesn’t mean I want to help it along.”

“Too bad. You owe me. Since I lost that job thanks to your little detour.”

“Shit! I couldn’t just buy you a new car?”

I shake my head, grinning. “Nope! This is what I want.”

“Fine. I’ll help you. Just tell me what you want.”

“Good. This is what I want you to do.”

He nods his head and when I’m done talking he sighs. “Are you sure about this?”

“So sure. I love him, Chris,” I say softly.

“Fine. I’ll bag your guy but you take care of the rest of that stuff. I’ve already done it once this week. After this, I’m never going to another wedding again.”

We’ll see about that. I have a feeling my brother’s gonna find his true love sooner than he thinks.

But for right now, I’ve got a wedding to plan. And a groom to bag.

JUDE

“Are you sure about this, man? I mean, Jess kinda left you high and dry. I don’t think I’d want to go back and talk to her. Especially at the place you were supposed to get married. That doesn’t make any sense to me.”

“We’ve been together a long time, Jude. You have to give someone a chance to explain their thinking.”

I don’t fucking buy that. I better not see that woman trying to get him back and him going along with it or I swear I will beat my buddy’s ass.

He’d deserve to get busted for that. No woman is worth the hell she put him through.

But my heart throbs in my chest and I rub at it absently. “I can’t believe you actually forgave me. I mean, I hurt Heather. I’m a bastard. You should still want to kick my ass.”

He glares at me, his blue eyes eerily similar to his sister’s. “Do it again and I will.”

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