The man looks to my brother, but Bass doesn’t give him the time of day.
“Take it outside,” Bass says without turning away from me. “Now.”
There isn’t a moment’s pause, they follow my brother’s command.
“This new life of yours, it must be pretty interesting.”
A small smile grows on my face, and Bass reaches up to hold my cheek.
“I’ll be back before the end of summer to see you,” he guarantees, an ache in his tone. “Think you could teach your brother how to stay above water?”
My throat grows thick, and more tears fall. “Yeah, I do.”
He chuckles lightly, leaning in to kiss my forehead, and whispers, “Goodbye, baby sister.”
He stands and as he walks away, he pauses, narrowing his eyes and says, “When I call, answer.”
A low, raspy scoff warms the room, followed by a teasing, “Good luck with that shit, Bishop.”
Low laughter follows, and my brother nods, glances around, and walks out.
As he does, I feel no sadness or hurt, not a hint of the abandonment I used to bury, because this time, as he walks away, I know I could go with him and he’d gladly hold the door open for me. This time, I’m okay with his goodbye.
This time, I chose to stay behind, because when I look to my right, into the dark and loving eyes waiting for mine, I know I’m staring at everything in this world I could ever want... and so much more.
Royce freaking Brayshaw.
Chapter 40
Royce
When I was young, I thought I knew what my life would be.
I’d be strong and bold and free. Wild and untamed and not a damn thing could stop me, change me, see me.
I would hide behind a mask I’d created to protect the one thing I didn’t want anyone to touch—the organ beating inside my chest.
I knew what love did, and I wanted none of it.
Love was a thief. It robbed you of your good senses and bred weakness inside the mind. It created doubt and jealousy and downright drives you mad.
That’s what I knew of love.
I didn’t know shit.
I was never strong or bold or free, not really.
As a kid, I was locked in my own mind, fearing what would come—a day where I’d lose my brothers to someone or something.
I was nothing but a lost boy, and in flew my Tink to rewrite all I thought I knew about strength and freedom.
She saved me from me by loving every jacked-up part of me.
Love did make me crazy, it took from me, changed me, but not for the worse. For the better.
Brielle, she is my strength, where my bravery will come from, and only when she’s with me, will I ever be free.
Free of fear or loss or pain, of regret.
To love Brielle Bishop is to breathe deep and full, to be loved by her is something too deep to explain.
She smiles, reaching up to run her fingers along my healing wound. “Your eyes are telling a story... you’re thinking.”
I lower, running my lips along hers only to pull back. “Of you. Always you.”
“Yeah, and what about this time, hm?”
“Captain told me what you did, for Enoch and Taylor.” I trace my fingertips along her neck. “You helped them find their way back to each other.”
“They deserved it. They love each other, and none of what happened was their fault.”
“Always the light in the darkness,” I whisper, emotion thickening up my tone as I stare at her. “You had to go and one-up me, huh, in my white knight moment?”
She chuckles, but it transitions into a sigh.
She pulls my face down to hers, closing her eyes. “We died together.”
“And we were brought back together.”
“Right beside each other. Are we zombies now?” she whispers with a laugh, her arms lazily draping around my neck.
“Nah, superheroes maybe.”
“Yeah, I think that’s better. Does basically being born again mean we have new birthdays?”
“Oh fuck yeah, Tink. But not new, two.” I grin. “I’m cashin’ in on doubles.”
“You would,” she teases, her legs falling open for me.
I settle right between them, hovering over her.
“Baby girl,” I whisper. “I’ve got another rule for you.”
“Let’s hear it, Playboy.”
“Love me forever,” I rasp, a deep ache in my body, a heavy need for her now, her tomorrow, her every day after that. “Let me love you forever. Don’t leave me, always want me, and never stop fighting with me.”
Those eyes, the ones I’ve dreamed of for months, craved, fucking thirsted for, grow so damn warm and full I can hardly stand it. I almost have to look away, but don’t.
I need this from her.
“That’s a lot of rules,” she says softly.
“That’s not an answer.”
She laughs, nudges me on the side so I slowly roll us over, and she gently climbs on top.
My pulse beats heavy under my skin, and her hand comes up to cover my heart, feeling it beat against her, for her.
“I know you’re worried, more now than before, I’d bet. I know lying in the hospital bed beside me, you wondered at least once if this is right. You still worry you’re taking from me, by being with me, but do you want to know the truth?” She entwines her free hand with one of mine, lifting it over her heavily beating heart.
“Always,” I rasp, anxiousness creeping up my throat.
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath and a small smile forms along those perfect lips of hers.
When she doesn’t move after several seconds, I glide my fingers along the line of her underwear.
“What are you doing, baby?”
That smile, it widens. “I’m staring into your eyes, at the deep brown that changes from golden to cocoa to the night sky.”
My brows pull and then her lashes lift and she smiles.
“You said you wanted to be the guy a girl sees when she closes her eyes at night...”
My breath lodges in my throat as I stare at her.
“Well, I’m wide awake, Playboy. It’s ten in the morning, and guess what?” she whispers, tears filling her eyes.
My muscles tighten to the point of pain, but the good kind.
“Baby...”
“I see you, Royce. Every time I close my eyes, every time the darkness creeps in, there you are.” Her voice cracks. “You’re not the darkness I can’t escape, you’re the light I’ll forever follow. Without you, my sight means nothing, because you’re the only thing I want to see.”
My teeth clamp together, but it does nothing to stop the emotions from showing themselves to the girl above me and I don’t even fucking care, ‘cause I can trust her with them.
Fully.
Completely.
I push myself up and yank her closer, her smile hitting my lips as I devour them.
She laughs, sighs, and then my baby moans.
Low and long and greedy.
Her arms wrap around me, in a death grip I forever want to feel.
This girl, this life... it’s more than I deserve, and I’ll never forget that.
“Royce?” she fucking purrs right into my ear, her hand slipping between us. Her head pulls back, her eyes darkening by the fucking second, hitting mine. “Fuck me slow.”
I groan, lift her, and slide her right down my shaft in one, full and quick move.
She gasps into my mouth, her head falling back and I dive right in, kissing and licking and sucking on her neck. My neck.
She rolls her hips like a champ, dancing on my dick like a ballerina and I meet her every move with more. Always more.
We fuck in slow motion, to the beat of our very own song of silence.
The need in our hearts.
I pull her shirt from her body, tossing it to the side, and she lets her knees slide farther into the mattress.
This, this is the position made for us.
&n
bsp; She’s right here, in my lap, riding me like a fucking stallion.
My hands slide around her, cupping her ass cheeks and squeezing. Her pussy—my pussy—squeezes around me, so I do it again and she pushes into my hands, her clit now rubbing harder against my skin and fuck me, she’s growing tighter.
Her eyes close, her head falling to my shoulder, so I try a little something I’ve got a feeling my girl will like.
I slide my middle finger down her ass crack, and tap on the hole I’ll claim and claim soon.
She cries out, loud and needy and her head snaps up, eyes wild.
My smirk is slow, her need is clear.
“Do it,” she rasps.
“It’ll be tight.”
“I said do it.” Her little glare has my balls drawing up, my cock shoving in her farther and she gives a desperate, closed mouth moan.
I press my lips to hers, kissing her greedily and whisper against them, “You fucking got it.”
I glide my finger lower, coating it with her dripping juices at the base of my dick and move right back.
She rides harder, faster and when she comes back down, my finger is waiting. I wedge inside, and she bites into my lip, shaking, fucking trembling.
Her pussy vibrates from the inside out, but she doesn’t sit there and ride what’s hitting her.
She rides me more.
Pushes for more.
Begs for more.
“Faster,” she pants.
“You said slow.”
She glares, her hands coming up to case in my neck and shoves her tongue in my mouth, grinding and bouncing and I fuuuuck.
I use my other hand to wrap up her tiny body and carefully lay back, her chest coming down flat with mine.
There’s a bit of a sting, but I don’t care.
I thrust up into her, pinching into her ass with my free fingers and gently moving the one inside her around.
She goes crazy.
She’s panting, flying up and down on my dick and I meet her, slapping back harder and harder, and then she screams, loud and long and right in my ear.
It hums inside me, through every nerve and I come with her.
Inside her.
Where every piece of me already lives.
Her body goes limp over me, and she chuckles into my skin, biting and batting at me.
“Oh my god.”
“Oh your Royce.”
She laughs, her chin planting on my pec.
I move the hair stuck to her forehead and she smiles.
“That was—”
“Exactly why my family planned a three-day trip, miles and miles the fuck away, the second the doc cleared us.”
She laughs, and then tips her head with a shy little look in her eyes. “You mean we can’t be free like this all the time?”
My muscles lock and I tug back to see her fully.
All the time.
All the fucking time?
Oh, fuck me, baby. Yes.
I’d already planned it, thought it, but hadn’t mentioned it yet. I don’t want to push her. For once, I wasn’t going to demand but roll with it, it had to be that way after what we just went through—not only did I die for her, but she wanted to die if she lost me.
That’s not normal, that’s some powerful, admittedly fucked-up shit.
But it’s our fucked-up shit.
And we ain’t normal.
We’re Brayshaw.
Me and my baby.
“What?” she teases. “You thought I was gonna wait for you to ask?” She draws circles on my chest. “Maybell already packed my things, Playboy. They’re on the porch by now. I’m here today and have no plans to leave tomorrow.” She slides up my chest, her nipples hardening and tickling along my skin. “You’re stuck with me, but I’m gonna need a guarantee of a lot more of that or I might change my—”
She yelps, cutting off mid-sentence when I tickle her sides.
“Trust me, Tink. There’ll be so much more.” I kiss her lips, gliding mine across them. “Even if I have to buy you a muzzle.”
She laughs loudly, her forehead falling to mine.
For the millionth time today, she sighs, and it’s the very reason my heart beats strong.
“I love you, Brielle Bishop. More than the stars love the darkness, and you love me, too.”
“More than you’ll ever know,” she whispers. “I could lose my sight overnight, and I’d still have more than I could ever ask for in you.”
If bones break from the depth of words spoken, mine would be in pieces beneath her.
My fucking queen.
I said I never wanted to be a king, and I meant it, but fuck me if I don’t feel like one now.
“You are in my eyes,” she breathes, and my features tighten. Slowly she starts grinding her sweet spot over me. “You’re the one and only, all-ruling, all-consuming, king in mine. Of mine.”
“Damn fuckin’ straight.” I rasp, growl, and groan. And then I flip her on her back, slide inside and hold there.
She gasps, smiles, and tugs my lips to hers.
My fucking girl.
Mine.
“Close your eyes, baby girl,” I whisper a gentle command. “Let me show you how touch is a fuck-ton more powerful than sight could ever be.”
Her moan purrs through my veins, stealing my sanity as I’m about to steal hers.
It’s almost noon when we finally make it from the shower and down the stairs.
We’re naked and starved, and normally, there would be some fresh cut fruit left from Zoey’s snack or leftover whatever Cap whipped up for breakfast, but there’s nothing quick to grab.
I look around and realize how quiet the house is with everyone gone.
I catch Brielle staring at me, and she gives a soft smile before glancing at the clock.
“Wanna go to the store?” I say and she slides closer, wrapping her arms around me, and my fingers glide into her hair. “We’ll hit a drive-through, and then grab something to cook for tonight’s FaceTime dinner with my brothers?”
She lifts her chin, so I give her what she wants, meeting her lips with mine.
“Or we could have dinner with them,” she says quietly, knowingly. “How fast can Mac get the jet-fueled?”
This girl, she gets me to the core, and she should, it’s made up of her.
I shoot up straight, my phone already in my palm. “Thirty minutes, tops.”
She laughs, tilting her head. “Go pack a bag while I grab mine from the porch?”
I grab her, kiss her, and then we kick our asses into gear.
Chapter 41
Royce
Zoey’s running straight ahead, tipping her toes in the water when we creep around the side of the beach house.
As the wave rolls up, I watch Cap move closer to her, even though the water won’t even make it to her ankles from where she stands.
Brielle laughs at my side and shoves me forward.
My eyes meet hers, and she shakes her head, nudging me again. “Go on, Uncle Bro. I don’t see Maddoc playing in the water. I’d say there are some serious uncle points to be scored right now.”
“I fuckin’ love you,” I growl and run forward.
My brothers do a double take, spotting me coming and first, it’s confusion, then grins that take over.
I reach my niece, toss her in the air, and when she lands in my hands with a laugh, her tiny hands wrap around my neck. We run into the open ocean with matching screams of excitement.
“It’s coldies!” she shouts with a smile, and I plant a wet kiss on her cheek.
“It is, huh?” I grin, hugging her tight.
Her eyes shoot wide and she kicks her legs. “Papa, oh no!”
I spin to find Maddoc and Captain running this way, my dad now hanging between their arms.
They’re laughing and shouting, and they don’t stop, going down with him.
When they pop up, they make their way toward me with wide smiles.
They shift, standing silently
beside me.
My dad shakes his hair out with a smile, a heavy dose of pride clouding his eyes when his hand clamps onto my shoulder. He gives me a good squeeze, steals his granddaughter and off they go in search of seashells.
My brothers and I, we share a look, but nobody says a thing, all of us breathing a little lighter now that we’re together.
I knew they were feeling it too, the heavy of the last few weeks.
These are times we need each other most.
It’s always like this and always will be.
We don’t like to be separated, and we have no reason to be.
We’re brothers. Best friends.
Our girls may be our other, better, more than necessary halves to our souls, but in order to be completely whole, this is what we need.
Each other, if for no other reason than to simply stand here, like this.
The three of us by each other’s sides.
The kings to our queens.
The boys of Brayshaw.
I look to Brielle, standing on Raven’s left, Victoria smiling up at them from her seat in the sand.
My girl lifts my nephew in her arms and hugs him tight to her chest, her eyes finding mine from across the water.
It’s then I make a silent promise, one she understands if her smile tells me anything.
She knows and trusts that if her sight grows dark, I’ll light her fucking soul on fire.
The flame will grow so wide, so bright, everything inside her will burn brighter than the sun could ever glow, then the stars could ever guide.
I will be her light.
And she will be my everything.
She doesn’t know it yet, but her cousin, Ciara, is on her way to town.
Come to find out, when Brielle left, her aunt went a bit wild as her paydays stopped coming, and Ciara was forced to deal with the fallout.
She didn’t call me, but I could sense my baby girl loved her cousin, even if she was an asshole to her most of the time, so I made sure someone was looking out for her.
Sensing my thoughts, Captain asks, “Maybell get the room ready for the cousin?”
I nod, not taking my eyes off our girls. “Yeah, she’ll share with the crazy, Valine, chick. Maybe they’ll both learn to chill the fuck out.”
Break Me Page 39
