“It’s different without you there,” Sylar said quietly.
“Different how?”
“I don’t know,” her brother bristled at the question. “Just different.”
For a few minutes they just ate in silence.
“Have you made many friends?” Sylar wondered.
“A few.”
“Anyone outside of the tattoo parlor?”
Brea tensed but managed to fix a pleasant smile upon her face. Did Sylar know about Miles? Was he trying to trick her in to making some sort of admission about him?
“Not really,” she replied sweetly. “I’m either at work or here.”
“Huh,” Sylar nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, good.”
They continued to eat.
“Have you noticed anyone strange come in to the tattoo parlor?”
“Define strange,” Brea laughed. But her smile quickly sagged when she clocked Sylar’s stern expression.
“Sylar, what do you mean?” she sighed. “If you’ve got a specific question for me, just ask it.”
“I did ask it.”
“Fine,” Brea groaned. “Strange people come in to the tattoo parlor all the time. Unique people. Nice people. I’m very safe here in Colridge, Sylar. I thought you coming here to visit was you being nice, not you checking in on me.”
“I’m not,” Sylar lowered his head in defeat. “I’m not checking in on you, sis. I am trying to be nice.” he gestured around the apartment. “This is new for me, okay? I’m doing my best.”
“I know,” Brea agreed softly. She knew how hard Sylar must be trying to get along as he was. Not too long ago they were living under the same roof, with her barely going out anywhere. Now she lived in another town, it must be quite the adjustment for him to get used to.
“How’s work?” she asked, eager to change the subject.
“It’s shit,” Sylar scowled.
“Oh, sorry.”
“No,” Sylar pushed away his now empty bowl. “There’s just some stuff going down. Stuff that needs to get sorted.”
“Sounds intense.”
“It can be,” Sylar gazed distantly across the room.
“Gina suggested we all go out to this bar in town tonight,” Brea declared brightly. As she’d hoped her brother’s expression softened at the mentioned of her neon haired boss.
“Oh?”
“Yeah, it’s this cool bar a few blocks from the tattoo parlor.”
“Sounds good.”
Brea tried to remain nonchalant but inside she was buzzing. She was going to go out for drinks with her friends and her brother, it was the kind of thing normal people did. It was the kind of thing they’d surely have done if they’d not lost their parents so young. They were actually starting to become friends and Brea couldn’t be happier about it.
Chapter 28
“Yes, yes, yes!”
Brea groaned and pulled her pillow tighter against her head, trying to drown out the sound of Sylar having sex with Gina in the main room of her apartment. She could hear the springs in the sofa squeaking beneath her boss’ moans. Sylar remained oddly silent during their encounter.
“Yes!” Gina cried breathlessly. “Yes!” the sound traveling far too easily through the thin walls of her apartment.
“Urgh, just come already,” Brea muttered to herself as she released the pillow to reach for her cell phone. Drinks in town had been a bust. Sylar had spent the evening staring at all the locals before getting drunk on tequila. As soon as he was suitably sauced he was all over Gina. Brea suddenly became invisible. She wondered if her brother was always like that on a night out – sullen and then raunchy, or if he was just acting that way because he was nervous to be in such an unusual social interaction. Brea had hoped that the evening would be full of shared laughter and fondly recalled memories of better times. Instead she had to watch her brother suck face with her boss until closing time.
Brea deftly called Miles’ number. He answered after three calls, his voice hoarse as though he’d been sleeping.
“Hey, babe,” he murmured. It was comforting to hear him so close even though he wasn’t actually there.
“Hey,” Brea stretched out on the bed, burning with longing to touch him, to hold him, even to smell him. She physically ached for him whenever they were apart. Thankfully Sylar was heading off early the next day so she could be with Miles again.
“You have fun with your brother tonight?”
“Oh, tons,” Brea replied sarcastically. She held her phone up so that it could capture Gina’s rapturous screams as they bounced around her small apartment.
“Jesus,” she could hear Miles laughing. “Who the hell is that?”
“My boss,” Brea stated flatly. Miles laughed harder. “She’s hooking up with my brother.”
“Well, it sounds like she’s having fun, maybe you’ll get a raise.”
“Hmm,” Brea yawned and wished that Gina and Sylar would start winding down a bit so that she could get some sleep.
“So your brother comes to see you and ends up bringing a girl back to your place?”
“He was pretty wasted,” Brea said defensively.
“It’s still a douche move.”
Brea was silent, unsure how to defend Sylar. She was sorely disappointed not to have gotten to spend more time with him. But then if he liked Gina she knew she shouldn’t monopolize him. It was important that they both start to have separate lives from one another. They were still in a transitional period, maybe that was why she felt so hurt about his lack of attention on her at the bar.
“He likes her,” Brea shrugged. “I just want him to be happy.”
“As I’m sure he does you. Which is why I think I should meet him.”
“Next time.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Miles teased.
“Please do.” Brea yawned again.
“Sweetheart, you should get some sleep.”
“I would if I could,” Brea sighed. “They’ve been at it for the best part of half an hour. I’m exhausted just listening to it.”
“Impressive,” Miles laughed, “on your brother’s part.”
“What can I say, we are a family of over achievers.” She smiled sleepily to herself, wishing she could just press up against Miles’ strong chest and close her eyes. She loved to feel asleep feeling the steady, reassuring beat of his heart so preciously close to her own. With her finger she’d trace the line of the tattoo she’d emblazoned upon his chest, the tattoo which had bought them together.
“Can you come over tomorrow?” she asked as her eyes closed. Talking with Miles she was finally able to drown out Gina and her cries.
“Sure,” Miles confirmed softly. “It might not be until a bit later though, I have work in the morning.”
“Okay,” Brea murmured, nuzzling against her pillow. She could feel herself edging closer to sleep and she was eager for the respite it would bring. As much as she loved having Sylar visit it was exhausting to fret over everything she said to him. He seemed even more sensitive than usual, like something was bothering him. She hoped it had nothing to do with her. If it did, he wouldn’t say anything. Sylar was the kind to bottle things up until they suddenly exploded out without warning.
“Try and get some sleep,” Miles urged gently.
“I will.” Brea sleepily ended the call. In the darkness of her room she slipped in to a deep, dreamless sleep. She failed to hear Gina reach her dizzying climax, or the heavy footsteps of Sylar stomping around as he left the apartment to return to the night, to stalk Colridge’s dark streets for whatever it was he was looking for.
Chapter 29
When Brea awoke, the sun was burning brightly against her eyes. Stretching out her arms she yawned and for a moment she was blissfully unaware of events from the previous night. But then the memories of Gina’s euphoric cries came back to her and Brea sagged against her pillows. She wondered if Gina was still at the apartment, shuffling around wearing nothing but one of Sylar’s T-shirts. I
t was going to be awkward for Brea to see her like that but she had to leave her bedroom, she needed to get ready for work.
Taking a deep breath Brea ventured beyond her bedroom in to her apartment. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows in there too, bathing everything in a beautiful golden glow. If Brea was in a better mood she’d have appreciated what a gorgeous morning it was. But she was too nervous about her inevitable encounter with Gina. If she didn’t see her in the apartment she was definitely going to see her at work.
A quick inspection revealed that the apartment was empty. Feeling relieved Brea went to make herself a coffee. She felt surprisingly alert given how disturbed her sleep had been. But at least Sylar had enjoyed himself.
Sylar.
Thinking of her brother made Brea stiffen with concern. Where was he? It made sense for Gina to creep out before she woke up but not her own brother. Growing anxious Brea returned to her bedroom, fresh coffee in hand to get her cell phone. She quickly dialed Sylar’s number.
It took him eight rings to answer. When he did so he sounded groggy and confused.
“Sylar!” Brea cried his name shrilly. “Where the hell are you?”
“Home,” came the croaked reply.
“Home?” Brea repeated in shock. How could her brother be at home? He’d been having sex in her apartment just a few hours ago.
“I didn’t want to wake you,” Sylar noted apologetically. “So I crept out first thing.”
“Did you at least have the courtesy to say goodbye to Gina?” Brea demanded indignantly, one hand perched on her slender hip.
“Urgh,” Sylar groaned at the question.
“I’ll take that as a no,” Brea rolled her eyes in annoyance. “She’s my boss Sylar, you could at least treat her with a bit of respect.”
“I gave her a good time, didn’t I?” Sylar laughed.
“I don’t like this version of you,” Brea noted, her voice hardening. “I prefer the caring Sylar, the good brother who looks out for me and doesn’t treat women like objects.”
“Yeah, well you were pretty quick to get away from him,” Sylar raged.
Brea crumpled, clutching at the phone. The last thing she wanted to do was get in to an argument with Sylar. When it came to family he was all she had.
“I just mean that I get walking out on Gina but you could have said goodbye to me.”
“Yeah,” Sylar’s husky voice agreed gently. “I should have. Brea, I’m sorry.”
“And last night all I wanted to do was hang out together and you were so…preoccupied.”
“I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
Brea loathed how she currently felt like the needy younger sibling, desperate for her cool brother to pay attention to her. But she was used to being the centre of his world. He was always telling her that everything he did was for her, for her well being. Was that no longer true?
“Like work stuff?” Brea wondered quietly.
“Yeah. Things at work are…not good.”
“You’ll come see me again soon though, right?” Brea asked hopefully.
“Of course,” Sylar agreed warmly. “It’d take an army to keep me away from my little sister.”
Chapter 30
Sylar sighed as he hung up the call and gazed up at the cracked ceiling in his bedroom. His body ached from all the alcohol he’d consumed and the beatings he’d dished out in a few of the seedier bars around Colridge. When he asked questions he rarely used words.
There was definitely a member of the Blood Pact in Colridge. He’d been seen around, not much but enough. His mere presence there let Sylar know that a turf war was looming. The nerves in his body pulsed in anticipation for what was to come. Blood would surely be spilled.
He thought of the man’s jaw he’d broken just that night when he refused to answer him. Wearing brass knuckles, Sylar had smacked the guy hard and clean, just the one good solid punch. He’d sent him spluttering against the bar, blood gushing out of his mouth like a macabre fountain. Wincing he clutched at his jaw, although barely able to speak he sung like a canary.
The next time Sylar visited Colridge he was going to take Smith with him. If they could weed out the intruder in time he could save the Reapers a lot of time and energy. But the guy was smart, he was keeping a low profile and remaining off the grid. But when Sylar finds him, he’d be sure to send the Blood Pact a message. He remembered all too vividly how hospitable they’d been to him and Smith when they’d unknowingly shown up on their territory. He’d be sure to repay them in kind.
Brooding, Sylar sat up pressing a hand to his throbbing temple. His knuckles were dark with the promise of bruising but he didn’t care. He was close to finding the intruder. Close to wiping them out and gaining respect within the Reapers. But this was about more than respect, it was about getting revenge for Smith. For too long he’d watched his friend wear the ugly mask they’d cruelly given him.
Deciding he’d already thought it through enough Sylar reached for his cell phone and called up Smith. For a while it just rung and he feared he might have to call back later.
“Yeah?” Smith eventually picked up, sounding a bit breathless. Sylar suppressed a smile. His friend was probably in the middle of having sex with some girl he’d picked up in a bar. Typical Smith.
“Hey, man, it’s me.”
“Oh, hey,” the tension in Smith’s voice lifted. Sylar heard two muffled female voices in the background.
“Did I disturb you?” Sylar asked teasingly.
“You could say that,” Smith laughed. “Nothing I can’t pick up again later though. What’s up?”
“There’s a guy in Colridge.”
“So I was right?” Smith gloated.
“You were right.”
“So what now?”
Sylar thoughtfully stroked his chin. “You tell me.”
“I say we go and pay him a visit,” Smith’s voice dropped so that it was menacingly low. “We kick him the hell out of town and send the Blood Pact a clear message.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Sylar nodded to himself.
“A display of strength,” Smith insisted brightly. “And I’ve got just the thing to do it.”
Chapter 31
“I’m so sorry,” Gina was upon Brea the moment she walked through the door, placing her hands on the younger woman’s shoulders and gazing apologetically in to her eyes.
“I just got so caught up with your brother last night and - ”
“It’s okay,” Brea smiled kindly at her boss and pulled her hands from her shoulders. “You don’t need to apologize.”
“But I do!” Gina insisted. “We were going at it all night! You must have heard us!”
The guy behind the reception counter snickered appreciatively.
“I think the whole neighborhood heard you,” Brea admitted dryly.
“Oh God,” Gina clamped her hand to her chest. She was wearing a low cut top which revealed several hickies which blossomed up her chest and towards her neck. Brea glanced away, her cheeks burning as if she’d walked in on some intimate moment between Gina and her brother.
“Brea, I’m sorry. I’m not normally like that. Sylar is just so dangerous and sexy and - ”
Brea raised her hands, interrupting her.
“And he’s my brother,” she stated bluntly, “so less talk about how sexy he is please.”
“But he is,” Gina followed Brea through reception towards the staff room. “And he’s dangerous.”
Brea shrugged. “Oooh, he is so sexy and dangerous, I get it. But that doesn’t mean I need to hear it.”
“Brea,” Gina was standing in the doorway, her whole demeanor changed. Her expression was soft yet stern. “I noticed a tattoo on your brother.”
“I bet you noticed a lot of tattoos on my brother,” Brea joked. “Again, nothing I need to know about.”
“Actually, this one you might.”
“No.” Brea was holding her hands up again, her voice forceful. “Whatev
er it is, don’t tell me. Because if you tell me you’re invading my brother’s privacy and I don’t like that. If he needs to tell me something, he will. Okay?”
Gina nodded solemnly and backed out of the room. “Okay.”
“Is this the part where you ask me when he’s coming back to town?” Brea teased, smiling lightly.
Miles (Highway Reapers MC): Inked Hearts Page 8
