“I see.” She took a couple of steps back from him and sighed. While originally she was supposed to tell Dane, Graham had decided that he would speak to Dane about the new status of their relationship, but looking up into Dane’s eyes she realized that hadn’t happened yet.
“Have you seen Graham today?”
He shook his head. “Nah. He’s busy at a crime scene.”
Her green eyes widened. “What kind of crime scene?”
“Double murder suicide. In Brooklyn, I think.” He blew out a puff of air. “I’m sure he’ll call when he’s done. There’s always lots of press and nosy people who’ll hang around a crime scene in hopes of getting a glimpse of the corpse and get the juicy details of the crime. People can be such morbid nosy fuckers.”
She cringed. “I can’t imagine wanting to see something like that.”
“Yeah, well. It’s part of the job.” He clapped his hands, his eyes scanning the store. “So what’s the verdict? Will you do one of New York’s finest the honor of having lunch with him?”
God, this is hard. She sighed. She supposed lunch wouldn’t hurt and she could tell him about her and Graham at the same time. She’d felt it should be her to tell him anyhow – she was the one to create the mess by seeing both brothers, she felt it was her job to make it right – but Graham had insisted on taking care of it.
Graham isn’t here and Dane is so might as well get it over with, she mused.
~ Dane ~
“How is it?” Dane asked, as she took a big mouthful of her ham and cheese deli sub.
She nodded, giving him a thumbs up while chewing. She swallowed. “Wonderful.”
They ate in silence. It was uncomfortable.
Something about Genevieve’s demeanour wasn’t sitting right with him. She was tense; she hadn’t been tense around him since they’d had the talk at her place. It made him wonder if it had been seeing Graham last night that had her worked up. The moment Graham stepped foot into his house her mood had changed and suddenly she had an appointment. He hadn’t believed it for a second.
“So what’s going on, Ginny?” Might as well stop beating around the bush and get down to it.
“We need to talk.” She kept her eyes downcast, staring at her hands, fingers laced together in front of her.
He laughed. “You breaking up with me before we even become a couple?” he teased.
She lifted her green eyes and he saw he’d hit a nerve with her.
“I’ve been spending time with Graham.”
His jaw clenched, but he fought to keep a smile on his lips. “And what does that mean exactly?” Her eyes lowered again, but he refused to let her look away. Leaning across the small two-person table, he hooked his index finger under her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his.
“What are you saying? You’re with my brother?” He attempted to keep himself calm. He was the one who had made the stupid decision to share her in the first place.
But, that was before I got to really know her. She was supposed to be a one-night stand. I didn’t realize I’d want her like this.
“Yes,” her answer came out as barely more than a whisper. “I’m sorry.”
“Motherfucker.” He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but seeing her jerk away from him and sit back in her seat made him realize he’d voiced his displeasure.
He groaned inwardly. It wasn’t her fault.
“I’m sorry, Ginny. It’s complicated. I’m not upset with you. Disappointed, very disappointed.
But not upset.”
His mind went racing back to Emma. She’d been his and she’d also chosen Graham in the end. And Graham had let it happen. He’d taken Emma and now Genevieve. Anger boiled up within him. After all the bullshit they’d been through to get back to a good place with each other after Emma, to be brothers again, he’d pulled this shit… again! His brother needed to learn to find his own fucking women!
“I gotta go,” he announced, bundling up the remainder of his sandwich and stuffing it into the paper bag it came in.
She followed suit, gathering up her garbage and standing with him, depositing her garbage in the can by the door.
His mood softened as he looked down at her unsure expression. He doubted she knew much about Emma and his rocky past with his brother. She didn’t deserve to be pulled into his family feud.
“I’m serious, Ginny, I’m fine. We’re fine.” He hesitated, but gently pulled her into his embrace. He knew he should just be happy for his brother and Ginny. He hadn’t staked a claim on her, or told Graham he was interested. Maybe being happy for them would be the brotherly thing to do, but maybe he wasn’t that great of a brother, because he wasn’t happy. All he felt towards Graham at that moment was anger. She was the first woman he’d seriously considered settling down with. He genuinely felt she could have been it for him. Maybe when they’d gotten to know each other better he’d have discovered she wasn’t, but dammit, because of Graham he’d never know.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered, holding tight to him. “I do care for you…”
“Please don’t, Ginny.” He didn’t want to hear anymore. He did, however, have a lot to discuss with his brother.
~*~*~*~*~*~
~ Graham ~
Graham sighed as he removed his bulletproof vest and hung it up in his locker at the precinct.
It had been one bugger of a day and he was glad it was finally over and he could get to more pleasant things – like his date with Genevieve.
He began mentally running through a checklist of things to do before he picked her up; florist, box office…
“You motherfucker!”
Graham frowned, turning toward his brother’s voice. He didn’t have a chance to reply as Dane’s fist connected with his jaw, sending him back against his locker. He rubbed his jaw, glaring at his brother, aware that several other officers in the locker room around him had stopped what they were doing to watch and see if the conflict worsened.
“I’ll give you that one Dane, but you won’t get another.”
Dane smirked. “Have you considered getting your own women for a change?”
“You spoke with Ginny.”
“Yeah. You fucking knew I was into her.”
Graham huffed. “You’re into all women, she’s just the piece of ass for the week to you.”
“She was still mine.” His anger flared up in his eyes and Graham braced himself for things to become physical. Dane was a fists first, talk later type of guy.