Keep Me (Broken Heroes 3)

“Fine,” I answer, wiping my face of any emotion.

“Is she really fine?” he presses. “Because you look tired as hell, and I’m guessing it’s not from being up all night with Q.”

“I’m fine. She is fine. I haven’t killed her yet, so I suppose that’s good news, right?” I lift a brow.

Laughter bursts out of Damon’s throat at my response. “I guess, but you can’t really fuck a dead body….” He pauses, his gaze widening. “I mean, unless you’re into that thing, and if so, you’re fucking disgusting.”

I shake my head at his nonsense. “Explain to me why I invited you here again?”

Truthfully, and I’d never tell my brother this, but I’d love having him back in the house. This place is as much his as it is mine and having him here with me reminds me of the power we’d hold over everyone if we’d work together.

“Honestly, I don’t know, but I’m starting to think it’s to annoy me.” He pauses briefly, and I can tell he wants to say something. He rubs his hands down the front of his pants like he is nervous.

“Something you want to tell me?”

Damon’s face deadpans, “Not really but since you shared Q with me, I guess I should share mine with you, so… Keira is pregnant.”

I blink, then I force a smile. Men like my brother and I aren’t cut out for the family life. The white picket fence and two and a half kids.

Looking at my brother’s face, all I see is worry. “We need to get rid of him soon. I need to protect Keira and the baby just like you need to protect your son. He can’t be alive much longer. We will never be safe as long as he is alive. If you’re going to this auction, I want to go with you.”

“I understand your worries, brother, but I need to think my choices through. I do want to go in guns blazing, but I know he’ll be expecting that, and that’s the last thing I want to give him. I need the element of surprise on our side. Plus, if you’re so worried about Keira’s safety then maybe you should stay here for a while.”

He shakes his head. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Having me at your beck and call.”

I roll my eyes. He’s starting to give me an attitude and, brother or not, I wouldn’t deal with that shit. “No, Damon. I wouldn’t like that. I would fucking love it. We would be a force to reckon with if we came together as one.”

Damon scrubs a hand down his face in frustration. “That’s the difference between. You’ll always be a heartless killer, while I’ve found a way to let love in. I can’t kill and bathe in the blood of my enemies knowing that I have to go home and see my child’s innocent face.”

I clench my jaw hard. Every time it seemed like we were taking a step forward, Damon pulled us backward.

Shoving from my chair, I walk to the door to leave, my brother’s eyes on me with every step. “I guess we don’t have anything else to talk about then. We’ll head out for Vegas in two days’ time. For now, you’re dismissed and should go home to your wife.”

I gritted my teeth. This is what I wanted, right? Damon to have a good life? This was why I took all the beatings, why I became the heartless piece of shit that I am.

“Keira isn’t home, she came with me. She didn’t tell me, but I know she just wanted to come so she could see Q.”

My head snaps back in the direction of Damon, my mind immediately drifting to the other person in a room not so far down that hallway.

I’ve told the nannies to not make a sound in the hallway and keep Q’s door closed so Mouse wouldn’t hear but Keira doesn’t know about that.

I exhale slowly, trying to cool my heated blood. I really hope my mouse isn’t dumb enough to leave my bedroom, even if she hears someone in the hallway. Unfortunately, I have a feeling she’s doing just that… investigating. I scurry from the room without an explanation. He’s a guest in my house so I don’t really need to tell him where I’m hiding Mouse or what I’m doing with her.

“What the fuck? Did you forget a pie in the oven or something? Where are you going?” Damon calls out at my departure.

Dumbass.

I run up the stairs, every step I take confirming the feeling that I’m right… Please, Mouse… please. She’s a smart girl. She wouldn’t test my kindness or what very little of it that I have, would she?

I try to keep a level head. Remember, you don’t want to hurt her. But I know I’ll do whatever I need to do to protect my son.