Bryson clenched his jaw with each of his sister’s protests. Should he interject on Adria’s behalf? Or let her handle his sister on her own?
Adria shifted uncomfortably. “He doesn’t want Bryson anymore. He wants something different now,” she said.
“What?” Elena asked, not willing to drop the subject.
“Because Vega has a new proposition for me.”
That got Bryson’s attention.
“Apparently, he has an heir. He is a little unruly. Vega heard about my work.” She paused and brought her beautiful green eyes to meet Bryson’s.
“So he wants you to get him in line just like you did my brother,” Elena said, sarcasm dripping.
Adria shrugged. “I guess so.”
“And you agreed to this?” Bryson said, his hands curling into fists.
“No, yes—I haven’t decided yet.” She shook her head.
Anger flared in Bryson’s chest.
“Okay, so you were just going to replace us,” Bryson snapped, and the plane fell quiet.
“I didn’t know that I wasn’t allowed to do my job,” Adria snapped back.
What the fuck, he hadn’t said that.
Bryson’s body protested as he punched the seat in front of him before standing and moving to the back of the plane.
“Just do what you want,” he said over his shoulder.
Footsteps sounded behind him, and Bryson could tell it was Kaydon. Flopping into the back row, Kaydon sat right beside him.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Bryson said.
“Then don’t,” Kaydon said.
“Nice color,” Bryson said after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
Kaydon ran a finger along the bit of purple on his neck. Bryson could see the outline of Adria’s teeth, and he admired how perfectly they fit around his family’s snowflake.
“If you want one of your own, you are going to have to talk to her,” Kaydon smirked.
Bryson glanced towards the front of the plane. Adria’s head was leaning on Seth’s shoulder. Elena was still pacing, and he wasn’t sure where Eric was.
“How am I supposed to talk to her now? I just yelled at her in front of everyone. Less than twenty-four hours with her and I’m already back to my same old shit,” Bryson said.
Kaydon just sat there. His soft brown eyes staring at him.
Bryson ran his fingers through his hair. He needed a shower. Seth showered at the hotel, but Bryson just didn’t have the energy. His chest hurt, and with everything going on, he didn’t want to bring it up. He was afraid if he told anyone how much pain he was actually in, it might make Adria give him more blood, and she had done enough already.
Kaydon rubbed the inside of his already red forearm, and Bryson reached out, grasping Kaydon’s wrist. Kaydon froze. Bryson pulled, but Kaydon tensed, fighting him.
“Let me see,” Bryson said, leaving no room for argument.
Kaydon rolled his eyes but allowed Bryson to turn his palm up.
There were red scratch marks, some scabbed, some freshly healed. One was new with small crimson drops of blood growing on the surface.
