Page 69 of Five Brothers
“Do your time and get back to us,” Army says.
Iron gives him one last hug, and I stand there, not sure if I should move in. I’m not even sure why he wanted me here. I’m not his girlfriend.
But he stops in front of me. “Thanks for … your friendship.”
I let out a small laugh, shaking my head.
“I mean it,” he tells me.
I reach out and hug him, feeling his arms around me and his kiss on my cheek.
I joke in his ear, “Just don’t ask me to wait for you, okay?”
“Not me,” he says, letting me go. “But … you will be a Jaeger someday.”
I look at him.
“You feel it, don’t you, Krisjen?” His eyes light up. “You belong in that house.”
I swallow. Maybe I feel it. Maybe I feel it because I have nothing else and I’m too scared to try. Hiding in the Bay for the rest of my life would be easy. I love it there.
He looks over at his brothers and then back to me. “Dallas, you think?”
“Oh, fuck you,” I breathe out.
He laughs and hugs me again.
“Get home,” I tell him.
They lead Iron away, the cop at the front desk buzzing the officer and Iron through, and I can’t help myself. “Call as soon as you can,” I tell him.
He disappears behind the door, and we all move, watching him through the window. In moments, his black T-shirt is gone from our sight line, and I feel like my heart is being ripped out. Where are they taking him? Will he be okay? I just want to follow—
“We gotta get to work,” Dallas says, interrupting my thoughts. “Come on.”
They leave, and slowly, I follow them out, wishing I could at least see where Iron will be sleeping. As if it’s a summer camp and I get to approve it before I let him stay.
I walk next to Army, trying to hold back, but I can’t. Someone needs to say it. “Look, I know Iron kind of asked for this,” I say to him, “but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s scared shitless.”
Outside, clouds are covering the sky and Trace and Dallas head through the parking lot.
“He looks up to Macon,” I bite out, “and Macon doesn’t show up for anyone. I never saw him at any of Liv’s games. He didn’t even put in an appearance at Dex’s birthday party. All Iron needed was a kind word from him, and Macon—”
But Army turns, glaring down at me, and I lose my train of thought. “Once,” he states, “when we needed Macon, he was there for all of us.”
“Well, not anymore.”
“You don’t get it.” He searches my eyes. “I love Iron, but all he did was think about himself. It’s our turn, dammit. Macon needsusnow.”
I watch him walk off, realizing he’s just as angry at Iron as Macon is.
Army hides a lot.
“Order up!”
I cock my head, using my shoulder to rub behind my ear to catch the sweat trickling down. I grab the plate, and then another, taking a second glance and tossing it back under the warmer. “This was supposed to be rice!”
I’m not yelling. It’s just loud. There are fifteen conversations going on in the restaurant, not to mention Aracely carrying on her conversations as she moves plates about the room, even if it means shouting.