As far as Trey was concerned, their night was over, and it was time they got back to the real world.
*
The moment JJ set eyes on Brantleyin the ICU waiting area, she knew something was wrong. Something more than the fact that Reese had been shot and was now recovering from surgery.
Yes, that was far more than enough to put that irritable look on a man’s face, but she could see it in his eyes. The storm clouds were back, the ones that had been there when Brantley first returned to Coyote Ridge after being medically discharged from the navy. It had taken a couple of months and his introduction to Reese to move those storm clouds out.
While JJ knew it would be best to give him a wide berth, it was nearly impossible for her to do that. It was in her nature to want to help those closest to her, and Brantley was the closest thing to family she had these days.
“Why don’t we take a walk,” she suggested from the chair beside him, hoping to get a few minutes alone with Brantley to get him to open up.
“Don’t want to leave,” he said, staring down at his phone.
“Brantley…”
His sharp gaze lifted, slamming into her. “Let it go, JJ.”
Pain flooded her. An emotional onslaught, not physical. She hated that he could so easily shut her out when she considered him her best friend. But she understood Brantley on a level most didn’t. He’d always been the strong, silent type. Even in high school, back when Brantley was dating JJ’s brother, Jeremy. She figured that had been part of the allure for her brother, and since she’d had a crush on Brantley at the time, she fully understood the appeal.
It wasn’t all that appealing at the moment.
“For a minute,” she said harshly. “But that’s all you get.”
A small smirk tugged at Brantley’s mouth before he exhaled and leaned back in the chair. “I’m sorry.”
“I know.” JJ glanced around the waiting room, taking stock.
RT and Z had gone back to see Reese while Cindy and Hugh were sitting in the corner, both sipping coffee. JJ had heard that Reese’s sister Jensyn was on her way to the hospital, having flown in from California this morning.
“What are the doctors saying?” she inquired, keeping the topic neutral.
Brantley sighed softly. “It’ll be a long recovery. The bullet nicked an artery, but he suffered more injuries from the fight. A couple of cracked ribs, contusions, and a broken finger.”
“Jesus.” She glanced over at him. “They did a number on him?”
“Two on one.” Brantley wouldn’t look at her. “He was protecting Madison Adorite.”
“She related to Max?”
“Sister.”
“Was she at the training facility?” she wondered aloud. How else would Reese have run into her?
“No.”
Hmm.
JJ let the information tumble around in her head. Reese protecting a woman while at a restaurant. A woman related to a notorious mob boss she’d never heard of until she’d become acquainted with Sniper 1 Security. Why in the world would he be doing that? Was it business, was it—
“She’s also Reese’s ex-girlfriend,” Brantley said softly.
JJ’s head snapped over, her eyes slamming into Brantley. “And he was …outwith her?”
“A date.”
No. No way that was true.
That information wasn’t processing all that well. No matter how much she shifted and turned it, JJ couldn’t get the pieces to fit. She knew Reese was head over heels for Brantley. She got to witness it every single day, had for months now. Those two were still floating on clouds half the damn time with rainbow glitter and sunshine coming out of their asses.
