Page 61 of Corrupted

"If you two don't have anything better to do than speculate on other people's love lives, then I better give you more work to do," Reuben said dryly.

"We have plenty to do," Hunter said. "We can multitask. Right, Park?"

"Right," Parker said. "In fact, we have to go and do some of those things right now." He managed to ease himself out of the chair without tipping it over and sending Hunter sprawling.

I stood too and gave them both a hug each. "Thank you."

"For what?" Hunter asked. "We were just doing our jobs."

"You were being the best younger brothers I ever had," I said. "The only ones, but still the best."

"I guess that makes Rose our big sister too," Parker said. "Which means she can't get together with Caleb. That would be weird."

"It totally wouldn't," Hunter argued. They headed away up the stairs, friendly banter following them the whole way.

Rose shook her head. "Those two are a pair."

"Pair of clowns," Gianni said, but in an affectionate way.

"A pair we thought were dead," I said softly. My heart had broken for a little while. Seeing them alive… I couldn't put it into words.

If they'd died, they would have left a huge hole in my wonderful, found family. A hole no one would have been able to fill. No one I ever met was quite like the Brantley twins.

The younger brothers I never had. The younger brothers who'd always have my back and I'd have theirs.

"Pair of cockroaches then," Gianni said jokingly. "Always underfoot, but virtually impossible to kill."

Damon grunted a laugh. "That sounds about right. Just don't tell them that, they might start to think they're invincible." He didn't need to remind us that none of us actually were.

I suspected we all felt very mortal right now. I certainly did.

If not for Terry…

I'd have to try to think of a way to thank him for what he did. Him and his frying pan. He'd succeeded where guns, knives and technology had failed. Sometimes the simple, old-fashioned methods worked the best. I, for one, would never look at a frying pan the same way again.

Thinking about the kitchen brought my mind back to something I'd tried hard not to think about. Something I had to face, whether I liked it or not. There were still a couple more demons I had to put to rest.

I licked my lips. "I need to see Jase and Wade. I need to be sure it's them and that they're really dead."

If I didn't see with my own eyes, I'd never fully believe it. I'd never put them behind me. In the back of my mind, I'd always wonder if they were still out there, coming for me.

Fuck that. I wasn't going to live my life in fear of them. Not when there was no need.

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" Gianni asked gently. "I know you're not scared of death, but…"

"I'm sure," I said. "I need to do this now." I'd hesitated long enough, drinking tea and talking instead. Filling in the moments before I faced those ghosts.

I left Rose on the couch and walked with my three men, to the side of the kitchen, where a row of bodies lay. Mostly faces I didn't recognise. Several men and a couple of women. None whose deaths I'd mourn. They made up their minds when they worked for Kurt. They wouldn't get any sympathy from me.

I walked down to the end of the line and saw two faces I did know. Both already pale, and splattered with blood.

Jase had a gaping wound in his chest. His clothes were soaked with his blood. His eyes were half open, staring like he wanted to give me nightmare fuel even after he was gone.

Wade lay beside him, a smaller wound in the side of his neck. His clothes were also soaked with his blood, but his eyes closed, making him look almost peaceful. He might have fooled me, if I didn't remember the way he looked when he was alive. Not to mention the things he'd done.

"That's them," I said. "That's all of them. Leon, Jase, Wade and Kurt. And my father."

"Kurt isn't dead yet," Gianni reminded me. "But that's just a formality we can rectify any time you're ready." He looked like he was looking forward to doing just that.