Tyrique’s frozen, staring at me like the past just walked in and suckered punched him.
And me? I can’t tear my eyes off Londyn long enough to pretend this isn’t about to blow everything wide open.
She doesn’t say a damn thing to me. Just jerks the chain on my cuffs and drags me across the concrete like I’m nothing but a suspect. Several cops are already sweeping the warehouse, boots pounding on the concrete floor, radios crackling, and someone shouting, “All clear!” from the far corner.
Tyrique’s slumped against a stack of crates, shoulders drawn in like he’s trying to disappear. His arms hang loose at his sides, body trembling, sweat slicking his brow. He won’t meet my eyes, like looking at me might break him. There’s defeat in every inch of him, and it crawls under my skin. I hate seeing him like this, hollowed out by addiction. Hate that I was so tangled in my own wreckage, I didn’t reach out when I got back to Atlanta. Didn’t even try.
Now that I’m closer, I can see he’s barely holding together. His skin is stretched thin over bone, cheeks hollow, hands twitching like they’ve forgotten how to be still. This isn’t the Tyrique I knew. This is what’s left after life stomps a man flat and doesn’t let up. Last time I saw him, we were drunk on cheap beer, laughing at our graduation party. He was gonna see theworld before college, and I was headed for boot camp. We had plans. Now he’s just trying to stay upright.
Seeing him like this tears me apart. It’s like staring at a ghost.
Londyn plants herself in front of her brother, shutting the rest of the world out.
“Hey. You good?” Her voice is low, steady, but I can hear every word.
Tyrique nods, but it’s a lie. He looks like he’s seconds from collapsing. Londyn leans in, cupping his chin, her voice dropping even lower.
“Listen to me. Don’t say Malcolm’s name to anyone. You keep your mouth shut and let me handle this. I’ll talk to you later, you hear me?”
His throat bobs with a swallow, shame carved into every line of his face. For a breath, something shifts in her… the steel in her eyes softens, the tension in her shoulders loosens. Her thumb grazes his jaw, gentle and familiar, like it’s second nature. No words, just a touch that says:I’ve got you.
Then it’s gone.
She straightens, the mask snapping back into place. Her hand clamps onto the chain between my cuffs, and she jerks me forward hard enough to set my wrists on fire.
“Hey Sarge,” she calls out, voice cold and clipped. “I’m taking this one in myself. We finally got another Royal Bastard in custody, and I’m not handing him off.”
He gives her a long look, then nods once, tossing her a set of keys. “Fine. He’s all yours. See you back at the station.”
“Copy that.”
Once outside, she drags me to an SUV and slams me into the side panel so hard my teeth clack together. My shoulder hits first, then the back of my head clips the door frame as she shoves me inside.
“Watch it,” I growl, glaring at her.
She doesn’t even flinch. Just shoves me the rest of the way in like she’s been waiting years to do it.
The door slams, the engine roars, and then it’s just us. No radios. No noise. Just the sound of the city rushing by.
I stare at the back of her head, heat rising in my chest.
“What the hell, Malcolm?” she snaps finally. “Why are you wearing a Bastards patch? How and when the fuck did that even happen?”
I let out a rough laugh.
“You wanna talk about bad choices? Let’s talk about Tyrique. Why’s your brother out here strung out, Londyn? What the hell happened to him? Since when did you turn him into a fucking informant?”
“Don’t you dare talk about him like that.”
She keeps her eyes on the road, jaw clenched so tight I can see the muscle jump.
“He looks like shit and you’re using him,” I push, anger rising as everything hits me at once.
“Oh, so now you show up at my bust and suddenly I owe you something? Miss me with that,” she growls, eyes flicking toward me. “You don’t know shit about what’s going on here, so shut the fuck up!”
“I know he looks like he’s one hit away from a body bag,” I fire back.
That seems to take some of the wind out of her anger.
