I handed him a fresh toothbrush from the stash I’d accumulated from the dentist and let him get ready for bed. It didn’t take long before I followed. I slid into bed with him, the sheets already warmed by his heat. I wore a T-shirt and loose shorts. His arm pulled me into position, nestled against him.
“Lizzie,” he said against my hair. “I don’t want those other women; I only want you.”
What would we tell Brandon? I was no less determined to save Brandon, but the reason had shifted.
He answered as though I’d spoken. “We’ll explain that we’ve been texting, like an updated version of ‘You’ve Got Mail.’”
I giggled. The sound rose out of me, real and audible as the image of Christopher being a secret rom-com fan who used a chick flick to explain our relationship to his brother cracked me up.
The surrounding arm tightened as he said, “That’s our secret, you evil woman.”
For the first time in years, I fell asleep feeling safe.
Chapter 7
The next morning was Saturday, so Christopher and I didn’t have to work. I laid out the clues so we could examine them together.
“Brandon’s a toxinologist,”I said.“I looked it up years ago, to see how it differed from a toxicologist. He used to study medical applications of rattlesnake venom. Last year, he switched to the Arizona bark scorpion. Did he explain why?”
“Said it would be more profitable because of the military applications. When I asked more, he said it was classified. Couldn’t talk about the details. You know him, that was the end of the discussion. He’s another with a guarded mind; his is impenetrable. More steel than brick.”
“Military?”I tapped my top lip.“That could be why he was scared.”
“What do you mean?” said Christopher with a slight frown. “You didn’t mention that.”
“That phone call I overheard sounded like someone threatened him. Wasn’t himself afterward. They scared him.”
“How long until he’s found in a coma?” The crease between his brows deepened.
“I don’t know. In the future, you weren’t specific. A couple of months. Brandon told whoever he was speaking to that he could solve the problem in a month or two. Said he’d make an antidote as a failsafe.”
“If he doesn’t think whatever they’re making will be ready for human trials by the end of the time, what do you think he’d do?” Christopher’s gaze was intense.
The blood drained from my face and my hands shook as I typed.“He’d try it on himself.”
“So, either we have to stop him from injecting himself with poison or find his antidote in case we’re too late.”
“He’s not answering your messages. I’m blocked. What would happen if you told him specifically not to use it? Is there something you could send, some sort of coded message to let him know how important it is that you speak to him?”
“Such as?”
“A secret or an inside joke. He’s your brother. What might he understand that nobody would think out of place if they intercepted the message? Something about a vacation or your favorite book or movie.”
Christopher picked up his phone. He read his message aloud as he typed.“I need to see you about our trip to Mexico.”He looked at me. “We’ve never been to Mexico. My biological father moved there. Years ago, Brandon said if I wanted to track him down, he’d go with me.”
“Perfect.”
Christopher hitSend.
Minutes later, Brandon replied.“Sunday 8 a.m. The lab. I’ll set it up with security. Working all weekend, but I want to talk to you, too.”
“Do you want to find your father? I’m curious.”
Christopher shook his head. “I have no interest in my birth parents. Why should I? They threw me away and never looked back. The Winters are my family. I was glad to get a new name and belong to someone who cared.”
Was that true, or what he told himself? He’d spoken with so little emotion, not like his usual voice. Being abandoned couldn’t have left him unscathed, but I let it go for now.
We spent the rest of the day reading about the Arizona bark scorpion. I couldn’t figure what was so special about it, other than it was the most venomous North American creature. Many thought of scorpions as insects, but they were arachnids, like spiders. I shuddered when I discovered the adults could grow up to eight cm in length. They were huge. I’d hate to find one by accident and was thankful that they were rare.
