Priceless

by Linda Kage

  But Julianna was surprisingly cool. “Hey, no problem. I’ve had to bail friends out of trouble too many times to count. It’s cool.”

  I grinned at her right before I found the street I needed. “Thanks.”

  When I pulled to the curb at the address and glanced out the window at the harmless-looking building, I frowned in confusion. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but there weren’t any ambulances, police cars or fire trucks outside. There was no commotion at all. That eased my anxieties some but heightened them in other ways.

  What if she really was on her date? What if he ended up being a douche and— Dammit, I couldn’t even bring myself to consider worst-case scenarios. My skin was already prickling with all kinds of dread.

  “I’ll be right back,” I barely told Julianna as I slung open my door and surged from the truck.

  It was a feat of its very own for me not to sprint to the front door, but I contained myself to a quick march. Once inside, I found the elevator, and when it didn’t open as soon as I pushed the door button, I darted up the nearby stairwell, jogging to the fifth floor. The apartment I wanted was located at the other end of the hall, but I reached it within a couple seconds.

  Pausing at 5A, I strained to listen to anything happening inside: screaming, cursing, crying. But there was nothing.

  I knocked. When footsteps neared, my muscles tensed and my hands curled into fists at my sides.

  The latch turned, and the door opened. The guy who peered out looked completely harmless, like maybe he could be an accountant in training. No muscle tone, no tan, receding hairline, thick-rimmed glasses.

  I blinked, hating him even though I knew absolutely nothing about him. But, really. Sarah actually went for this kind of jackass?

  His brow crinkled as he peered out at me. “Who’re you?”

  No polite, “Can I help you?” or “How’s it going?” Just a blunt, “Who’re you?”

  Yeah, I didn’t like this dick already. Not in the mood to answer his question, I said, “Is Sarah here?”

  He pulled back in surprise. “Who wants to know?”

  Done talking to him, I glanced past his shoulder and into the apartment. “Sarah?”

  The dick shifted to block my view. Lifting his hand toward my chest, he opened his mouth, probably to spill out some other dick-headed comment when Sarah’s voice called, “Right here.”

  That was all I needed to hear. I stepped inside, making the dick sputter and stumble out of my way. When I saw her, I sucked in a breath and jerked to a halt.

  Damn.

  Reese had obviously gotten hold of her because her hair had been curled into the neatest coils. Her makeup made her lips glossy and too incredibly kissable and her cheekbones appear higher than usual. She wore a black dress I hadn’t seen before that stopped just above the knees, and her feet were encased in the highest heels I’d ever noticed her wearing before.

  Sarah was so goddamn beautiful it made my stomach clench. I hated that she’d dressed up for him. Which made me hate him, and then hate myself because I couldn’t be happy for her the way she wanted me to be. But I couldn’t help wanting to kill the guy she looked so nice for.

  So I forced myself to rescan her like the concerned friend I was. Basically, she looked...okay. No bruises, no blood, no torn or even rumpled clothing. Hell, she wasn’t even crying, though she looked anything but happy.

  Dragging her purse into her lap, she wheeled my way. “I’m ready to go.”

  “Wha-what?” Dick-Breath moved between us to intercept her. “What’re you talking about?”

  I shoved him out of the way. “You heard her. She’s ready to go.”

  “But...” Frowning in utter confusion, he stepped forward again, except I think he knew better than to get between me and Sarah one more time because he faltered when he saw my expression. Irritation flashed across his face. “What the hell is going on? Who are you? Her brother?”

  “I’m her ride home, apparently.”

  Sarah didn’t bother to tell Dick goodbye. She rolled past me without even glancing his way. And that told me all I needed to know. Dick had to die.

  “Hey, you can’t just barge in here and take her like this.”

  “I just did, buddy.” I glared his way, stopping him in his tracks when he tried to follow Sarah into the hall. “I don’t know what the fuck you did to make her text me and ask me to come pick her up, but you might consider packing your shit and moving, because if I decide I don’t like what she has to tell me once I pry the truth from her, I will come back for you.”

  Fear and maybe even a little guilt flittered across his face. But he only shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We didn’t do anything.” I narrowed my eyes and stepped closer, making him squawk, “We didn’t.”

  “We’ll see,” I murmured, keeping sharp eye contact with him as I backed out of his apartment and shut the door between us.

  Sarah was already halfway down the hall and waiting at the elevator entrance. By the time I caught up to her, the doors had opened and she was wheeling inside. I silently slipped in with her.

  Neither of us spoke until the doors closed and we began to descend, and then, unable to hold it any longer, I stared straight ahead at her reflection in the mirrored doors and quietly, calmly, though barely keeping myself in check, asked, “Did he touch you?”

  “No,” she gave the stony answer as she turned her head away from me.

  I snorted out my disbelief. “So this is all because he didn’t touch you? Yeah right. I’m not buying it.”

  “He didn’t touch me,” she repeated from between clenched teeth just as the first tear tracked down her cheek.

  “Motherfucker,” I growled and slammed my fist into the elevator wall. “I’m going to kill him.”

  Sarah finally looked up at me. “No. Just leave it alone.”

  “The hell with that. You’re crying.”

  “Brandt.”

  “You contacted me, Sarah, asking me for help. Well, this is how I deal with it. That fucker hurt you, so he dies.”

  More tears began to fall. Her hand shook madly as she tried to wipe her cheeks, which told me just how upset she was; her CP was acting up because her emotions were high.

  “He didn’t do anything wrong. Maybe I just wasn’t feeling it and was ready to go home.”

  I shook my head. “Bullshit. You’re too polite to flake out on a guy halfway through a date. If you just weren’t feeling it, you still would’ve stuck it out until the end of the night. I know you, Sarah. So I know the reason you didn’t tell that bastard goodbye or even look his way when you left was because he fucking did something wrong.”

  “I’m overreacting, okay,” she cried. “So please just drop it.”

  I snorted. “Well, I kind of think you’re trying to play it down.”

  “Well, I don’t want to talk about it.” As soon as the elevator stopped and doors opened, she shot out into the first-floor foyer.

  Cursing, I stalked after her, torn between heading back up to the fifth floor to kick some ass and seeing her safely to my truck. Her tears made me stay with her. She moved so fast that she was already twenty feet ahead of me by the time I made it outside.

  “Sarah,” I called, hurrying to catch up.

  “Dammit, Brandt.” She held up her hand, warding me away. “I said I don’t—”

  I cut her off by scooping her out of her chair and into my arms. Without saying a word, I carried her the rest of the way to my truck. Just as silently, she wrapped her arms around me and turned her face into my neck as she soaked my shirt with tears.

  Resting my cheek against her hair, I closed my eyes and tightened my grip on her, holding her closer. I hated it when she cried. When she hurt, I hurt. Feeling her tremors of sorrow ripped me to shreds.

  A couple steps before we reached my truck, the passenger side door came open, surprising the crap out of me because I’d totally forgotten about Julianna. Concern flooded her features as she popped ou
t onto the sidewalk with us.

  “What’s wrong? Is she okay?”

  At the question, Sarah lifted her face from my shoulder and blinked at Julianna before swerving her attention to me. “You’re on a date?”

  “I think it just got postponed.” Meeting Julianna’s gaze, I winced. “Do you mind sitting in the back? It’s harder to maneuver her—”

  “No, that’s fine,” Julianna was quick to answer. “Whatever she needs.” She was even as helpful as to hold open the front door for us as I slipped Sarah into the passenger seat. Then she hurried to fetch Sarah’s wheelchair.

  “Thanks,” I said before folding it and hefting it up to lay it in the bed of my truck.

  When I turned back, Julianna was still there, wringing her hands as she watched Sarah pull on her seat belt through the opened door.

  I opened my mouth to apologize, but what came out sounded more like, “Can you hang here with her for a second? I’ll be right back.”

  While Julianna began to nod, Sarah snaked out her hand and caught my arm. “No.”

  My bicep tensed under her grip. “Sarah,” I started.

  But she shook her head. “Don’t go back up there.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do,” I fumed. “That fucker has to pay for what he did.”

  She snorted out an incredulous laugh and shook her head. “You don’t even know what he did.”

  “I don’t have to. You’re upset, and that’s enough to make me want to break his face.”

  “Brandt, please.” A sob caught in her throat and more tears spilled down her cheeks. “I just want to go home.”

  Pain wound so tight through my chest I could barely breathe. The one thing I could never handle was her tears. She rarely cried, so when she finally allowed them to fall, it was that much more devastating to me. Helpless frustration roared through me until I wanted to pound my fist against my truck.

  I still itched to storm my way back up to the fifth floor and avenge her, but I heeded her wishes and waited until both ladies were shut inside before moving around to the driver’s side and climbing behind the wheel.

  No one said a word while I started the engine and pulled out into traffic. Another minute passed. The only sound came from Sarah as she sniffed through her quiet tears. Finally, a throat cleared from the backseat.

  “So...I’m Julianna.”

  Sarah turned her head enough to acknowledge the greeting. “Sarah,” she murmured.

  “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much. Brandt says you’re his best friend.”

  I glanced over my shoulder into the back at her, wondering what she was talking about. She hadn’t heard “so much” about Sarah. Colton had mentioned her one time around Julianna, and that was it. When I met her gaze, however, she only shrugged, letting me know she hadn’t been sure what else to say. Then she added, “I work at Forbidden with him.”

  Sarah nodded. “Our brothers used to work there together. That’s how we met.”

  That was about all the friendly small talk I could stomach. “Do you mind if I drop you off first, Juli?”

  The glare she shot me told me what a rude jackass I was being, but I couldn’t help it. Violence was bubbling just under the surface of my skin. Nice was not in my vocabulary at the moment.

  “That’s fine,” Julianna answered, despite her irritation.

  I nodded. “Thanks.”

  BRANDT

  The interior of my truck grew even quieter after we dropped Juli off at her apartment and I walked her to her door.

  When I returned to the truck, Sarah was gazing out the passenger side window, ignoring me. That pissed me off. She needed to start talking. Now.

  I climbed behind the wheel, started the engine, and steered us back onto the road, grinding my teeth and stewing until I just couldn’t take it any longer.

  “This,” I growled when I turned down her street, “is exactly why I wanted to know more about him before he ever took you out.”

  She sniffed and glared over her shoulder at me. “I’m really not in the mood for an I-told-you-so.”

  “That’s not what I’m doing.” I tried to keep my cool, but I was still upset about seeing her cry and not yet being able to kill the bastard for it...or even know what he’d done to cause it. But I couldn’t keep the sneer from my voice when I muttered, “Excuse me for worrying about you.”

  “Well excuse me for wanting to go on a date like a normal, average woman without all the drama of you background checking him, or giving him the third degree, or maybe even threatening him to treat me right.”

  God, I hated it when she was right. “I might not have done that.”

  Except I totally would have, because she wasn’t a normal, average woman. She was the most precious thing in my life. I knew it was unnatural how much I relied on her to be there for me when I needed a friend, but I didn’t care. Sarah was priceless to me. I couldn’t help but be overprotective of her and snarl at any threat that came near her.

  I didn’t know how to tell her any of this, though; she seemed determined to push her crappy mood off onto me.

  “That’s exactly what you would’ve done,” she ranted. “You are so fucking predictable it’s not even funny. I love you for caring, but you take it too far.”

  Too far? I hadn’t even done anything! And I really didn’t appreciate receiving the brunt of whatever shittiness Seth had started. He was going to die an extra time for that alone.

  Working my jaw, I pulled to the curb in front of her house and tried to calm myself because arguing over what I might or might not have done was getting us nowhere. Spinning toward her as soon as I cut the engine, I demanded, “Will you just tell me what he did already?”

  “Screw you.” Shoving open her door, she climbed out and slammed it shut. But she couldn’t go very far. Stomping off to the house wasn’t an option, and she didn’t have the muscle to lift her chair from the bed of my truck.

  I stole a second to grip the wheel tight and squeeze my eyes shut. When I jerked open my door and rounded the bed of my truck so I could fetch her chair, she leaned against the side of my truck, waiting impatiently. She hugged herself the entire time and shook like crazy, avoiding all eye contact as she lifted her chin stubbornly.

  I flipped open the chair and set it on the sidewalk for her, making sure it was ready for her to sit in.

  “Your chariot,” I bit out.

  Sparing me a killer glare, she muttered, “Bastard,” and slid down, seating herself.

  I snickered. “You’re welcome, by the way. It was simply an honor to save you from your fucking date.”

  Sarah ignored me as she rolled up the driveway without a goodbye, fuck off, or even a backward glare.

  My fingers curled into fists at my sides. Oh, this was so not over. I was not leaving this property until I found out what good ol’ Seth had done.

  She must’ve known I’d followed her because once she reached the front door, unlocked it and shoved her way inside, she tried to slam it in my face.

  I caught it before it broke my nose and glared at her back as she sped through the front room and past her brother, who was sitting on the couch, watching TV in nothing but some sleep pants.

  “What the hell?” he yelped, jumping to his feet and gaping after his sister, who barely spared him a glance on her way through.

  “I’m going to bed. Goodnight,” was all she muttered.

  Mason slowly turned to pierce me with his confused gaze. “Why are you bringing her home and not—”

  “I have no fucking clue!” I yelled, fed up with this shit. I wanted to hit something. Hard.

  But Mason glared and lifted his hand to hush me. “Shh. Reese and the kids are already asleep.”

  “Shit.” I braced my hands on my hips and blew out a long, steadying breath. “Sorry. She just...she texted me and asked me to pick her up. Now she won’t tell me what happened, and it’s pissing me the hell off.”

  Concern lit Mason’s face. “Something bad happened? Wit
h her date?” He turned as if he wanted to follow her to her room and find out the problem for himself, but I jumped forward, not about to let that happen. If he stepped in, I wouldn’t be needed, and there was no fucking way I was going to be left out of this.

  She had contacted me. So here I was.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “I’ll find out what happened. I got this.”

  Mason looked momentarily wary of letting me near his sister, and panic filled my chest. If he said no, what could I do? I couldn’t bulldoze past him and storm into her room regardless. And I had a feeling she wouldn’t open the window for me if I tried getting in that way.

  Looking him dead in the eye, I said, “I can get her to talk to me.”

  He knew to believe me because I’d managed it before. Mason always knew he could trust me with Sarah, so that was probably why he gave a reluctant nod and shifted as if to let me pass. I hurried into the hall just as he called, “I want to know what this guy did too.”

  Unable to promise that, I simply acted as if I hadn’t heard him.

  When I reached Sarah’s room, I was relieved to discover she hadn’t locked me out. Slipping inside, I found her already out of her chair and sitting on her bed with her bare feet on the floor and her fingers gripping the edge of the mattress as she scowled at me.

  “And don’t tattle my entire life to my brother, either.”

  I sighed and eased the door shut behind me. Saying nothing, I approached her before sitting next to her until we were side by side, both staring at her closed door.

  “I didn’t tattle,” I finally answered, feeling calm enough to be rational. “I simply tried to smooth the waters because you know he would’ve burst in here and demanded answers. But he’s not here, now is he?”

  Sarah’s chin quivered as she watched the door, but her brother never breached the entrance. Finally, she blew out a breath and quietly said, “I’m sorry I’m pushing my pissy mood off on you. You don’t deserve it.”