Page 32 of A Brother's Secret

Panic spun my thoughts around and they started to fall from their neat, orderly shelves, jumbling one on top of the other. I was going to get someone hurt, someone killed and I really didn’t want to do that. I really didn’t want to destroy the life that Kyle had built for himself. I looked around and saw clearly that these fools were the family that Kyle no longer had in his parents. Did I really want to be the destruction of that? He would hate me forever and worse… he could die and knowing my luck? I would live. And if I didn’t die, and he didn’t die, but one of these men did? One of their family did? Fuck, the implications were horrible. The mercy would be that they would kill me. Quickly would be nice but men like these? Like Reaver, over there? Quickly was so not their style… Worse yet, Kyle could possibly resent me forever and there were some things that were indeed a fate worse than death. That one certainly topped thelist.

“Mali… Mali, look at me.” I shuddered hard and looked over to Kyle who was staring at me intently.

“What?” I demanded and it came out harsher than I intended. It always did when I was scared, but Kyle saw right through me. He alwaysdid.

“It’s going to be fine, sugar. This ain’t any of us our first rodeo…” Dragon said and I shook my head letting out an explosive breath. I got down from where I sat and paced, stalking back and forth.

“Even if that’s the case,” I said bitterly, “The stakes have never been higher for all of you, any of you, havethey?”

“Hmm, that’s the God-given truth,” Trigger agreed.

“That’s what makes it more fun,” Reaver said grinning and it was a grin that was echoed on a few faces, Thirteen’s and Revelator’s amongthem.

“Seriously not the time to get cocky,” I derided. “These people mean business… seventeen years, one post on the internet and they were there inside twenty-four hours loaded for bear. What does that tellyou?”

“Tells me neutral location with plenty of high ground,” Ghost said and exchanged a look with Trigger who nodded.

“Controlled explosions,” Thirteen said, and someone laughed.

“That leaves me out, you’d need Duracell for the controlled part.” I looked over to Lucky who was grinning but shaking his head a bit ruefully. That wasn’t disconcerting at all, the guy named Lucky playing with explosives that weren’tcontrolled.

“Eh, I’m sure your homemade brand of firepower has its uses; I bet I could help tweak them so they’d color inside the lines,” Thirteen, said.

“Where, though?” Luckysaid.

“The lodge?” Archer asked.

“Too far and it's tourist season through there,” Dray said. “Plus, we really try not to shit where weeat.”

“Got my fishing cabin, but there are neighbors up that way,” Thirteen mused.

“Here?” I asked.

“Could make it defensible and it’s pretty much off the grid,” Dragonsaid.

“I could be bait. I’d like my gun back, though...” Isaid.

“Won’t need you for bait, baby,” Kyle said, and he sounded disapproving.

“Well, you sure as fuck aren’t going to be here for the big show and not have me here. Fuckthat!”

“Uh oh, trouble in paradise,” Revelator mocked, and Kyle and I turned at the sametime.

“Shutup!”

“Stay out of this please, Rev…” we both barked in unison. I’ll give you one guess as to who was nicer.

“Look,” I said, “I am a big fucking problem for y’all, and I would really like to be part of the solution. So if you don’t mind, this self-saving princess would really like to be a part of the action up to find out who the fuck I killed and why he’s so goddamned important. It’s not like that hasn’t been haunting me for the last seventeen years.”

“All right, all right, calm your tits…” Dray said pushing his hand down at me in front of him twice, the classic sign to slow down and pump the brakes.

“She has a point, son.” Dragon sighed and met my eyes, the dark, burning coal to his gaze considerably cooled. “Much as I hate to say it, they come lookin’ they’re apt to scout this place and they’re gonna want to see she’shere…”

“Great,” Kyle muttered and hung his head sharply. He pulled on the back of his neck and I drifted to him, digging my thumbs into his shoulders at the base of his neck, doing my best to smooth out the tension there.

“We need to come up with some kind of a plan, figure out who is gonna be involved, who is going to look after things back at the proverbial ranch… Shit.” Archer hung his head and I felt my breath still in my lungs, my chest tightenup.

“Mali, it’s fine, they’re going to help, ease up.” I startled and let go of Kyle and he turned in his desk chair and pulled me down into his lap to make eye contact withme.

“Trust me…” he said and I nodded because whenever had I not? He was my compass, and he’d absolutely never steered me wrong.

“Right… I think we can all make an exception on a kind of she’s here and we’re stuck with her for now?” Dragon winked and I frowned at him. The rest of the guys grumbled their assent. He nodded and said, “Okay, we’ll put it to avote.”

---