Page 32 of Love Fire

This type of anger and reaction from Brent would usually excite me. I like to see him take control and his rage has fueled some incredible intimate moments between us. But seeing his anger and rage directed at my brother is another story entirely.

But Brent doesn’t make a move towards Nate. I look up at him, and Brent’s face isn’t one of anger but shock. He looks at me and then at Nate and then back at me. To my surprise, Brent starts laughing.

“What the fuck is happening in my house?” Brent’s laugh continues, almost out of control. His eyes widen and he looks around, as if he’s expecting more people to be hiding in the shadows.

Brent’s clearly at the end of his rope. He’s been in the dark about so much that has been going on, and now it's all coming to a head. I feel terrible about it, a few days ago he was living his life normally but now he’s losing his mind.

I want to explain it all to him but I don’t know if I can. I still don’t know if I can fully trust him. On top of that, would he even believe me now if I told him the truth? But I know I can’t leave Brent like this.

As Brent continues to laugh to himself, I turn back to look at Nate. He shakes his head. "Erin,” Nate says firmly. "Don’t.”

“He’s going to figure it out, Nate! He’s a part of this, too!”

“A part of WHAT!” Brent yells between laughs. His laughter only grows louder and more desperate. He’s trying to make sense of everything but he doesn’t know enough. It’s clear that the only thing that could make sense is that this is all a big joke, so he can only laugh. “I have no idea what’s going on!”

“My name is Erin Vincent.” Brent’s laughter stops at once. He looks me in the eyes as confusion grows on his face. I gesture behind me to Nate, “That’s Nate Vincent, my brother. We are the children of Torres Vincent, the head of the Vincent Family drug cartel. The leading producer of iridescent in the area.”

Brent doesn’t look away from me. He falls quieter than I’ve ever seen him. The confusion on his face doesn’t fade.

I figure I should continue with my explanation. I won’t mention anything about Alessandro or Hank, but I need to tell him something. The only way out of this is to be as honest as possible.

“We have been against our father and his wishes for a long time. But, we’re pretty sure he’s caught on to that and is now after us. He already made our sister disappear a year ago.” I look back at Nate to see if he has anything to add. He stays quiet but watches Brent closely. I return my attention to Brent, “That’s it. That’s what’s been going on. I’ve been meeting with Nate down here as we figure out our next steps.”

Brent forces out another laughing fit but it quickly fades. “You’re serious? You’re Erin Vincent?”

I nod. “Yes, now if you can just listen, please, I’ll tell you everything. I can answer all your questions.”

Brent is exasperated. Maybe I gave him too much freedom, he must have so many questions but no idea where to start. His eyes eventually land on Nate. “How did he get in here?”

“I used the underground tunnels to get to the trap door.” Nate gestures at the trap door on the floor.

Brent’s expression returns to confusion, “How- what- how the fuck do you know about that?” Brent grabs his head in exasperation. “How is everything getting more confusing and irritating? I just want a simple answer that doesn’t piss me off more!”

I take a step towards Brent and lay a reassuring hand on his chest. “How about Nate leaves, and the two of us talk? I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

Brent removes his hands from his head and places them on my hand on his chest. “Okay. Okay. Yes, I’d like that.”

I step away from Brent towards Nate. “I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry. You can go.”

Nate gives a reluctant nod in return and walks over to the trap door. He opens it and pauses before stepping in. “I’ll be back soon.” He disappears into the trap door and closes it behind him.

I turn back to face Brent. He has crossed his arms and looks at me with sternness that is mixed with his lingering confusion. I can’t help but think about how all of this has hurt him, all the lies and secrets. Maybe it’s time to be completely honest and not hide anything anymore.

“Go ahead, please explain this to me, Erin.”

29

BRENT

Now’s the perfect time to fix myself a drink. I go to the basement’s barroom to find the strongest liquor I have. Amaretto? No, not for this occasion.

Tequila is for happy occasions. On my right, I spot a whiskey bottle next to the vodkas. That’ll do perfectly. I grab a glass and pour myself a full serving.

I stop halfway when I remember Erin’s right in front of me. Her expression doesn’t show discomfort but I should still make sure. I put the bottle down, ready to pour out the glass.

“Are you okay with this?” I ask, pointing at the glass.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

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