Brooks chewed on the inside of his cheek as his eyes fell down Astrid’s body. Then, he slowly looked over at me and a wildfire burst behind his eyes. “Why don’t you stay the fuck out of family business?”
I scoffed. “Funny. I thought I was family.”
Brooks nodded curtly. “And you’d do well to remember that.”
But Astrid’s shrieking made all of our ears ring. “Someone start talking right now or so help me God I’ll fucking go to the police and every other law enforcement agency and throw all of you where I sometimes feel you deserve to be! Now tell me why the fuck you guys have been shot to hell and back, god damn it!”
My eyes widened as she drew in a sobering breath. “He’s right, Brooks. I’m not a little girl anymore that you have to protect. That’s not your job. I’m a grown ass woman and I can handle what you throw at me. But if you don’t start talking, then understand this: not only will I move away, but you’ll never hear from me again. And you’ll get to spend the rest of your life living with the fact that you pushed your only other shred of blood family away with your bullshit. So, what’s it gonna be?”
Chops chuckled. “Might want to be more specific about who’s exchanging information, since you seem to have secrets of your own, sweet girl.”
Astrid hissed at him. “Call me that one more time and I’ll show you exactly what I carry in this purse. Got it?”
Brooks narrowed his eyes. “The fuck does that mean? What are you hiding from me?”
She shook her head. “You’re one to talk, you stupid bastard.”
Brooks towered over her. “What the fuck did you just call me?”
I charged over to them and stepped between them both. “Enough! That’s enough out of both of you.”
Brooks yelled in my face. “What is Chops talking about!?”
And before I could calm the situation, Chops did something that sealed his fate in eyes.
He signed his death certificate with the words that flew out of his mouth.
“Isn’t it obvious? Porter and your sister are clearly sleeping together.”
And the look that painted itself across Brooks’ face was one I’d never forget as long as I lived.
Mostly, because it was the closest I knew I’d ever come to death in my life.
Sixteen
Astrid
The breath left my lungs as Chops’ words rang out over the entire room. I looked over at Porter and saw something akin to fear and wrath on his face. And when I dared to stare up at my brother, the look he gave Porter made me want to jump in front of the man and yell at him to run for the hills. How in the world did Chops even know about us?
I didn’t have time to worry about that, though.
I had to save Porter from my brother’s need for blood.
“Is it true?” Brooks asked.
I reached up and grabbed his chin, slowly pulling his gaze to mine. I was the one responsible for all of this. I was the one that didn’t do much to stop Porter’s advances. So, in my opinion, I was the one that needed to take the brunt of my brother’s anger.
“Brooks, take a breath. You look like you’re about to murder someone.”
His eye twitched. “Depending on how you answer my questions, I just might.”
“You lay a finger on anyone in this room and one phone call to your parole officer puts you back behind bars. I’m pretty sure that gun you’re carrying on your hip isn’t registered, or part of your rules you need to follow once out of prison. Don’t make me send you back there to keep you from doing something stupid, because I will.”
His nostrils flared. “You better start talking and quickly. Is what Chops said true?”
“Take a breath first.”
Brooks knocked my hand away. “Answer. My fucking. Question.”
Porter growled. “Touch her like that again and it’ll be you and me, got it?”
Brooks tried to turn around, but I grabbed his hand. I pulled him back toward me before I shot Porter a look that told him to shut the hell up. I knew my brother, and I knew if he got angry enough Porter would surely pay for what had just happened, and I didn’t want to see that go down. I didn’t want to be the one to call the cops and rat out my brother’s entire crew because he couldn't keep his fucking temper in line.
“You keep your eyes on me, otherwise my phone is in my purse,” I said.
He swallowed hard. “Answer my question. Did you and Porter sleep together?”
I heaved a heavy sigh. “Yes, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I’ve cared about Porter for a very long time now, and I’d do it all over again if I had the chance.”
I stared off with my brother for a very long time, and I saw all of the questions swirling around in his mind. But for some reason, he didn’t ask any of them. Instead, all he did was rip away from me, storm toward the front door, and charge his way through it.
With blood leaking down the back of his leg.
“Brooks!” Cole yelled as he rushed toward the front door. “I still need to stitch you up, man! Get back here!”
I sighed. “Son of a—Brooks!”
As much as I didn’t want to, I needed to go after my brother. I jogged through the front door and leapt down the steps, trying to catch him before he got to his bike. I lunged myself at his arm and he shoved me back, which caused me to fall straight on my ass.
And before I could get up, Porter hovered above me.
“What? You’re so pissed that you’re shoving women to the ground now?” he growled.
Brooks wrapped his hand around Porter’s throat. “You should’ve stayed away. You promised me you’d stay away from her, man.”
I stood to my feet. “He promised what now?”
The guys poured out of the clubhouse behind us as I pried Brooks’ hand away from Porter.
“Answer me. What the fuck is this promise?”
Porter sighed behind me. “Your brother made me promise years and years and years ago that I’d never hook up with you. That I’d keep my hands off you.”
I turned to face my brother. “Is that true? Did you make him promise you that?”
Brooks nodded. “And he didn’t keep it.”
I shrugged. “Because I’m not a little girl anymore, nor am I underaged. I can make my own decisions on who I want to be with, and I chose Porter. Do you hear me? I chose him, not the other way around.”
Brooks clenched his fists at his sides. “Doesn’t matter. He’ll have to pay. I thought you were my brother, Porter. But you’re nothing but a stupid piece of dick trying to get to my sister.”
I slapped Brooks across the face and that seemed to pull him out of his trance. The crack echoed around the space we existed in, and pretty soon his red face was pointed down at me. I fisted his jacket and pulled him close, glaring into his eyes.
And the words I spat at him finally got his attention. “You don’t get to be the protective brother when Porter’s spent more time with me in the last few days than you have in the last fucking decade. You hear me? Family isn’t just a noun, it’s an action. And for the last however many years, all I’ve been is invisible to you. Discarded. Nothing but an afterthought. So, you wanna be the protective big brother? Then, start with making the ‘big brother’ part true.”