I raised an eyebrow. “Call him.”
“Now?”
“Now,” I confirmed.
He slid his phone out of his pocket and dialed my brother’s number, putting it on speaker. Flea answered almost immediately. “Hey, brother, give me a second.” We heard rustling and then my brother said, “I’m back. Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Rooster said. “I’m with your sister. You’re on speaker.”
“Hey, KitKat.”
“Well, hello there ‘Tabs,’” I sassed.
“Okay, so you’ve talked, and it sounds like Rooster’s still alive.” My brother sighed. “Has he been maimed?”
“No maiming,” Rooster said. “About to be fitted for a permanent ball and chain, though.”
“Kam!” I hissed.
“I thought you were workin’ shit out, that seems quick.”
“Been years, brother,” Kam said.
I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.
“I get it, Rooster, but you’ve been gone. You didn’t see.”
Rooster stood, pushing his chair back with a frown. “You don’t think I didn’t know?”
Before I could say anything, Rooster took his phone off speaker, put it to his ear, and walked down the hall.
I threw my hands in the air. “I guess I don’t get a say in my life again.”
* * *
Rooster
I stepped into Katie’s bedroom and closed the door. “What the fuck, man? I told you I was comin’ back for your sister, what did you think I meant?”
“I didn’t think you were comin’ back and makin’ your claim rightnow,” Flea admitted.
“Well, whendidyou think I was gonna do it?” I hissed. “I love her, Billy. I’ve always loved her. Leaving her was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I told you, I fuckingtoldyou, if she gave me a second chance, I was gonna make it permanent.”
“Yeah, I just didn’t think you’d come back and do it in less than a week.”
“Then, that means you underestimated me, which makes you stupid.”
Flea sighed. “Maybe so.”
“You gonna make this an issue?”
He didn’t say anything for a few tense seconds and then finally bit out, “If Katie really wants this, no, I’m not gonna make this an issue. I doubt it would make any difference if I did, anyway.”
“You’re right about that,” I said. “And I will fight to the end for her, Flea, so don’t fuckin’push me.”
“Pretty sure I can fight my own battles,” Katie said.
I turned to face her and cocked my head. “How long have you been standing there?”
