My Brother’s Best Friends

***August***

IbangedonRuss’ front door, my anger getting the best of me. I’d taken my best friend’s shit. I had the bruises to prove it. Reagan had been gone for almost a week and I was done. Done waiting, done placating Russ’ temper, and done pretending that I wasn’t absolutely losing my fucking mind. Charlie and Theo were at my back, the two of them just as lost as I was without Reagan.

Lisa finally opened the door, her scowl transforming into something softer at the sight of us for a moment, and then it was back to scowling. “You three have a lot of nerve banging on this door. You’ve officially made my calm and peaceful life a living hell.”

I didn’t have the patience to pretend to feel as bad for her as I should’ve. “Sorry, Lisa. Where’s Russ?”

She full-out smiled then, showing she was as crazy as I’d always known she was. “Basement. Go around the back. The girls are just starting to calm down and I don’t want them losing it again if they see Russ chasing you out the front.”

I nodded and almost rushed away, but something about the way she looked at me made me pause. “You talked to her?”

She nodded. “She’s okay.”

“Where is she?” I knew I sounded unhinged, but I didn’t care. “We need to bring her home, Lisa.”

She put her hand on my shoulder and sighed. “I know. I wish I could tell you. I want her back, too. At this moment, I’d rather she be here than her brother. She wouldn’t tell me, though. Probably because she knew I’d send you three after her.”

I tugged at my hair and backed away. “Thanks anyway, Lisa.”

“Hey. What’d you do?” She looked over my shoulder at Charlie and Theo. “I know that for her to have run, something had to have happened. Did you act like idiots after she told you?”

Charlie, looking every bit the washed-up footballer in his misery, frowned deeper. “Jenny made her think that we aren’t serious about her. We made a stupid bet before—”

“Told us what?” Theo eased Charlie out of the way and looked down at Lisa. “What are you talking about?”

Lisa’s face paled and she slapped a hand to her forehead. “Oh, god.”

“Lisa.” I pulled her hand away from her face and studied her face. “What is it?”

She groaned. “Pearl somehow knew I’m pregnant.”

I was confused, but I’d celebrated every pregnancy with Russ and Lisa. Pulling her into a hug, I lightly squeezed her and forced myself to show her that I was happy for her, even if I was dying a little inside from missing Reagan. “Why the secrecy?”

“She also insinuated that Reagan was pregnant, too.”

I stumbled backward. My heart slammed against my chest and I had to force myself to breathe. “Pregnant?”

Charlie growled. “That’s not funny.”

“Well, I’m not joking, Charlie Taylor.” Lisa planted her hands on her hips. “Reagan didn’t know. She was starting to put it together at the lake and then Jenny showed up. I just assumed she told you guys that she’s pregnant and you panicked and said something stupid.”

“She’s pregnant?” Theo sank down on the porch steps and hung his head between his knees. “She’s pregnant and she’s just…on her own?”

“She’s pregnant?” Charlie looked at me and then back at Lisa. “Okay, give me your phone. I think we can trace her last call or something. We need to find her. She can’t be in the city by herself in her condition. She needs to be here, with us, so we can take care of her.”

Lisa smacked Charlie and rolled her eyes. “You’re not the FBI, Charlie.”

“You don’t know the lengths I’ll go to or the money I’ll spend for her, Lisa. I have an entire trust fund sitting untouched. I’d burn it to the ground for her.”

She hugged him then, tears spilling over. “I don’t know where she is, guys, but I’m sure if her brother called her and talked to her, she’d tell him. It’s not like she’d ever believe his stubborn ass would tell you where she was.”

“Pregnant.” I bent forward and rested my hands on my knees, sucking in a lungful of air. My mind raced with the possibilities. Elation was quickly replaced with outright fear. The woman I loved was gone, out in the world somewhere I couldn’t protect her. The things I’d seen in life were usually kept at bay, but thinking of Reagan exposed and helpless brought them all raging back like the worst nightmare.

I charged towards the back of the house, happy to beat the shit out of Russ if I needed to. He was going to call his sister and he was going to do it right then.

“Oh, shit.” Theo jumped up and raced after me, seeing the look on my face. “Charlie! A little help!”

I kicked open the fence and found Russ at the back door of the basement, pulling a box out. He’d just straightened, startled by the sound, when I grabbed him and slammed him against the side of the house. “You’ve had your time brooding. Call your sister and find out where she is. Now!”