Beautiful Redemption (The Maddox Brothers, #2)(75)

I raised an eyebrow. “You mean, it’s time for you to go home.”

“So, everything you said this weekend was bullshit?” he asked.

“No, I recall being very truthful.”

His nose wrinkled. “You came home with me the last time we had drinks here together.”

Marks winced. “Hey, Thomas, maybe we should—”

“No, you came home with me,” I said, trying very hard not to get defensive.

“What does that even mean?” Thomas asked. “Speak English!”

“I’m speaking English. I just don’t speak drunk,” I said.

The disgusted look on his face only grew more severe. “That’s not even funny.” He looked at Marks. “She’s not even funny. And that’s bad because I’m drunk,” he said, pointing at himself. “I think everything’s funny.”

Anthony held up his hand, a blue rag hanging from it. “I don’t mean to poke the bear, but I’ve got one nerve left, and Maddox is dry-humping it. So, could you all move it along?”

Thomas threw back his head and laughed, and then he pointed at Anthony. “Now, that’s funny!”

I touched Thomas’s arm. “He’s right. C’mon. I’ll walk you to your condo.”

“No!” he said, pulling his arm away.

I held out my hands. “Do you want me to walk you or not?”

“I’m asking my girlfriend to come home with me!”

Val’s mouth fell open, and Marks’s eyes bounced between Thomas and me.

I slightly shook my head. “Thomas, we’re back in San Diego. The assignment is over.”

“So, that’s it then?” He stood up, weaving.

Marks stood with him, readying his hands to catch Thomas if he fell.

I stood up, too, motioning to Anthony that we needed the check. He had already printed it out, so he grabbed it from beside the register and placed it on the counter.

I scribbled my name and reached for Thomas’s arm. “Okay, let’s go.”

Thomas pulled his arm away. “You’re dumping me, remember?”

“Fine. Can Marks walk you?” I asked.

Thomas pointed at me. “No!” He chuckled, reached for Marks’s shoulder, and they walked toward the door.

I blew my hair from my face.

“I want to hear more about this weekend,” Val said. “But I’ll let it go this time.”

We joined the boys on the sidewalk, and then we watched as Marks struggled to keep Thomas walking in a straight line. The four of us took the elevator to the sixth floor, and Val and I watched as Marks fished Thomas’s keys out of his pocket and opened his door.

“Okay, buddy. Tell the girls good night.”

“Wait.” Thomas grabbed the doorjamb while Marks pulled at his middle from inside the condo. “Wait!”

Marks released him, and Thomas nearly fell forward. I reached for him and helped him to stand upright.

“You promised you’d stay with me,” he said. The misery in his eyes was unbearable.

I glanced at Val, who was quickly shaking her head, before I turned back to Thomas.

“Thomas…” I began. Then, I looked to Val and Marks. “I’ve got him. You guys should head home.”

“You sure?” Marks asked.

I nodded, and after a few glances over her shoulder, Val took the elevator with Marks to the lobby.

Thomas hugged me, desperately pulling on me. “I’ll sleep on the floor. I just feel like a piece of shit. My whole family hates me, and they should. They should.”

“C’mon,” I said, walking him inside. I kicked the door shut, reached back to lock the bolt, and then helped Thomas to his bed.

He fell onto his back and covered his eyes with his hands. “The room is spinning.”

“Put your foot on the floor. That helps.”

“My feet are on the floor,” he slurred.

I yanked him down and then placed his feet on the rug. “Now, they are.”

He began to laugh, and then his eyebrows pulled in. “What did I do? What the f*ck did I do, Liis?”

“Hey,” I said, climbing into the bed next to him. “Just go to sleep. It will be different tomorrow.”

He turned, burying his face into my chest. I reached up for a pillow, propping my head. Thomas sucked in a breath, and I hugged him tight.

“I f*cked up,” he said. “I really f*cked up.”

“We’ll make it right.”

“How can we make it right if you’re done with me?”

“Thomas, stop. We’ll fix everything tomorrow. Just sleep.”

He nodded and then took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. When his breathing evened out, I knew he was asleep. I lifted my hand to glance at my watch, and I rolled my eyes. We would both be exhausted in the morning.

I hugged him again, and then I leaned down to kiss his cheek before slowly drifting off to sleep.





I TAPPED MY NAILS ON THE COMPUTER as I listened to the recorded conversation coming through my headphones. The Japanese was broken, mostly slang, but Agent Grove had gotten the numbers wrong again. This time, he had even falsely identified a location as a supposed vacant building next to a hospital when it was actually next to a medical professional building seven miles away.