Teagan

“Here you see the brother of the poor girl who passed as a result of this accident. Should they have hauled him off to a jail cell like they did or given him a pass in his grief?”

“No, I’m sorry. He’ll get no pass from me. I’m devastated by his loss, but look at his rage. He needs to learn to control that. Those officers did exactly what they should have. Who knows what could have happened had they let the scene continue?”

With a delicious breakfast burrito lying on a plate perched on my stomach, I watch the news coverage of what happened before Callen and Rylan brought Burke here. My brother is next to me, sipping coffee, but he lowers his mug when Paisley’s face highlights the screen.

“You miss her already?”

“Only because you’re my little sister will I tell you this, but sleeping alone, without her, sucks. The girl mumbles in her sleep constantly, but somehow, I couldn’t pass out without the sound last night.”

“Before Paisley, I honestly worried that no one would slow you down long enough to catch your attention. I’m glad I was wrong, and I’m happy you have her. I’m sorry my bullshit has taken you away from her.”

“We own things like drama and vendettas as a family, Teagan. The second Smith fucked with you, this mess became the family’s responsibility.” His stern face relaxes, and he looks at me like he’s always looked at me—like I’m his world. “But don’t think I didn’t catch the part about you saying I’ve slowed down. I’m the same man I was before, just in love now.” He pushes back his shoulders, showing me his masculine build.

“Slowing down isn’t a bad thing. Yes, you’re still the man who handles shit, and the whole town fears while you rule your illegal empire, but that isn’t the stuff that makes you the person you are. Paisley brought that man out of you. You’re the man who thinks of her first and treats her right. You’re the brother who can stay open-minded about your sister falling in love with your best friend. Before Paisley, you never would have been even remotely reasonable about Kai and me.”

“I still don’t like it. You know that, and it kind of pisses me off that, after he flipped his fucking car and risked splashing his brains from his skull, I’m going to have to be a lot more tolerant of your relationship. I should have been the one in the car, and he could have licked the pavement. But there wasn’t even an inkling of hesitation or doubt when he heard the plan and agreed.”

“It bothers you because you know, deep down, that no one could ever take care of me and love me the way that he does, and it’s forcing you to admit it. Ask yourself this: before Kai and I ever crossed a line, would he have made the same decision for me, for you, or for Paisley? That man, your friend, has always put us before himself, and he would have flipped that car ten years ago if you had asked him to. He’s still the same man he always was, only enhanced by his love for me, much like the man you became for Paisley.”

He huffs, and he puffs, but he knows damn well that I’m right.

“Tell me about it, about you and him.” In his Burke way, he relaxes back but stays tense.

“About me and him?” Kai? Burke wants me to talk to him about Kai?

“Tell me how things started. Tell me what happened.”

Um …

“Please, Teagan. I mean, leave out the parts that obviously a brother shouldn’t hear, but it’s like there is a whole part of your life that I missed.”

He didn’t miss it. I hid it from him. Guilt dries my throat.

My apprehension about opening up to Burke about this is high.

“Well, I’m sure you always knew I had a crush on him.”

“I didn’t … I guess, looking back, I should have known. Damn, I should have seen it back then and put a stop to it.” Burke’s fists ball in a childlike tantrum.

“There was nothing you could have done to prevent this, Burke. I was meant to be with Kai. Do you want to hear about it or not?” My exasperated sigh is mixed with an amused smirk.

“Yes, I’m sorry. It’s just hard to wrap my head around. I’ll try harder. Go on.”

“I pursued him, and he fought me every step of the way, trying to stay loyal to you and not do what he thought would be taking advantage of me. It was playful at first, but I was determined. Kai never stood a chance.”

Burke doesn’t look at me while I talk, which creates a disconnect between us. Considering the topic, I’m a little grateful I don’t have to look him in the eyes as I speak.

“Everything really just clicked into place after that. Without discussion or drama or misunderstandings, we fell into something together that made so much sense that it hurt.”

“Then, what happened? I mean, obviously, I don’t know the full timeline of when this was going on, but I remember the girls, and there were a lot of them. Fuck, Teagan, he had a damn prostitute in our home under your nose.”

“Things ended way before Braelyn ever came into the picture. Years before, when it was going on, you almost caught us a couple of different times but assumed Kai had some flavor of the week up in his room. I’m sorry, Burke. I know you don’t want to hear it, but it was me. He wasn’t up there, doing some bimbo. In secret, locked away in our own private world, we were falling in love. Kai couldn’t go on lying to you.”

Burke grimaces and covers his eyes with his hand, so I skip past the part I know is making him uncomfortable.

“I begged him to keep hiding it from you, but we came to an impasse. Kai chose the high road, and I went low. I couldn’t tell you. I was so afraid of ruining everything you’d built for us, that you’d see me as ungrateful, that our family would be torn apart.” Burke reaches over and takes my hand in his. His large, blistered palm soothes my guilt and regret the way only a big brother can. “Don’t blame Kai for the girls either. He went a long time where, if I’m completely honest, I don’t think he was with anyone else, and it was even longer before he brought anyone home. He waited, and I never broke the silent standstill. I pushed him away and wouldn’t budge on the one thing Kai ever asked of me. It isn’t fair to think he wouldn’t have at least tried to move on.”

“I already know he’ll treat you right. I can easily see you’ve turned him into a giant pussy.” He stifles a laugh and bites his bottom lip, and I squeeze his hand, knowing he’s being playful. “You really love him? This isn’t some rebellious act to get me back for all the overprotective rules, growing up? He’s the man you want to spend the rest of your life with, little sister?”

The way he doesn’t flinch when he asks makes me proud.

“He’s the man I want holding my heart for the rest of eternity. Promise, big brother.” Even though Burke has known about us for some time, it feels so damn good to come clean about this.

“Okay.”

He mumbles the single word a few more times like he’s trying to let it sink in.

“This situation sucks, but I’m glad I’m here with you now. It’s been a long time since we’ve had much one-on-one time, Burke. I think I really needed it.”

“You’ll always be the first person to ever have my heart, Teagan. I’m always here for you, and if there is ever anything you’re ever scared to tell me about again, I want you to know that I love you first and foremost, above my overprotective nature and unreasonable stubbornness. Come to me. Maybe my initial reaction won’t be great, but we’ll get through it. We can get through anything.”

Burke drags me to him and cages me in under his arm. His giant palm rest on the top of my head, and gratitude consumes me. Happy tears race down my cheeks and onto Burke’s shirt, but the emotional family moment ends when Callen walks through the door.

“We have a spotting. That sure as fuck didn’t take long. These targets keep getting dumber.”

Callen found Smith.

“Great. Let’s go!” Burke releases me and shoots to his feet.

“Sit the fuck back down. You aren’t going anywhere. You’re like the fucking bad-guy mascot in this town. The second you’re out and about, people will talk, and Smith will run back into his hole. You wait here. I’ll get Smith and bring him back to you. Whatever you do with him after that is up to you, but my girl does rather enjoy the screams of men who take advantage of women. She’d be more than happy to lend a hand in slicing up his balls.” He shrugs.

I don’t understand exactly what Callen and Rylan do, running around the country, but my boys never kill for sport, only when we are threatened.

“Are you kidding me? I’m not just sitting back, letting him get away.” Burke shakes his head and continues toward the door. I stand to follow them.

“He isn’t getting away. You should know that about me by now. No one that I’m after gets away. Hasn’t happened once before, and it won’t happen now.”

Burke puffs up, invading Callen’s space, and Callen crosses his arms, not moving or backing down. It’s a war of two homicidal alpha males, ready to go to blows over who gets to capture the mouse—the predatory lion protecting his pride or the bloodthirsty tiger chasing the thrill of the hunt.

“You bring him back alive. I don’t care how you have to do it, but he comes back with at least the sign of a pulse. Do you hear me?” Burke makes himself clear.

“Understood.” Callen’s hand comes down on Burke’s shoulder.

Smith might be coming here today. Well, that’s a polite way of putting it. I don’t think someone being dragged somewhere against his will is like him simply showing up at the door, but either way, he’ll be sharing the same space as me. It’s unsettling to think about. I don’t think I ever want to see him again, but a small part of me wants to be the one to end his last breath.