Breathless (Steel Brothers Saga 10)

Steady, Marj. Steady.

After a minute or two, I rose.

I had two boys to feed.

Two hours.

Two freaking hours ago Talon and Jade had left.

And not a word. I’d forced myself not to call Talon’s cell. His attention needed to be focused on Jade. I hadn’t called Joe or Ryan either. I had no news.

The boys had taken their baths and were in their bedroom. Talon and Jade had given them separate rooms, but that hadn’t worked out. They needed each other right now. They could change bedrooms when they were older.

Eight thirty was bedtime, but they were both fighting it.

I didn’t have the strength to force them to go to sleep. The light still shone under the doorway of their room, and Donny chatted, with Dale answering in short sentences. Dale talked the most to his brother, and I didn’t want to discourage it.

Besides, I was too worried about Jade to fight them.

I desperately wanted to talk to someone, but the person I always turned to when I needed to talk was Jade.

I still resisted calling Joe and Ryan. No need to worry them, and Joe and Melanie had just gotten such great news about their own pregnancy.

I fiddled with my phone as I sat in one of the recliners in the large family room.

A little before nine. Early yet. Not too late to call anyone.

Not too late to call Bryce.

His was the voice I wanted to hear. His was the voice I knew could soothe me. But he’d walked out on me.

I sighed. That didn’t matter. I needed him, and I knew, though he’d never admit it, that on some level he needed me as well.

My fingers hovered over his name in my contacts.

Chapter Ten

Bryce

Kissing Heidi was like kissing an ashtray—a sour marijuana ashtray.

I broke away

. No need for kissing. I could keep my eyes closed and simply fuck her, pretending she was Marjorie Steel.

I jerked when my cell phone started playing Styx in my pocket.

“Ignore it, babe,” Heidi whispered huskily in my ear.

I pulled away, my heart beating faster. “Sorry. It could be my son.” I pulled my phone out.

Damn.

Marjorie Steel.

Why would she be calling me? I put the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

“Bryce?”