The phone rang as Brad was pouring water over the grinds.
“Hello, Reynolds residence.”
“Who the fuck are you?”
Brad had a feeling he knew who this was, but until he had proof he wouldn't tell the man exactly what he thought of him.
“A friend. Who are you?”
“Her husband, you fucker! And if you think she'll put out for anyone but me, then think again!”
Brad's blood went from simmer to boiling.
“You listen to me, you sick fuck. You are never getting near her again, because I'm making sure of that. Take your pathetic scare tactics and go find yourself a nice little friend in that cell you're calling home these days.”
Brad made himself cut off the call before he said more.
“Nice work.”
Ethan stood in the doorway.
“I shouldn't have said any of that.” Brad unclenched his fists and got out the milk.
“I'm not so sure about that.” Brad felt Ethan moving around behind him, taking down mugs. “Brian knows she has us, but none of us have ever been able to get at him to intimidate him. I think it's a good thing he now knows she's got someone watching over her.”
“What else did he do to her?”
“He abused her in a cold, calculating manner, and in such a way that none of us ever knew he was. He never left marks, and from what Annabelle tells me, it was physical, but the physiological stuff was just as bad.”
“She vacuums at least twice a day.”
Ethan whistled. “I thought that had stopped.”
Brad leaned on the bench and took the mug. It was his third cup for the day, but what the hell, he needed it.
“I asked her why and she said she didn't know, it was just one of the things that was still inside her. He used to come home and put on white gloves and run them over the furniture to test for dust.”
“I wish he'd taken that bullet and not Branna,” Ethan snarled.
“You guys all disliked her, right?”
“She was like this prissy homecoming queen when I first met her. Kind of fake. Poofy hair, layers of makeup, tight clothes, and sky-high heels. Her smile never reached her eyes and she even spoke differently,” Ethan said. “It was Branna who found her.”
Brad listened as Ethan talked and filled in the gaps about Macy.
“She's strong now.”
“I've never thought of her as strong, so it came as a shock when you said that.”
Brad looked at his brother.
“Nothing's going to happen between us, Ethan. Billy's her focus, and I have my own agenda. So we're calling it at friendship.”
Ethan shrugged.
“Be a shame to call it that if it could be more, but you're both adults, so it's not my place to interfere.”
“Like hell,” Brad muttered pushing off the bench, “but I appreciate the sentiment.”
