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A frown cut a cavern between my brows. “With?”
He huffed, sure I knew exactly what he was talking about. “Staying with Elena.”
“It’s fine.”
Torture.
But totally, completely fine.
I fought back the anarchy of guilt that wanted to lay siege to my conscience for what’d gone down this morning.
He squeezed my shoulder. “You’re always fine, brother. But I want you to thrive.”
“Thrive?” I challenged with an arch of my brow.
What in the sunshine bullshit was this?
“You could use being a little more than fine, don’t you think?”
It might have come out a jest, but there was a prodding underscored in it. A quiet knowing that he wasn’t bringing to voice since we were in the presence of Phoenix and Brody.
I twitched in the old wounds that throbbed, wanting to shout, tell him that he knew fucking better than drawing attention to it.
That topic was off-limits.
Of course, he didn’t know why, so could I really blame him?
Sucking it all down, I forced a nonchalant grin. “Ah, you know I’m as good as can be. Just on edge with the shit going down here. Won’t get complacent when it comes to your sister.”
“I know it. But I want you to be honest if things get too much.”
He and I both knew that wasn’t going to happen. Maybe that’s why he offered it. Not because he was taking advantage of me, but because he knew I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Because you want me to thrive?” I tossed it out like a taunt.
The guy was so different since Brinley had come into his life. Everything changing in a beat.
He gave a noncommittal shrug. “Just want my family to be happy.”
He left no question that he considered me a part of it.
“Turns out,” Brody jumped in to break up the heaviness that tried to take over. “You get pussy whipped and you start to smile real big. This asshole went soft. He’s about to ruin our entire reputation.”
Silas grunted at him, though there was no real irritation behind it. “Watch it.”
“Just saying. I don’t know how men are supposed to tremble in their boots when they see you coming since all you do these days is skip around with hearts in your eyes.”
“Says the guy who can’t be serious for one minute,” Silas goaded.
Smirking with the same evidence Silas had been issuing, Brody slung a casual arm around Phoenix’s shoulders. “Those smiles you see me wearing are just like Phoenix’s. The Madman’s smile. Men cower when they see your boy coming.”
He attempted to mimic Phoenix’s deranged smile.
With a grunt, Phoenix knocked his arm free, sending Brody stumbling to the side.
“I’ll show you Madman,” he grumbled.
Brody cracked up as he caught his balance.
