CHAPTER TEN
Zach walked into my living room. “Hey, sis.” He bent down to kiss the side of my head, then sat by my side on the sofa, tapping his leg twice to summon Hugo onto his lap.
Never one to refuse a belly rub, my Golden Retriever graciously jumped next to my brother. Then turned on his back to expose himself with no shame whatsoever.
“Hi, Zee.” I dropped the file I was working on on the coffee table and shifted to look at him. “I’m sorry, were we supposed to do something today? ”
He had the key to my house, so it was common for him to come and go as he pleased. Especially since I lived with Haley and Gabe. The woman he wasn’t dating and her son, who wasn’t Zach’s boy in every way but biologically .
“Don’t worry. I promised Haley I’d take her and Gabe out for ice cream.” He frowned as inspected my face. “And maybe you should come as well. You look tired, Mia. You’ll end up having another crisis if you don’t take a break.”
He was most certainly a worrier.
I waved my hand dismissively. “My vertigo has been under control for a while. I’m fine.”
He squeezed my shoulder. "Don't wait for a crisis to take a break. You need to take a break to avoid it.”
I sighed and scooched closer to lean my head on his shoulder as he kept petting Hugo. “I know. It’s just…there’s still so much to do. New clients keep coming, then there’s the assignment we got from Aaron on the cartel.”
“About that, are you still sure you want to engage in that? It’s beyond dangerous, I bet the members aren’t very fond of you, and…I don’t know. I don’t feel very comfortable knowing that you’re investigating something for the agency when they were the ones who wronged you for doing exactly that.”
I had to admit, it was indeed awkward at first. But when I came up with the idea of starting our Company—Bryants & Walker Protection—I did so thinking about all the good things we could accomplish.
Helping take down the cartel was one of them. I wasn’t over the DEA’s betrayal, but I trusted Aaron, and I needed to finish the investigation I’d started.
“You worry too much, Zee.”
He fished one of the files I was scribbling on and started making his signature origami. “What can I say? It’d be a bummer if you died of exhaustion in the process. I kind of like having you around. Besides, where would I find another annoying little sister with the same sarcastic tongue?”
“You’re right. I’m just irreplaceable.”
He smiled at me but didn’t say anything else. Because right at that moment, Haley walked out of her bedroom wearing a summer dress stamped with little flowers, and holding her precious little boy. If she and Gabe were ever in a room, that was where Zach’s attention was set.
Startling a snoring Hugo, Zach stood up on instinct, a smile of wonder on his face. As soon as Gabe saw my brother, he squealed and leaned his little body for Zee to hold.
After placing a fatherly kiss on Gabe’s chubby cheek, Zach leaned to kiss Haley’s temple. To be honest, I had no idea how far they’d gone yet. Haley had a troubled past and ran from violence for a long time before we met her. So, it was understandable that she was wary .
But based on each of those three faces, there was no other word to define them but “Family.”
He watched her with admiration. “You look so beautiful.”
Her face turned red as she looked down. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure what to wear.”
“Whatever you wanted. You’re gorgeous no matter the clothes.”
Hugo and I had no shame in staring at the scene unfolding before us. When Zach and Haley finally seemed to remember we were there, she turned even redder, as he cleared his throat.
He balanced himself on his feet. “Well, I’m taking them out.”
“Please, bring them back by nine, and no funny business, young man.”
He chuckled as he placed a hand on her lower back to lead her out the door, not before the three of them kissed my cheek. Right before leaving, he turned to me. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us? There’ll be ice cream.”
“I appreciate it, but this is your time with them.” I leaned forward to whisper dramatically. “You can owe me later.” I waved goodbye. “I’ll leave the front porch light on for you.”
“Don’t forget to lock the door. I love you.”
“I love you too. ”
What wouldn’t I give to be able to say “I love you” to my brother one more time?
But for that to happen, both of us should be alive. And getting Ethan and Aaron out of their debacle could cost the rest of us I hadn’t killed yet.