Page 6 of Brother's Keeper

I sniggered. “Are you gonna protect me, Daddy?”

He drew back and met my eyes with his narrow ones. “Don’t tease. This is serious.”

I pulled free and retrieved the laundry bag from where I’d dropped it.

“But I have something that might help,” he said.

I’d turned away and almost missed him producing a shiny bauble from his pocket. It glinted in the light,calling my attention. A small glass marble hung from a length of leather cord. The fluid inside swirled mercurial and familiar.

“Sorry for the delay in replacing your other one,” Nash said. “Donovan told me it had a hell of a kick, so I dialed back a few things. Should be a more pleasant experience this time.”

It was a recall potion like the one he’d given me before my arrest. The thing I’d used to ensure Donovan’s safety while sacrificing mine. It was a choice I would make again, which Nash must have predicted judging from his added statement.

“I gave Donnie one of his own, so this is all yours. You remember the drill? Break it or drink it, and it brings you here. Out of harm’s way, where you seem to insist on being.”

Taking the potion and cord, I found it to be knotted in a necklace. Another upgrade from letting it tumble around with my car keys and loose change. I dropped it over my head, then tucked the marble end under my shirt. The glass felt cool against my skin.

“Thanks,” I told Nash. “Here’s hoping I don’t need it.”

Shouldering the laundry bag, I made my way down the hall.

“Speaking of harm’s way, keeping the Capitol job may not be your wisest move.” Nash’s voice chased me as he followed. “That’s Grimm’s turf now.”

“Yeah, well I know he’s not really Maximus,” I replied. “So, I have the trump card.”

I arrived at the top of the spiral staircase and lookeddown at the lower floor. After a moment’s contemplation, I heaved the bulging sack over the railing. It dropped like a stone onto the floor of the entry hall, where it landed with a resounding thud. I glanced back at Nash, who stood across from me with his lips pressed into a thin line.

“A trump card does you no good if you die holding it,” he said.

“Jesus, Nash,” I sputtered. “Why so dark?”

“Been thinking, that’s all. Lots of time for that with the lack of customers lately.” His gaze angled toward the lower-level bar area.

Despite the plague being eradicated and the city gradually reopening, people had been slow to resume business as usual. I couldn’t help but think Nash’s problem had more to do with his stand against Grimm. None of the gang members had darkened the doors of the Bitters’ End in almost three weeks. Nash had claimed he didn’t need anything the Bloody Hex had to offer but, unless his pockets were deeper than I knew, he was bound to be feeling the pinch.

Nash cleared his throat. “Speaking of Maximus—”

Grabbing the metal handrail, I descended the stairs at a trot. “Notspeaking of Maximus.” I shook my head. “Who spoke of Maximus?”

Nash stopped halfway down the steps to reply, “You did. But, even if you hadn’t, we need to discuss it.”

I’d wanted to linger here, but that desire had been borne of a desire to hide from reality—a reality Nash was now driving to the forefront of my mind.

“Can it wait?” I shouldered the laundry sack and gaveit a pat. “Big moving day and all.”

He scrutinized the single trash bag that contained the entirety of mine and Donovan’s worldly possessions. “Fine,” he said. “Moving day gets you a pass.”

My smile returned. “Now who’s the pushover?”

He groaned.

Conflict Avoidance 101 would suggest I give my brother time to warm up to the idea of the houseboat and Nash the same time to forget about Maximus Lyle. Or to miss me enough that he was willing to put larger problems on the backburner. I could pacify Donovan with creature comforts like donuts and chocolate milk, which made my grocery run top priority. Bonus that none of the checkers would bombard me with questions about how the founder of our government had been replaced by a criminal gang leader.

Opening the front door, I hung from it long enough to blow Nash a kiss. That would have to be enough to get him started on missing me or remembering how obnoxious I could be. Maybe he found me endearing. Either way, I laughed as he stood, shaking his head, then I was off.

The next morning, thehouseboat’s cabinets were brimming with whatever craveable items had found their way into my shopping cart. Some of it could hardly be classified as food, or maybe I’d gotten spoiled by Pippa’s habit of scratch-cooking meals. Prepackaged snacks and peanut butter straight from the jar had been standard fare for Donovan and me for many years, but they felt lackluster now.

Breakfast consisted of a canned energy drink and a sleeve of powdered donuts. The sugar dusted my clothes and fingers, making it a terrible choice in my all-black getup. I climbed the steps toward the revolving glass door, swearing while sweeping powder off my tie and coat lapels and finally dropping the donut wrapper into the trashcan as I strode into the Capitol building.

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