From Sanctum with Love (Masters and Mercenaries #10)(109)

Something lifted deep inside him, some stupid piece of him that needed acknowledgement. Some selfish piece left over from childhood. He hadn’t realized it, but there had been some small part of him that required that Jared know what he’d sacrificed. The minute he had what he needed, he realized the truth. “Life wasn’t fair to any of us. I’m so sorry. I should have stayed. I should have kicked your ass and sat down and figured out what was going on because my brother wouldn’t have done that to me if he’d been in his right mind.”

It seemed to Kai that there was an awful lot about his brother that Jared had hidden. Had he hidden those things because he’d been ashamed? Because he’d been desperate for Kai to accept him?

“I never once in all of this believed that you could have hurt those women. Not for one second. I kept it from you because there’s more at stake than you and me and I have to beg you to understand that I can’t talk about it. Not because I don’t trust you, but because I made a promise. I’m going to make another one. I’m going to stop being an arrogant, unforgiving * and start being your big brother. So listen up. You will get in that truck with me and Case and you’ll go home with me. You will accept Harrison as your lawyer and you and I are going to fight this with everything we have. You will not give up. Not on yourself and not on the career you’ve built. They can’t hold us down. Not if we go into this together.”

He’d been so stupid. He’d been foolish and hurt and selfish and he’d wasted so much damn time. He’d wasted time with Jared and he’d wasted time with Kori. He should have wrapped her up in his arms the minute he’d met her. He should have pulled her close and thanked god he’d finally found her.

He should have thanked god he hadn’t been alone anymore. He should have figured out that he’d never been alone. Not really.

He moved in and faced his brother. He was so f*cking intellectual. It had been his refuge, a way for him to rise above the misery he’d been born into, but now he could see it had been a wall, too. His childhood hadn’t been all misery. It had simply been easier to see it that way because losing his mother had been so painful. He’d lumped Jared in with that loss and walked away. He’d held everyone off until one little brat had wormed her way into his soul, and now he couldn’t hold back a second more. Kori was in his heart, and his heart suddenly seemed like such a massive, open thing, full and yet wanting more.

He put his arms around his brother and hugged him close.

This, this was what he should have done that day. He should have hugged his brother and asked him why he was acting so out of character. He should have had some faith.

Jared was still for a moment, his body unmoving, but it didn’t take him long before his brother wound his arms around him and a shudder went through Jared.

“It’s so f*cked up, Kai.” His brother squeezed him tight.

“We’ll make it right,” Kai vowed. He would get his brother out of this. He would do whatever it took as long as it didn’t hurt the only person in the world he had to put above all others—his love, his other half, his Kori.

Jared took a step back. “All right. I’ll do what you want. But you have to do something for me.”

“Anything.” After all this time, he owed Jared something.

“Go after Kori. I saw the look in her eyes. You can’t wait. She’s angry and you have to make it right.”

“I don’t know that there’s any way I can make it right.” Perhaps this was payback for all the years of turning his back on his brother. Maybe it was nothing more than he deserved.

Case pulled up, his big truck taking a large portion of the round drive. “Let’s go. I’m supposed to head over to Ian’s after I drop you two off. I swear to god I’m not getting any sleep tonight.”

“Maybe we should drop my brother off at Kori’s,” Jared said, swinging his body into the cab.

And wake up Erin? Not even he was that much of a sadist. “I’ll see her tomorrow.”

He hoped.





CHAPTER SIXTEEN





Kai stared at the computer. Every single news headline stated the same thing. Jared Johns arrested for murder. TV hero kills assistant. Hollywood actor slays women.

God, it was a bloodbath.

He flipped the computer closed and went back to staring at the screen that hadn’t pinged once all night or morning. His phone. Kori hadn’t called. She hadn’t texted. She hadn’t sent him an e-mail.

He loved her. He knew he’d f*cked up royally, but what could he do about it if she wouldn’t talk to him? And didn’t that say something about the way she felt about him?

“You still waiting for her to call?” Jared asked, walking into the kitchen. Baby brother looked worse for the wear this morning, his hair all askew and his eyes tired. He moved toward the coffeepot. Usually Kori had already booted the thing up by now and was working on her second cup.

“Call back. I’ve left her many messages. I don’t think calling her again will help. Did you sleep at all? I thought you didn’t touch caffeine.” He watched as his brother navigated the coffee machine with the ease of an expert.

Jared popped the cup into the mechanism and pressed the screen. “That was when I had a career. The good news about no longer having a job is that I can eat and drink whatever I like. Can we get pizza at this time of the morning? Do you know how f*cking long it’s been since I had pizza? And like five burgers with real, actual cheese on them. I’m going to need a bunch of sugar and cream for this coffee. Oh, and we need to have someone deliver a case of beer. I’m going through that tonight.”