Page 194 of Five Brothers

“Don’t let them,” she says.

Don’tletthem? “You think I would—”

“You know what I mean.”

I stop, staring at her.Don’t make it easy, she means.Like I have a death wish.

“I know what you mean,” I tell her, making my voice gentle.

Sprinkles of rain have started to fall, and her skin in the white dress almost sparkles with the drops.

I give her a small smile. “You look pretty.”

She pulls on the helmet, fastening it, and then hikes up her dress just enough to climb on behind me.

She wraps her arms around me tight.

“Don’t worry, Krisjen.” I start up the motorcycle. “Men like that won’t be the end of me.”

I push the kickstand out of the way, looking over my shoulder. “And you don’t leave the Bay without protection from now on,”

I demand. “You’re a target now, just like the rest of us, and there’s no telling what they’ll do.”

“You let Liv, Clay, and Aracely come and go as they please.”

Fuck.

“You think I can’t defend myself,” she goes on. “I can when I want to.”

But I’m not arguing about this. “You don’t leave the Bay without a male.”

The rain falls, the drops darting to the ground faster and faster, and I tip my head back, feeling the cool water and the beautiful, welcome weight of her body around mine.

Like an anchor.

“Do you mind if we just drive around for a while?” I ask her. “In the rain?”

She’ll get soaked, but somehow, I know just what she likes.

And true to form, she replies, “All night if you want.”

I take off, not wanting to be anywhere else for the first time in a long time.

25

Krisjen

He pulls into the garage and hits the brakes. My body lurches into him as I hold him tight, the smile on my face constant ever since we left the docks.

He kills the engine, and I savor the feel of him in my arms one last time before I let him go. Hopping off the bike, I unfasten the helmet and shiver, laughing at how the rain drips off both of us. We’re soaked.

Leading the way up the steps, he hits the button to close the garage door, and my teeth chatter as we pour into the dark kitchen.

I rush to the island and dig out a clean dish towel from a drawer, using it to squeeze the water out of my hair. No lights drift in from the living room, the house silent all around us.

I slip off my shoes and hold the towel to my chest. “Where is everybody?”

He whips off his jacket and hangs it on the back of the chair. “Close, I’m sure.”