31. Talon
thirty-one
Talon
T here was no way to drag the time out longer. I’d already stretched out my morning Non-Negotiables considerably, reading six chapters instead of two, but I didn’t retain a single word. All I could focus on was the woman in the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror with the door open while she got ready for the day.
My chest warmed when she called out to me, her voice giddy. “Oh my god, Talon! This bottle is plastic and it smells like flowers! This one might be better than the one I’ve used for years.”
The animosity that had been between us before felt like it had finally begun to recede. And damnit, I enjoyed her company. Knowing it was going to be coming to an end, and quickly, had dread knotting in my stomach.
My phone rang, the caller ID showing my sister’s name. I didn’t leave the room to take the call like I would’ve before. It didn’t matter—I’d already told Misely everything anyway. It wouldn’t make a difference.
I answered, distaste heavy in my tone. “What do you want, Bri?”
“To know where you’re at with your part in this, you asshole,” she snapped, barely leaving a second between my last word and hers.
My eyes squeezed shut tightly, taking a breath to calm my already rising temper. “I have already told you. This is the millionth time.”
“Yeah, yeah. Following a lead. Well, I think you’re full of shit. If you had anything at all, you would’ve been back by now or you would have given a real fucking update by now.”
“What the hell would you know? You just sit around in your little office and fuck with your ledgers and listen to Kyle bitch about us. It’s not like you’re ever out there actually getting your hands dirty.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she hissed.
It was really more Milo who made a show of getting a rise out of our sister, but I was fed up. For years we’d all been at the mercy of Kyle and the only one who seemed to be content to just deal with it was Bri. I was sick and tired of being stuck under the filthy boot of our uncle and I sure as hell wasn’t going to sit around and put up with Briauna’s shit, either.
“Sure. Just like you tried so hard to stop all of this from happening to begin with, right?”
I knew I shouldn’t have said it. Knew that it would give away the weakness I was feeling, knew that she would know I was beginning to defect. But there was so much building up inside of me that it felt like if I didn’t speak up now, I was going to explode. Vaguely I could see Misely in my peripheral, her back stiffened as she listened in on my conversation.
“Talon, I am warning you. You need to get your shit together.” The threat sounded so similar to the one I’d issued our brother not too long ago. The familiarity sent an unwanted tremor down my spine. No. I didn’t want to do this anymore. Once I made sure that Leo and Kenna were safe, I was out.
“Or what, Bri? What are you going to do?”
“It’s not me that you have to worry about, you brick head. You know that. You have a kid and I swear to god if you—”
There was a pinch of something in her voice. Concern? I shoved that thought away. The only thing Briauna MacArthur was concerned with was herself and that bottom dollar.
She cleared her throat before I could interrupt her, sharp venom lacing her every word. “You and Milo are fucking everything up, Talon. Get. It. Together.” And then she hung up, leaving more questions hanging in the air.
“Your sister?” Misely leaned into the doorway of the bathroom, her arms crossed over her chest. She’d painted herself up real pretty, her ashy blue eyes vibrant against heavy black lashes. As usual, her outfit reflected the sass of her personality. Denim that hugged every curve and dip of her long legs, a shirt that seemed entirely too short to be practical for the season, and a baggy knit sweater thing that hung off her shoulders.
I nodded, my lips thinning. “Yeah, I should check in with Kenna.”
I needed to make sure Leo was okay, that she had succeeded in getting him out of town with so little time to prepare. Misely didn’t question me about the phone call further, only nodded in silent encouragement.
Kenna answered on the third ring, her voice almost as sharp as my sister’s had been. “What?”
“Kenna, it’s me,” I said with a sorry excuse for a calm approach.
“I’m aware.”
“Did you guys get out?” I didn’t care if she was being short with me, she had every right to, all things considered.
There was a pregnant pause before she reluctantly answered. “Yes. And not a single one of us is happy about it. My husband took us to his great aunt’s in…you know what, don’t worry about it. I expect answers, Talon.”
“I know.” I just didn’t know how much I could give her without making the situation worse. “As soon as this is over, I’ll call you. Stay where you are.”
She huffed. “Yeah, and for how long? It’s not like we can stay here forever. Leo has school and his sister has appointments.”
“As long as you can. If you have to go back before I reach out, call me. Give me a chance to try to fix this first.”
“You told me you wouldn’t let this happen, Talon. When I told you I was pregnant, you said that you couldn’t be involved because of this shit .” She was whispering frantically now, the sound echoing off the receiver like she had cupped her hand over the phone.
“I know. I did everything I could to keep this away from both of you.” The regret and guilt sat heavily on my shoulders.
“Do better.” And this time, Kenna hung up on me.
When Misely crossed the room and took the phone out of my hand, I guessed I must’ve been sitting there for a while. She dropped it on the nightstand beside me, then cupped my cheeks in her tiny hands. I shivered at the feel of her soft palms against my scruff and the gentle way she scraped the tips of her nails through the hair there.
“Talon?” she murmured, urging me to look at her. When I did, concern I knew I didn't deserve was etched in her expression. “What are you thinking?”
A loaded question. I was thinking a lot of things. It was obvious by the way she was looking at me that she would pry if I didn’t answer and frankly, I didn’t have the energy to argue about it.
“I’m thinking that I don’t have any more time to waste. I have to get Milo.”
Misely flinched. I guess that wasn’t the answer she wanted. “And then what?”
“I don’t know.”
“Talon—”
“I don’t know, okay? I’ll figure it out when we get there, but right now I don’t know. ” I was being unfair, I knew that, but I was reeling. The control I’d been fighting to maintain since my life was turned upside down all those years ago wasn’t even hanging by a thread anymore, it had been obliterated. All I could focus on was fighting back the urge to lash out.
I expected her to pull away, to stomp across the room and start throwing her things into her bag or to make some snarky comment. When her hands slid from my cheeks and into my hair, I was more than a little surprised. When she climbed onto my lap, her knees perched on the mattress on either side of me, I was baffled.
Her eyes met mine before roaming over my face. She pushed stray curls away from my forehead, raking her nails over my scalp gently. “I think,” she started. “I think you’re going to do the right thing.” Her words were soft, nearly a whisper.
I wished I could believe that. I wished I had that confidence in myself. But I’d been doing the wrong thing for so long. Spent so many years convincing myself that it was okay as long as Bri, Lo, and I were together. Now we were all in different places with different goals, and I’d never felt like I knew my siblings less than I did right now.
“Hey,” Misely whispered, her hands pulling me back to face her when I’d looked away. Softly, so softly it almost hurt like an aching in my chest, her lips found mine. She kissed me gently but thoroughly, settling herself more firmly in my lap.
“I don’t know you that well, honestly,” she whispered against my mouth, her arms encircling my neck, “but I know you are different than who you were a week ago.” Her hips ground forward, the friction against my already stiffening cock making my eyes shudder. If she wanted to use her body to distract me from my woes, who was I to stop her? “I know you a little better today than I did when you kissed me that first time.” My teeth found her neck, making her shiver. “And I believe that if you don’t do right by your kid and your brother, it’s going to eat you alive.”
All right, that was enough talking. I covered her mouth with my own, wrapping my arms around her and lifting to press her to the bed beneath us.