Page 36 of Broken King

The headachethat faded thanks to Cade’s talented hands comes back full force when I exit the elevator and walk down the hall to my condo in Rittenhouse Square. Why do I suddenly have a cavalcade of drummers using their sticks on my brain? Because my idiot brother is sitting on the floor in front of my door.

Stepping over him, I refuse to make eye contact with Hudson as I unlock my door. “How did you get up here?”

“I may have promised your doorman front row seats to my next fight.” He slowly stands. “And I might have to name my first kid Bob.”

“You know you’re an asshole, right?” I push the door open and let him walk in ahead of me. Once I’m in, I go straight to my kitchen, grab two prescription-strength migraine pills, and swallow them with a glass of water.

I know where this is going.

It may have just been a lingering throb earlier, but this is coming on hard and fast now.

“What do you want, Hud? I’m tired, and I need to go to bed, so make it fast.” I finish my glass of water and place it in the sink, then turn, waiting for Hudson to speak. Everyone might think I’m an ice queen. But I’m not good at staying mad at my brothers. My parents may never have really been there for us as kids, but we were always there for each other. And our bonds have only strengthened as we’ve all grown up.

My six-foot-four brother stands in my kitchen, looking small and guilty with his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans and his purple Crucible hat shading his blue eyes.

Unfortunately for him, my patience is wearing thin. “Say what you came to say, Hudson.”

“I’m an asshole, Scarlet. I’m sorry.” His shoulders rise and fall as if this is painful for him, but he manages to raise his stormy blue eyes to meet mine.

“Go on...” I goad, not quite ready to forgive him but knowing I need to, to move on.

“I may not be thrilled at the idea of you and Cade together, but it’s your business. I shouldn’t have gotten involved, not like that.”

I take two steps forward and flick his ear. “How about not ever?”

He steps back and hisses. “Ow. That hurt.”

“MMA Heavyweight Champion of the World, ladies and gentlemen.” I mock him because sarcasm is our love language. It’s how we show affection, even when we’re mad. It used to drive our father crazy. “Even Becket took it better than you, and Cade’s been one of his best friends for years.”

“Whatever. Will you at least tell me one thing?” He moves across the kitchen and helps himself to a bottle of vitamin water from my fridge.

“Is he good to you?”

Sensing he’s not ready to leave yet, I place my hands behind myself and pull up to sit on my counter. At least this way, I can lean my head against the cabinets and be at Hud’s eye level so he can see in my eyes that I’m telling him the truth. “We’re not even together.”

He leans his hip against the counter next to me as he gulps down the entire bottle, then wipes his lips with the back of his hand like he’d been wandering the desert without water for days.

“Jesus, how long were you sitting out there? I think there’s some leftover Chinese food in the fridge if you’re hungry too.”

Hudson shakes his head no. “Just thirsty, and I was out there for at least an hour. I think your neighbor wanted to call the cops. The old lady just kept cracking the door open and peeking out to see if I’d gone. I told her I was your brother, but she looked skeptical.”

“You have a key.” We all have keys.

A tight smile appears on Hudson’s face, accompanied by a low laugh. “I do have a key, but I also like my balls intact. If I’d let myself in here to wait for you, I’m pretty sure you would have castrated me.”

“You’re not wrong.” The dull throb in my head is getting worse, so I kick my shoes off and let them fall to the floor before I hop back down. “I’m going to bed, Hud. Stay as long as you want.”

He stops me with a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Did he do something?”

“No. He didn’t do anything. We weren’t together. We’re friends, and we’re going to stay friends. It’s what’s best for your niece.” I fail to mention that there was a time when we were so much more.

Hudson doesn’t need to know that.

Not now.

Possibly not ever.

His smile creeps back. “You know you can’t will her into being a girl, right Scarlet? I mean, I know you’ve got your ways to make the universe bend to your will, but even you aren’t that good.” He bends down and picks up my shoes and offers them to me.

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