We sit there, just holding each other and dealing with the information overload that was our morning. I feel Brax’s phone vibrate against my hip. He reaches down and grabs it, reading the message while I look over his shoulder.
Shay: Heading up, bro. Got news.
Brax: Me too. Shit you won’t believe, and the best news in the world.
Brax stands up and unlocks the door, opening it and letting Shay and Devon into the apartment.
“Babe, how you doing today? You’re face looks worse today,” Shay says with a grimace.
“Are you saying I look like hell, Shay?” I say with a wry smile.
“You’re gorgeous as always, just a little rough around the edges.” He flashes me that full watt grin of his, the one he knows will get him out of anything, and I can’t help but giggle.
“Something like that,” I reply, grinning back at him.
“Hey, you. Be nice to my fiancé,” Brax says jokingly to Shay, who looks stunned.
“Holy crap! Congrats, guys,” he says, pulling both Brax and I in for a group hug.
“Can’t. Breathe,” I say, my voice squeaking.
Shay pulls away, laughing. “Sorry, babe. I’m so happy for you guys. But you won’t get me wearing a monkey suit, alright?”
Devon steps forward and shakes Brax’s hand. “Awesome news, bro. Happy for you.”
Brax sits back down and pulls me into his lap. His huge smile is becoming contagious to everyone else in the room.
“You’ve seen the newspaper, then,” Devon remarks, pointing to the newspaper still open on the table.
“Yeah. Didn’t see that one coming,” Brax replies. “Surprised the f**k out of me, to be honest. I thought for sure he’d get away, or throw one of us under the bus.”
“I think it’s his way of making amends. Like you said Brax, it’s redemption,” I add, looking up at Devon.
“Redemption,” he says slowly, letting the thought sink in. “Never thought of it that way.”
“So, where to from here?” Shay butts in.
“I don’t know. Brimstone isn’t going anywhere until after his arraignment, Evans is sitting in a cell, and Gibbons is dead,” Brax says.
“And the shooter?” Devon asks. “Who ordered that?”
The boys are all silent while they mull it over. “That’s the six million dollar question isn’t it?” Brax replies.
“What about the black Honda?” I ask, trying to help.
I feel Brax’s arms tighten around me as he replies, “We haven’t seen him since the night of the shooting, but I don’t think that means we can rule him out. He could be connected to Brimstone, or even Gibbons for all we know.”
“Until we catch him, or he slips up, we won’t know. That’s if we even see him again,” Shay states.
“Okay, so until we know otherwise, we keep alert,” Brax says, earning murmurs of approval from the boys.
“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving,” Shay pipes up in the background.
“Dude, you just ate like half an hour ago,” Devon says laughing.
“All this drama makes me hungry, what can I say?” Shay shrugs, making us all crack up.
Brax looks at me and I nod, silently urging him to tell the boys the rest of our news. “I rang the boss this morning and resigned. Effectively immediately”
“What? And you were going to tell me this when?” Shay asks, not hiding his astonishment.
“It only just happened. Turns out he’s my uncle. Sylvia Brimstone, nee Robinson, was actually Sylvia Bertorelli by birth,” he explains to Devon and Shay who both have totally blank looks on their faces. Nobody could have predicted this too close for comfort family connection in a million years.
“Shit!” Shay says slowly. It is a lot to take in, but Shay seems genuinely shocked. “What about my job?”
“It’s your call. You know that wherever Elle goes, I go. But I was thinking that this could be our chance to go out on our own like we talked about. Start our own surveillance business,” Brax says.
“I’m so down with that, man. You know I’ve been waiting for you to make the call.”
“I’m in too. If you’ll have me, that is,” Devon says. I’m shocked at the uncertainty in his voice. He’s always been so full of bravado and confidence.
Brax looks at his brother and tilts his head, a slow smile spreading over his face. “Hell, yeah, D. Sounds good.”
“Well,” I say, standing to my feet, “All this man love has made this girl hungry. Who wants a sub?” I hear growls of approval behind me as I walk towards the kitchen.
I think I’m going to like my new life, without drama, without danger.
But with Brax, Shay, and Devon in my life, I can’t say it’s ever going to be dull.
23
I wake up to an empty bed again. I quickly pull my robe on, and wander out into the apartment looking for Brax. I find him nose deep in my laptop.
Leaning against the doorframe of the living room, I watch him. He keeps smirking, then wrinkling his nose. It’s damn cute, but I’m curious as to what he’s looking at.
“What are you doing?” I say, startling him.
“What are you doing, standing there watching me like my own personal stalker? Come here.”
He smiles as I walk over to him. Just as I’m about to sit down beside him, he grabs my hips and hoists me over his lap so that I’m straddling his thighs, causing me to shriek.
He sits there looking at me, slowly rubbing his hands up and down my arms, giving me goosebumps. “I’ve made plans for us today,” he says quietly. He leans forward and places a series of soft kisses from my breastbone up my neck until he reaches the corner of my mouth. “Good plans,” he adds before nibbling at my bottom lip. I sigh into his mouth, slowly licking his lips as he teases me.
“If it involves making love to me, that’s not a new plan,” I giggle as he moves his mouth back down my throat, tracing circles with his tongue, and forcing me to whimper in satisfaction.
He pulls back and looks at me through lust filled eyes. “Well, that is always planned, but today I’m taking you out. We’re going to have a normal day. Just you and me going out into the big bad world. One day where we are just Brax and Elle, a newly engaged couple wanting to see all the sights the big city has to offer. What do you say?”
“I’d say it sounds perfect. So, what were you looking at on the computer?” I ask, moving to turn around and look at the screen. Brax’s hand shoots out quickly, shutting the laptop before I can see what he was looking at. Hmm, what is this man of mine up to now? I look at him and quirk my brow which just makes him laugh at me.