Colton stalked after him, never breaking stride.
“You want to talk about it?” His voice was low. No push, just an offer.
“Not tonight.” Zack’s eyes drifted lower. “It never goes anywhere good.”
That was a truth written straight across his entire body.
Colton fought the urge to pace. The urge to stalk that brother down in the parking lot and end the problem for good. Instead, he settled on the couch, making sure Zack didn’t have to look far to see him. His mate kept that injured wrist sandwiched between his knees, head hanging down.
Outside, the noises from the street came and went. Distant shouts. A door slamming. High-pitched buzz of summer cicadas, like someone was dragging a chainsaw through the tree out front.
Colton memorized the way his mate’s entire frame had locked tight when Craig was around. How polite his mate sounded, even though his smiles never reached his eyes. How Craig never once mentioned a reason for dropping by. Just rattled the cage, then left. Colton would bet anything the bastard was circling for another round.
Not a word slipped out for a couple minutes. Neither of them spoke. Zack just sat there, twisting the skin on his wrist, while Colton kept every sense tuned to the sounds beyond the door.
“He’s not what you’d call subtle.” Colton finally let the words break the quiet.
A small huff, almost a laugh, escaped Zack. “Nope. He’s never done subtle. Or boundaries. Or compassion. But I’m used to it.” His voice was flat, no emotion, like he’d had this conversation a thousand times in his head and only now was reading the transcription out loud.
Not for the first time, Colton wished he could dig up every bruise on Zack’s body and hand it back to that scrawny fuck.
“Let me know if you want me to handle him.”
Blue eyes flicked over for a second, then away. “I’ve tried handling Craig my whole life. You think you’re strong enough to make a dent, you’re welcome to try.”
Colton took the invitation as gospel. If it came down to it, he’d break every bone in Craig’s body, snap the guy like a pencil. But he would never push Zack to talk about something he didn’t want to share.
No more talk for a while.
Colton sank back, cursing Craig’s interruption. Joy no longer brightened his mate’s face. For that alone Colton despised the brother.
“You mind if I tell my friends? About Craig.” He studied his mate’s face, watching for any flicker of unease.
Instead, Zack’s brows furrowed. “Why?”
“Added safety. More eyes on the situation.”
Zack shifted slightly, his fingers still stroking the same bruised spot. He seemed lost in his thoughts, then slowly nodded. “Fine. Tell your friends. Craig’s gonna do what Craig always does anyway.”
“He’s going to come back, isn’t he?”
A tired laugh slipped out. “He always comes back. No matter where I move, he finds me.”
That might be true, but just like tonight, Craig wouldn’t get whatever he wanted. Not anymore.
“You do realize you’re no longer alone in this, Blue. I promised you were safe. That includes off my bike as well.”
“I had a feeling you were hinting at more when you said it.” Zack bit his bottom lip. “It’s just hard to believe someone actually wants to stick by my side after dealing with Craig my whole life. Not even my parents defended me, claiming Craig was just a rough-and-tumble guy.” Zack played with a loose thread on his shirt. “I sometimes think they were just as frightened of him.”
Late sunlight crept higher on the wall, highlighting a water stain. Something metallic rattled on the street below, then silence slid in.
“Hey.” Colton set his palm gently over Zack’s knee, grounding both of them. “You ever need to just get away, or if he ever does something that frightens you, I can deal with it. You just say the word, sweetheart.”
A thin smile ghosted across Zack’s lips. “That offer goes for everything, or just homicide?”
Colton shrugged, mouth curling into a wolfish grin. “Whatever you need.”
Yeah. He meant it. No more Zack getting wrung out by assholes.
