Bullets & Bonfires

“What the fuck does that mean?”

Liam grinds his teeth and steals a glance at me before answering. “I have Rob Glassman on retainer if she needs him.”

“You do?” I ask.

My brother raises an eyebrow. Liam smooths his hand over my hair. “It’s just in case.”

Vince seems to have a little more respect and concern for his best friend now. “What’s that mean for you?” he asks.

Liam hesitates to answer. “Nothing. I just can’t be involved in the case.”

“Bree, can you go get dressed?” Vince asks. “I’m still trying to deal with your…relationship and it’ll be easier if you’re wearing pants.”

I cut a glare at him, and then to be a complete brat after that pants comment, lean up and kiss Liam.

Since I’m probably receiving an ass-kicking either way, I take my time kissing Bree before she trots off to the bedroom.

“I think you owe me some coffee,” Vince says.

We head into the kitchen. Once the coffeemaker’s doing its thing, I turn and face him. The emotions flickering over his face stir up guilt in my chest. We’ve been friends a long time and I never wanted to betray him.

“Tell me,” Vince says in a lowered voice that says this talk has nothing to do with Chad and everything to do with me and Bree as a couple.

“I meant to call you.”

“Yeah, I guess you’ve been busy,” he sneers. “You really couldn’t keep it in your pants? She’s not some badge bunny. You break her heart, I break your bones.” This is Vince. Blunt. To the point.

Ignoring the badge bunny comment, I answer, “More likely, she breaks my heart.”

He rolls his eyes. “I doubt that. I’ve never seen her so pissed at me.”

“You were a bit of a dick.”

“She’s my little sister. The only family I’ve got left. What’d you expect me to do, congratulate you for nailing her?”

“Are you always this disgusting?” Bree says, sweeping into the kitchen and wrapping her arms around me. “No wonder you’re still single.”

I lean over and kiss the top of her head.

“Feel free to knock it off anytime,” Vince grumbles.

“Can’t help it. I’ve got it bad for her.” It feels really good to admit that.

“The feeling’s mutual,” she murmurs.

Vince squirms in his chair. “Christ.”

“Ooo, I’ll be right back,” Bree says, tapping my chest before she goes.

Vince watches her leave before asking his next question. “What are you going to do when she goes back to school?”

“I don’t know. We’ll work something out. Or I’ll transfer to Empire PD.” As soon as I say it, a weight lifts from my shoulders. It’s the only logical solution. It’s all so clear: I want to be with Bree. Bree needs to finish school. I find a job near her school. Easy as that.

“Shit.” He sits back and stares at me. “You’re serious. You’d leave our little Mayberry?”

“Yeah, Vince. For her, I’d do just about anything.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

I take a few more days off and help Vince repair the damage at his house once we get the all-clear from the department. Sully and Jake also come over to help, so we accomplish the work in record time.

I leave Bree at my parents’ house where she spends the days baking and talking with my mom.

When we’re finished with the repairs, she asks to go to the house. She’s surprisingly calm as she inspects everything.

“You guys did a good job,” she mumbles, staring at the brand new back door and fresh, white wainscoting.

Vince gives me a look. Maybe it was too soon to bring her here. We move over to the kitchen table, which is now over by the window seat.

He reaches over and taps her shoulder. “By the way, you want to explain to me why I have a dog bed, dog dishes, dog treats, and toys in my house?” Vince asks.

The mention of Kimber seems to shake her out of her fog. Her mouth tips up in a sly grin. “We adopted a dog together,” she explains. I’m pretty sure she said it that way to shock her brother, which I think it does because he reacts like she said “kid” instead of “dog.” “A Rottweiler. We named her Kimber.”

“Well, where is she?” he asks.

I explain the circumstances of Kimber’s arrival leading up to the night she injured herself.

In the aftermath we found out it was Chris who flung the dead bird at the door, left the flowers, and followed her around the mall.

“Oh,” I say to Bree. “Keegan said she should actually be ready to come home tomorrow.”

“She can’t stay at your place,” Vince points out.

Bree turns her pleading eyes on her brother. “You want me to take her?” he asks. “I’m never here.”

“I’ll stay here with Kimber.”

I raise an eyebrow at that.

“Oh, Christ, don’t tell me. The two lovebirds can’t be apart,” Vince bitches.

Ignoring him, I reach out and take Bree’s hand. “My parents said they’d watch her. I think my mom’s pretty excited to have someone to dote on.”

Bree’s bottom lip juts out. “I guess that works.”

“It’s temporary until we get our own place,” I assure her, which earns me another grumbly face from Vince.

“Go back to this dead bird thing,” Vince says, waving his big, meaty fingers in my face to distract me from Bree.

Slapping his hand away, I explain in more detail how Chad’s brother confessed to the bird and flowers. “And he had been following you that day, Bree,” I say a pointed look.

“I should’ve known better.”

“I think you confronting him the way you did scared the piss out of him. That’s why he resorted to the sneaky-creepy shit.”

Her mouth twists into a half-smile. “It felt good to stand up to him.”

I place my hand over hers. “Chris didn’t know about…what happened to…his brother at the time he confessed all this, so I doubt we’ll be getting any more cooperation from him.”

“We need to worry about him bothering Bree?” Vince asks.

I’m not sure how to answer that. Chris should be scared to come anywhere near Bree, but let’s face it, the guy doesn’t seem to be very smart. “I don’t think so. They charged him with a few misdemeanors for the harassment and for violating the restraining order. Bail was low, he paid it and got out right away.”

“You fuckin’ kidding me?” Vince rages.

“He does it again, he’s definitely going to jail.”

“He does it again, he’s fucking dead,” Vince states. “Plain and fucking simple. Dead.”

Bree stands and moves into the living room. Under the table, I kick Vince. “Ow, you fuck.”

“Have some tact, asshole,” I growl at him.

He seems to finally get it. “Come here, Bree.” He wraps an arm around her when she reaches his side. “Are you okay? How you feelin’ today?”

“Better.”

My phone buzzes and I grab it out of my pocket. “Shit. I have to go in to work.”

Vince’s hold on his sister tightens. “She can stay here with me.”

My gaze goes to Bree and she nods.

“Walk me out, V.” I lean down and brush a kiss over Bree’s cheek. “You sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine,” she murmurs against my lips.

“For fuck’s sake, he’ll be back later. Jesus,” Vince complains when we take too long saying goodbye.

Outside, I drop my best friend smile. “You two need to talk to each other. Heart to heart. Clear the air. Bond. Whatever. But I’m warning you, do not upset her or blame her or anything else. Watch your damn mouth.”

His eyes widen and he takes a step back. “So this is how it’s going to be? You’re Bree’s boyfriend now? Not my best friend?”

“Don’t worry. Soon I’ll be your brother-in-law.” I enjoy a speechless Vince for a second or two before clapping him on the back and climbin

g into my truck.

As I back out of his driveway, I throw him a cocky wave and he gives me the finger.

“Where are you?” Vince calls out when he comes back inside.

I’d been worried he and Liam were wrestling out in the front yard, so I’m pleased to see him come inside free of dirt and bits of grass when I emerge from the bathroom. “In here.”

I stop and take in his perplexed expression. “I hope you two didn’t argue outside.”

Vince throws himself down on the couch, stretching his arms out over the back. “No. Your boyfriend just told me how it is.”

“What does that mean?”