Risking the Crown (The Crown 2)

I drove as fast as I could to Atlantic Beach, cursing each red light I hit on the way. What if he changed his mind? What if he was scared I would betray him? Things could change with Garrett’s moods so quickly. What if this was one of those times?

I parked at his condominium complex and raced up the stairs.

Only yesterday I had been here with our father. Looking for clues. Praying my brother wasn’t dead. The nausea swept through me. What in the hell was going on? My knees almost buckled underneath me.

“Garrett?” I knocked.

The door opened and I stared at my brother. He was wearing a full beard.

“Hey.” He smiled.

“Where have you been?” I betrayed my own promise. The deal I had made with myself not to be angry when I found him.

He put his hands up in defense. The mannerism was so much like my father’s. “Just hear me out.”

“Damn it, Garrett. I flew down here in the middle of the night. Do you realize Dad called the police? We searched hospitals? Mom is about to have a mental breakdown.”

“Hold on. Hold on. Come inside first before you tear my head off.”

I glared at him as I walked inside.

“At least you know I’m angry.”

He shrugged. “Morgan told me to call you sooner.”

“Morgan? Who is Morgan?”

He grinned. “She’s the one, Emily. The girl.”

“Holy shit. We’ve been searching the morgue for your stupid ass and you’ve been with a girl?”

“I never asked you to look for me,” he shot back.

I spun on my heels. I’d never wanted to hit my brother as much as I did now.

“You’re as arrogant as Dad.”

“Shit. You are mad.”

“Mad doesn’t really come close.” I slumped onto the couch. I didn’t know if I had the energy left to fight.

“I want you to be happy for me.”

“Happy about what? A new girlfriend?”

“Yes, she’s first on the list.” He grabbed a soda from the fridge. I wished I had brought coffee with me. Mom would be waking up any minute. I kept my phone close.

“Tell me.” I buried my face in my hands. “Tell me what this two-week thing was all about.”

I would give Garrett fifteen minutes before I called our parents and let them know he was alive. After that I didn’t know what would happen. He wasn’t any of the things I expected to find. There were no tears. No blood-shot eyes. No smell of alcohol. He looked rested and excited.

My backup plan had been to have him entered into treatment immediately once I found him. But sitting a few feet from him, I didn’t think that was necessary.

“When I started doing graphics for the shop I started talking to the tech company who hosted the website. We had a lot of technical issues because they couldn’t handle the art I wanted loaded on the page.”

I knew he was sparing me the specifics of the code jargon.

“Ok?”