Page 60 of A Touch of Frost
“It’s five o’clock somewhere.” I grumbled. “Do we have anything?”
He thumbed over his shoulder to the kitchen. “Whiskey in the cupboard.”
Without another word, I walked around him and found what I was looking for. I took one shot, corked the bottle back and rinsed the glass.
“Want you to tell me what’s going on?” Lizard asked from the door.
“Ever feel like your birth ruined the lives of those around you and they make your life so miserable you almost go crazy?” I asked. “Then when you look to your brother to save you, he basically tells you that you’re the one with the problem and just leaves you to just drown?”
Lizard didn’t answer. He grabbed a second shot glass, pulled down the bottle of whiskey and poured us both a drink. When he lifted his glass, I tapped mine to his and we tossed them back.
“That’s rough,” he said.
“Yeah.”
“But you came to save him.” Lizard pointed out. “That means something.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, easing my glass to him for another. “What exactly does that mean?”
“You love him.” Lizard refilled our glasses. “You may not particularly like him, but you love him.”
I scoffed.
“No matter what you two went through, you still love him.”
I knocked mine back before he even set the bottle down. Once I did, I turned the shot glass up-side down on the counter and made my way back into the living room. Lizard entered and sat across from me but drew his seat close.
“It means, even though you’re angry at him, his life still means more to you than your own.” Lizard explained. “He’s your brother and no matter what, that word—brother—means something to you.”’
“I’m an idiot, aren’t I?”
“Naw.” Lizard chuckled. “My brother tried to kill me.”
“No shit?”
Lizard eased his shirt aside to show off the scar just under his left collarbone.
“He could have killed you!”
“Could have.” Lizard exhaled loudly. “But I’m still standing—he’s not.”
“He’s…”
“Yeah—look.” Lizard leaned forward to rest his elbows against his knees to face me. “All I’m trying to say is this. Your relationship isn’t at the place yet where it can’t be mended.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I nodded.
Lizard smiled, reached over to pat my shoulder then left me alone to lie down in one of the bedrooms. He’d been sleeping on the sofa when he did sleep over at nights. I supposed he was tired.
Stressed out, I leaned back in the chair, closed my eyes and rubbed them.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been sitting there. Paul screaming ripped me from my sleep and I grabbed Black Widow’s gun and went tearing into the room. Lizard’s large body came bounding into the room right after me, a baseball bat clenched into a tight fist.
But Paul wasn’t in danger—not in reality. He’d been having a nightmare, thrashing on the bed. Handing the gun to Lizard, I sat on the side of the bed and shook Paul by gripping his shoulders.
“Paul, wake up.” I told him. “You’re safe. Open your eyes!”
But he fought at me until I pulled him into my chest and wrapped my arms tightly around him.
