Chapter 28
I follow Justice down the stairs to the range. He’s mumbling. I’m largely indifferent.
Liberty and I are happening.
No matter what her brother thinks.
The door cracks loudly against the wall when he shoves it open. “Anger management class lately?”
He heads right for the hatchets, grabbing four of them.
One after another thuds into the center of the target at the far end of the throwing alley.
“Your sister has a good throw,” I say, picking up a set of throwing knives.
He swivels his head around. “You brought her down here?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“Don’t know. Just figured you’d not be interested in—” He waves a hand. “Anything but getting laid.”
I pitch a knife. The blade hisses through the air, landing squarely on the bullseye. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. You know you’re just going to hit it and forget it.”
I flip the knife over in my hand, catching the handle easily. “Impossible to do with a woman like Liberty.”
He glares a hole in me.
“She’s special, Justice. You know that better than anyone. I tried to resist what I felt for her for months. But now, there’s no hiding from the way she makes me feel.”
“How’s that?” he grumbles.
“Better than I ever have. So you need to decide, are you going to be okay with this, or are you going to break your sister’s heart?”
I throw another knife. This one true and fast as well.
He shoves both hands into his hair. “Can you blame me?”
“Not at all. I’ll be the same when and if I have a daughter someday.”
“Kids?” He croaks. “You two talked about kids?”
Another knife sails down the alley, hitting beside the first two. “We’re not planning any yet, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“What are you planning?”
“To marry her. Buy her a house.”
The silence is thick as lead for about sixty seconds, until he mutters. “Well fuck. You’re going to be my brother-in-law.”
Grinning, I toss the last knife. “Bullseye.”
He drops onto a stool, his expression mostly pained. “She’s my little sister.”
“She’s a beautiful, young woman and I promise to honor and protect her with everything that I am.”
Dark brown gaze clocking to mine, he nods. “You’re a good SEAL.”
“I’ll be a better husband.” When I extend a hand, he takes it. We shake and some of the tension in my chest loosens.
“I think we should join the girls in the hot tub.”
He smiles. “Yeah. Let’s go, I love Rosalie’s new swimsuit.”
But then quickly frowns. “You are not going to try to play footsie with my sister under the bubbles, are you?”
“No. That’s going to be hard to do when she’s sitting on my lap.”
His groan is loud, but he follows me out of the range, anyway.