Marriage Material

“You’re coming home,” Kent says, and I turn to look at him. I can tell he’s all kinds of worked up and there’s no talking him down right now. Once he cools off he’ll see what an A-hole he is.

“She is home,” Anderson throws right back, and my heart flutters. His words feel so right. That’s why it makes this so hard.

“I’ll come home,” I sigh, knowing there’s nothing else I can do right this second.

“What?” Anderson growls from behind me, and I turn to the side so I can look at both of them.

“I have to because they won’t stop,” I tell Anderson. “My brothers will keep coming, and the next thing I know my dad will show up. It’s not like you can call the cops or something because he is the cops.” I point at my brother, who is in his uniform even at this early hour. From the looks of it he worked all night.

Anderson flicks his gaze to Kent. “Don’t under underestimate what I can do. If you want to play dirty, Kent, by all means let’s do it, but you don’t know who you’re dealing with. I’ve worked with some powerful men who owe me a lot of favors.” He cocks his head a little to the side. “Men like Governor Drebin.” He looks down at Charlotte. “Isn’t that right, baby girl? Nobody messes with what’s mine.” His eyes come straight to me, and I stand there shocked for a moment. Kent looks just as surprised as I do.

I reach out and touch Anderson. “I have to,” I say again. “If you want to do this.” I point between the two of us. “I need to go home and talk to them.”

“I’ll come with you,” he pushes, and god, he has no idea what it means to me that he would. He’s fighting for this and it makes me feel stronger.

“This is family business,” Kent grits out. “You’re not family.”

“Kent!” I reach out and smack his chest. “I’m not playing with you.”

Heat rolls across my skin and for the first time I’m truly mad at him for saying Anderson isn’t family. He must recognize it because he actually mumbles an apology.

“I’ll call you in a few hours.” I soften my voice when I talk to Anderson, then I lean up on my tiptoes. I don’t want any more threats or fighting, and relief hits me when he meets me more than halfway to brush his mouth against mine.

“A few hours,” he repeats against my mouth, and I nod. He wants me back here even after the shit my brother is causing. I kiss the top of Charlotte’s head and breathe in her sweet baby smell.

“I’ll be back, sweet girl,” I whisper to her, not wanting to leave but knowing I need to.

I have to for all of us. This time I’m not backing down from my brothers. I have something worth fighting for and maybe I have a little of my brothers in me, too. I step back and give them both one last look before I turn and walk out the front door and towards my brother’s cruiser. I don’t stop until I’m seated inside and buckled in, because if I do I might change my mind and run back into the house. I reassure myself that I’ll be back soon as my brother says something to Anderson before he finally gets into the car. I wonder what he could have said to him.

I look out the window as we pull away, and the long silence drives me insane. “How did you find out?” I finally ask.

I want to know how he found out about Anderson being single. I knew it was only a matter of time, but at five in the morning? That’s a little ridiculous.

“I made a call about the new family you were staying with after Ma phoned at four in the morning freaking out because someone nailed an envelope full of pictures to our parents door.” He reaches for something and tosses it into my lap.

I pick up the clear plastic ziplock bag to see it has pictures of me in it. Tons of them from over the last month, but the one on top catches my eye. It’s Anderson and me from last night. I’m asleep on his shoulder and he’s kissing the top of my head. You can tell the picture was taken outside the window in the living room. I swallow when I read the words written on the bottom of the picture. SHE’S MINE! In big black letters.

“It wasn’t him,” I blurt out. I don’t want anyone to think something bad of Anderson. Even if I already know my brother hates him. It couldn’t be him because I was with him all night.

“I know that, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s taking advantage of a young girl who he’s paying to live with him.” My mouth hangs open. “Yeah, Ma spilled the beans about you moving in over there in her panic about you having a stalker.”