Broderick (Sabine Valley #2) - Katee Robert Page 0,22
feels up to it. Not sex. Some people like sex on their periods, but for fuck’s sake, Cohen, that shouldn’t be your go-to.”
“How was I supposed to know?”
He’s got me there. It’s not as if he’s close to any of the people who menstruate in our group. Certainly not close enough to be in a comforting role during that time. “Now you do.”
“Yeah.” He gets a focused look that is, honestly, slightly terrifying. “I’ll figure it out.”
“Great.”
He gives himself a shake. “You needed something?”
“Not anymore.” Now that I have the tiniest sliver of distance, I realize that I can’t run to Cohen—or anyone else—with this problem. It has nothing to do with the mission or the safety of the faction. It’s personal.
That means it needs to be handled personally. “I have it taken care of.”
“Good.” He’s already turning for the door, but he stops before he reaches it. “Maddox and I need to talk to you about the Amazons tomorrow morning. Seven.”
“Okay.” I take several deep breaths after the door closes behind him. It smells faintly musty in the room. A few more breaths and I know what I need to do—the exact opposite of what I want to do.
Talk to Broderick.
It doesn’t matter if he’s acting like a stranger right now. He’s my best friend. We just need to sit down and hash it out. Sure, we’ve never really had an argument before, but we’ve had difficult conversations in the past, have trusted each other with things we don’t talk about generally.
I know how worried he gets for his brothers, especially during dangerous missions, despite the fact that you’d never realize just looking at him. A side-effect of what they survived the last time they were in this godsforsaken city.
He knows about my past. Oh, not where I’m from and not the horrific details. But he knows my parents were monsters who committed monstrous acts on the one person they should have protected.
If we can talk about those subjects without flinching, we should be able to talk about Monroe without devolving into a screaming fight.
Right?
Once I decide on a course of action, I don’t like to wait, so I head back downstairs. Broderick won’t be in the room he’s supposed to share with Monroe. He avoids it at all cost; even his clothes are kept somewhere else. I intend to figure out where.
I find Gabriel near where he was when I came in. Now that I think about it, it’s weird that he’s lingering near the entrance. I narrow my eyes. “What are you up to?” He’s only a couple years younger than me, but as both the youngest and the sweetest of the Paine brothers, he’s often treated as the baby of group. I don’t know why they gave him Fallon as a Bride. She’s so cold, she’s liable to torment him just for the sake of watching him squirm.
He’s squirming now and trying to look like he isn’t. “Nothing.”
“Liar.”
He glances away, giving me a view of a jawline that’s nearly identical to Broderick’s. Not that I need the reminder that they’re brothers. The Paines fall into two categories—dark-haired or dark-eyed and ginger. Only Abel, Broderick, and Gabriel are the former. The rest of them have variations of Cohen’s red hair. “Gabriel.”
“I’m waiting for Finnegan and Iris to get back from patrol so I can leave.”
After the conflict with Abel and Eli’s people that ended with Eli being shot, Abel has strict rules about the Paines leaving the compound. One of which is that they aren’t to do it alone. “Who are you going with?”
Gabriel blushes and looks away again. “Is there something you need?”
After a brief internal debate, I finally say, “Take someone with you. I don’t care who. Your brothers will tear this city apart if something happens to you because you’re off chasing sex with someone who isn’t your Bride.” Not that I can blame him, exactly. Fallon is gorgeous, but she’s terrifying.
There are a lot of terrifying people in this house these days.
“I’ll be safe.” Which isn’t the same thing as taking someone with him or being careful. “I’m not going far.”
I take a deep breath. When it comes down to it, Gabriel is twenty-eight and more than capable of handling himself in a fight. “You’ll stay in Raider territory?”
“Yeah. I wasn’t planning on crossing either river.” He gives me a charming smile. “Though I have to ask—how’s that glass house look from where you’re standing? Monroe’s color looks good on you, Shiloh.”