Body and Soul (Vanguard Towers #3) - Aiden Bates Page 0,27

reached back to cup his hand in mine. Ah, he was so soft, all over. Hands, cheeks, lips… His kiss had felt like he had the kind of hunger that lit me up. I wanted to nourish him, and I suspected I was the right person for it. But as the threats against Ian got more gruesome—“blowtorch to the mouth!”—I snapped back to the present, squeezed his hand, and whistled to get everyone’s attention.

“Shut up. Calm down. And listen to your brother.” I spoke calmly and clearly.

To my shock, they did what I said. Even Matt, who normally had no time for me, pinched his lips shut and looked to Brax.

The younger man laced his fingers through mine behind my back and cleared his throat as he took a baby step forward. If anyone had noticed the way we were touching, they hadn’t said anything. I wouldn’t have cared if they had. I didn’t owe anything to his brothers, save for Hunter. I’d been steering clear of Brax for years because I thought it was what was best for him. But after his hungry, needy kiss, maybe I’d been short-sighted. Maybe I was what was best for Brax.

Bad timing, though.

“So, Ian…invited me over.” Brax’s voice was small.

I squeezed his hand, encouraging, and with the other he fumbled in his pocket and pulled out the paper copy of the statement he’d written. I barely held back a proud grin. It felt good he’d followed my advice; good I had someone to give it to.

He read the statement and the brothers were quiet for the most part, save for a few gasps and a low rumbling growl when Brax got to the nasty details. His voice shook by the end, but he held it together. As soon as he lowered the piece of paper, his brothers crowded around him. I let his hand slip from mine, and he disappeared into a group hug.

“Any changes to your vision?” Derek, the ER doctor, held him at arm’s length and peered at his black eye.

Brax shook his head, and Derek nudged everyone else out of the way as he led him over to the couch where he gave him what seemed to be a thorough neurological examination.

Hunter nudged me out of the way to get closer to his brother and knelt down in front of him. “You talk to the cops yet?”

Another shake of his head. Brax glanced at me, and Hunter followed his gaze with a cocked eyebrow.

“I can call someone in the PD. José Gurrera. You remember him, Hunter?” I grabbed my phone.

“Yeah, he seems like a good guy to have on our team.” Hunter cracked his knuckles and I wondered what vigilante justice he was fantasizing about. “You need anything, Brax? Ice cream? Chocolate bar?”

“Have you eaten dinner? There are leftovers.” Seb pointed to the kitchen.

“The kittens are asleep on Derek’s bed in a cuddle puddle, I could get them for you?” Wyatt suggested. He was a vet nurse, clearly knew a thing or two about the healing powers of purrboxes.

The phone rang in my ear, and I backed away as Brax got swallowed up by the loving care of his family. He flashed me wide, overwhelmed eyes, but once he had a bowl of ice cream, and three kittens crawling all over him, he seemed pretty content.

I slipped into the quiet hallway as José answered, but I could hear the rowdiness of the brothers pick up and a little hip hop started playing through the door. Good. Brax needed distraction.

“Hey, Masters, long time no talk. You watching this game?” José answered with a happy edge to his voice.

I grimaced, embarrassed it’d been so long since the last time I’d called him. I’d meant to catch up socially for what I told myself was months but was more likely years. Work always got in the way. “Hi José. Professional call, sorry, buddy. You off the clock, though?”

“Nah, nah, we’re sitting outside a bar and watching the game through the window.” He cleared his throat and immediately sounded professional. “What’s going on?”

I filled him in on the situation, and I heard his car starting up as soon as I’d given him the details. “It’ll take a hot minute, we’re on the other side of the city. But we’re on our way.”

Relieved, I slipped back in the apartment where Brax and his family of brothers, Seb, and Wyatt, were crowded around the low coffee table with stacks of Uno cards and a huge pile