“But if you crawl into her bed,” I close my fingers around his voice box andfinallydraw him to a stop, “If you cross the line even once, if you tap into your Malone DNA and screw this up, you won’t need to worry about her ever again. Because I’ll destroy you. You know where the line is. Even when you’re acting a fool and flirting with another man’s wife, we bothknow you’re smart enough to tell the difference between right and wrong.” I release him and enjoy the way his body gasps, instinctually searching for fresh air. “There’s no one else on the planet I would allow to disrespect my marriage the way I allow you. There isn’t a man alive who gets to love her like you do,and admit it, and live to tell the tale. That’s all the clemency you get from me. If you ever try to take her from my arms again, I’ll slit your throat and throw you in the fuckin’ orchard. When I walk out of this apartment andallowyou to stay, if I find out you’ve ever, even one fucking time, muttered anything to my wife that makes her doubt who she is or what we have, then I’m done with you.”
“Archer…” Aubree hovers on my left, placing her hand on my arm. “It’s time to step away now.”
“You know where the line is.” I shake her off and hold Cato’s stare. “You know.”
His eyes glitter and glare, the turmoil in my marriage manifesting as a ferocious storm in his heart. “You didn’t have to do her the way you did,” he grits out. “You didn’t have to send her away like she doesn’t matter.”
“I know.”Fuckkkk, I know.“But sometimes, we do things we must, to keep safe the people we love. Hindsight says I should’ve told her to come to the house, to the place she belongs, with the family she deserves, andIshould be the one sleeping here. But that’s not what happened. It was impossible. You and me? Weknowshe’s special. We know how fucking loved she is, which is why I never considered her mind would jump straight toeveryone loves Archer more. Everyone chooses him.”
“How could you not know?” he snaps. “How could?—”
“The fact that her brain attempts to convince her she’s notworthy is something I will forever dedicate myself to repairing. It’s a burden I’ll carry for the rest of my life. But none of that, none of what she and I are, or were, or will ever be, leaves room for you to walk down that hall and pretend you get to be her man.” I move forward another few steps, pushing him back with each one. “It wouldn’t even matter if I died tomorrow. You willneverbe her man.”
His jaw clicks and grates. His lips thinning and firming.
“If you’re inclined to sleep on the couch tonight, do it. You wanna play happy families with my wife while I’m out here trying to keep her safe long enough to still be mad at me? Go for it. Make sure she eats. I’ll have more meds brought over so she doesn’t have to go to the ER again. I’ll send groceries, because I know for a damn fact she wouldn’t have done any shopping since she left the house. She’ll sleep for the next ten hours without waking, and tomorrow morning…” My stomach flips. It twists. It fucking aches and oozes. “Tomorrow morning, she’ll wake with more energy than she had today, which’ll probably leave her with renewed capacity to hate my fucking guts. Be her brother, Cato. Be the best fucking brother you know how to be. But if you try, even one time, to become something more, not even Felix, or Micah, or God him-fucking-self, will save you from my wrath.”
I step to the left, clearing the way for him to make his move—the hallway is open, you prick—then I pass a quietly observant, not entirely sure where his loyalties lie, Harrison.
If war breaks out in this kitchen, where does he go? Who does he defend?
Frankly, I don’t give a fuck, so long as he stands in front of Minka and keeps her safe from the fallout.
Ignoring him, and the phone call I know he’ll make to Felix just as soon as my back is turned, I stride to the fridge and whip the door open to reveal… not much. A can of soda. A block of cheese. A packet of mozzarella cheese. A packet of Parmesan cheese.
And heat.
Jesus.
“It’s busted.” I place my hand on the shelf inside, searching for a hint of the cool that should exist. Then I slam the door and look at Aubree. “I’ll have a replacement sent up and groceries delivered. If you can convince her to come to the house, do it. If she’s open to girl time, remind her you love her. She’ll need to hear those words. She needs them now more than ever.” Finally, I bring my focus to Tim. “Maybe you and Aubs could stay at the bar for a night or two. It hurt Minka’s feelings when you guys moved out.”
He lowers his chin, nodding in acknowledgement, even if the shift is subtle.
“Good.” I dig my hand into my pocket and search… for keys. For my phone. For a fucking redo of this entire week. Instead, I find rocks. Two.
Three.
Four.
More.
I stalk across the kitchen and carry my cache of pebbles to the bowl we keep by the door. Gifts from me to my penguin. Expressions of love, even if, as I add the stones to a pile already here, she’ll never notice the additions.
“Where are you going?” Aubree stumbles forward a single step. “Back to the house?”
“Don’t know. Around. Away.” I shrug. “I won’t go back to the house, so if you can convince her to go back, that would be best for everyone.” I spy a single, shiny rock amongst all the others, black with silver speckles and smooth, round edges. It’s not the same as the others surrounding it, and it’s definitely not one I put here.
It’s… other.
Picking it up, I run my thumb over the smooth surface, turning it over and finding more of the same on the other side. Silver speckles. Glossy finish.
Other.
Mine.
I fist it in my hand, and drop my hand into my pocket. Without a backward glance at the brother I love, the brother I hate, the brother whose heart breaks alongside mine this week, I stride through the door and stop only when Harrison follows. “If Tim and Cato stay, maybe coordinate with them so you get six hours down. Other than that, I expect you to be on her around the clock. Even if she tells you to fuck off.”
He nods, the muscles in his cheeks flexing. “Yes, Boss.”
