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1692 Words
Hurt tore through her that night like a serrated blade ripping through a well-done steak. First was the accusation of abuse that she didn’t quite understand. Was it even possible for men to be abused by their women? If so, were they just so stubborn and egotistical that they couldn’t bear to bring the matter to the authorities?
Yes. That was the answer apparently as she sat holding her baby brother two weeks later.
Markus had gotten heated over Jaxon talking to one of the younger professors at OTU, and the argument that ensued had Lukas picking up for his best friend over his brother. He’d only been trying to get more information, but Mark wasn’t listening.
Accusing Jaxon of looking for a side-piece, the other man didn’t consider the pain he was putting the Korean teen through. Yet, as she held her sobbing sibling, she realized she’d been doing the same thing to Russell.
“Jax,” she whispered when he finally calmed.
Sniffling, he raised his eyes to her. “What?”
“What’s going to happen if Mark finds out you’re training?” she asked.
“I have no idea, but I will not be putting up with his s**t like Russ does with you. Before you say anything, I have eyes, sis. I’ve seen how your messages and your words hurt him. How could you be so mean?” he questioned.
Mean? She was… was that how everyone around them saw their relationship?
She felt the tears prick her eyes. Moving to the bookshelf in the corner, she put back the novel she’d read. Running her finger along the spines, she angrily pushed the crystalline water droplets from her cheeks. Russell hadn’t spoken to her since the night in the Trans Am.
Was he as hurt as she was? His words were harsh, yes, but having her brother put everything into perspective from an outsider's view was different.
She pulled out her phone, looking over each thing she said to him until she realized that she had been projecting. She wanted to avoid pain, to avoid feeling like she was an object to be toyed with, used, and then tossed aside when he no longer needed her.
The room felt smaller with each revelation. The walls, painted in a soothing blue, seemed to close in on her as she sat on the edge of her bed, clutching her phone. The familiar scent of lavender from the diffuser in the corner did little to calm her racing thoughts. The soft hum of the air conditioner was the only sound, filling the silence that felt heavy with regret.
As she was putting the phone away, it dinged. Pulling it out, she smiled sadly. It was from Russell.
Russell: I’m sorry. I let my anger talk, and that wasn’t fair.
Sky: No, it’s okay. I deserved it for how I treated you. Are you able to meet up with me?
Russell: I’m on lockdown in Declan’s apartment. He’s adamant that I need to refocus and put myself first for a change.
Sky: That’s sweet of him.
Russell: Yeah. I know.
Sky: What did you do lately?
Russell: Just got back from another session with Mallory.
She recalled that he was seeing a therapist.
Sky: Is that your doctor’s name?
Russell: Yeah. She’s working with me to figure out what my med dose should be. We’re getting there, but it was a rough start. s**t… Dec just walked in pissed off. I love you.
Sky: I love you, too.
The way he worded his texts told her he was trying to alert her to something behind the scenes. Although she didn’t know the details, she had a feeling he’d snuck behind his brother’s back to contact her. The fact that he opened up to her brother more was also something that she couldn’t seem to get over easily. Yet, as she read the message, she understood that he wasn’t a willing participant in their temporary separation.
He sent another text, explaining how Declan had taken anything he could possibly use, leaving the younger man with no choice but to play dirty. Stealing his phone back had been easy – all he had to do was wait for them to all be too busy to pay attention to slip in and out of his brother and sister-in-law’s room.
Then, just as fast as they started, the messages ended, leaving her wondering if he’d been caught.
******
On the upper level of the housing tower, Declan walked into Russell’s room with a glare on his face. “Phone.”
“You’re kidding, right? Dude, you can’t ground me. I’m twenty-six,” Russell retorted, his tone a mix of irritation and disbelief.
Unamused with his brother’s antics, Declan shook his head. He held out his hand, impatiently snapping his fingers. “Now, Russell.”
“You’re not my father,” the younger man snapped. He winced, knowing that it was too late to take back such a brashly-made comment. “Sorry.”
Breathing a laugh, Declan pulled the desk chair out to sit down. Raking a hand through his hair, he tried not to let it show on his face that the comment had hurt. He was the gentleman of the crew, the one others turned to for relationship advice even though he’d only been with one woman his entire life.
“You’re right, I’m not our father. If I was, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, would we?” he asked, his voice calm but firm.
“Nope. One of us would be fighting for his life from the ICU,” Russell admitted. Lowering his arm, he smiled sadly. “I really didn’t mean what I said. I get it; you’re trying to help me heal, and I appreciate it so, so much. I just don’t get why I can’t talk to my girlfriend. What’s so bad that you’re blocking me?”
Nodding, Declan handed him an envelope. “Truth is, David did some digging, and he found a few things that… disturbed him. His inner CPS worker got triggered on, believe it or not, your behalf. It was his idea to keep you both apart for a while to see what would happen.”
“I’m not one of his charity cases, nor am I a freak show that needs to be examined and experimented with. Yet, that’s exactly what going to therapy and being on those stupid meds feels like. The new dose isn’t much better, either. I’m exhausted all the time and can’t focus,” Russell complained softly, his frustration palpable.
Though he knew better, Declan grinned. David had been edgier than normal lately, and it was pissing the whole team off. Raising a brow, he smirked at his little brother. “I always wanted a younger sibling, and Kenni gave me the lesson of a lifetime.”
Confused, Russell sat up. Moving to the edge of his bed, he leaned forward with his forearms resting on his thighs. “Why exactly are you telling me this?”
“After Amber and I found out about you, we were nervous. When Robert called the day of the raid eight years ago, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Out of the blue, we were suddenly blessed with an actual blood sibling. Even though we hated our father, and Amber couldn’t stand the ground your mother walked on, we wanted you in our lives and we did our best to make sure you knew you were wanted,” Declan said.
Getting up, he leaned against the window to watch the summer rain as it fell. His heart felt heavy, like there was a stone weighing it down. He had been anxious after learning he had a younger brother. He’d been a little scared to know the guy’s personality, too, but having to help raise Kennedy proved more of a challenge than getting to know Russell.
From the bed, his brother smiled sadly. “Is it bad that I still want her? That I still want to make that feisty woman my wife?”
“You’re a sucker for punishment.”
Laughing huskily, Russell shook his head. “No, but I am a sucker for long-legged brunettes who know how to kick ass and look gorgeous doing it.”
“You crazy f**k,” Declan laughed. “So, what are you going to do? And don’t lie to me anymore, either. I know those bruises were from her, so why stay? Why subject yourself to that if you don’t have to?”
Shocked that his brother had it figured out, the younger man slowly turned his head to the window as embarrassment sank its claws into him. The rain had long since stopped, the fading sunlight filtering through the shatter-proof glass. It outlined his brother’s slightly bowed head, straight back, and squared shoulders, creating the illusion of a dark and deadly shadow. “I don’t know. I guess, beneath it all, I know there’s more to her. That someone somewhere hurt her in the past, and now she’s suffering in silence with pain that no one else can see. Deep down, she’s like me, Declan. She’s a lost soul trying to find her way, and I want to be there to catch her if she falls.”
Crouching in front of the brunet, Declan tucked a strand of auburn hair behind his ear. “You don’t need to be her pincushion, either.”
“She needs me.”
“She’s abusing her position,” Declan declared, his voice softer than normal.
Russell smirked. “You’re really going to argue with me? You know Amber isn’t the only one in the family with a deadly stubborn streak, right? Besides, I already talked to Temperance about this, and she’s gung-ho for my idea to stick with Sky until I can’t anymore. I already told my girlfriend that I was sick of her behavior and made the demand that we start discussing s**t instead of going for each other’s throats.”
“You’re my little brother, I have to protect you,” Declan argued.
- Writer
