I wrapped my hand around my whiskey glass and sighed. As I reclined back against the wall, staring out at the blank expanse of my bullshit apartment, I lifted the glass to my lips. The alcohol burned going down. It helped to drown out the voices in the back of my mind that whispered of secrets, vengeance, and bloodshed.
It helped to keep my nightmares at bay.
Just as I finished my glass, though, my phone vibrated. And when I pulled my cell out of my pocket, I groaned at the sight. Of course, Brooks was calling me. It was as if my lips had an alcohol sensor on them, and every time I took a fucking drink that man knew to call me.
But when I answered the phone, I was shocked to hear what came out of his mouth.
“Can you go meet Astrid at the house? I’m sort of indisposed at the moment.”
I blinked. “Astrid’s in town and you don’t even want to go see her?”
Brooks scoffed. “Not like I can shirk duties, man. She’s at Mom’s old place. You know, that house I still own. I left her a key in the mailbox this morning, but I figured Raven would have been out of work by now and I’m still waiting for her.”
“Won’t she be there when you get back from welcoming your sister into town?”
“You got something you wanna say? Spit it out.”
I clenched my jaw. “Yeah, yeah. I can go make sure she’s got all her shit inside and whatever.”
“Good. And remember our promise.”
I rolled my eyes. “Trust me, you won’t let me forget.”
After hanging up the phone with Brooks, I pushed myself up to my feet. My back, legs, and my head hurt, but damn it, I wouldn’t pass up some alone time with Astrid herself. I hadn’t seen that girl in years, not since before she moved to L.A. to become a bigshot or whatever. I made my way into my bathroom and brushed my teeth before gargling with way too much mouthwash.
Then, I chugged back a bottle of water before heading to my bike.
I didn’t like how Brooks treated his sister. He acted like she wasn’t important or some shit like that. But I wasn’t about to call him out on that. He’d been through enough, and I was sure his reasons for doing what he was doing were sound.
Plus, that meant Astrid could lean on me instead of him.
Which might help us get closer.
Don’t be an idiot. You promised.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I mumbled to myself.
I got out to my bike and kicked up the engine before I looked around. I drove around town a few times, making damn sure I wasn’t being followed. Brooks didn’t think the Black Flags had any idea where his old place was, especially considering he hadn’t lived there since before he turned eighteen. So, the last thing I needed were those batshit crazy assholes following me around and figuring out where that house was.
And the fact that Brooks’ sister now lived in it.
I twisted and turned my way into the neighborhood before driving around a couple more times. Then, when I knew I wasn’t being followed whatsoever, I eased myself into the driveway of Brooks’ and Astrid’s childhood home.
Watching as she tried to open the front door.
“You know, you really are something for not even reading my fucking text messages. I’m surprised you even know I’m here, idiot,” Astrid called out at me.
I see things haven’t changed one bit. “His loss, I guess.”
I watched Astrid pause before her body slowly turned. And as she did so, it gave me a chance to drink her in. Damn it, she wasn’t the young girl I knew from my memories any longer. She had blossomed into a full-figured, sassy-ass, red-headed beauty that made my cock stiffen against my jeans. I parked my bike behind her car and kept myself attached to the leather seat. My eyes beheld her wondrous presence as her eyes connected with mine, seemingly drinking me in as they slithered down my body.
I let her have her fill before her gaze moved back up to mine.
But her next words that fell from her lips broke my heart.
“I see my brother has to send his faithful sidekick to come see me.”
I blinked. “I don’t know. I like to figure he’s the trusty sidekick lately.”
She scoffed. “What excuse does he have for not coming to see his sister after she moves back into town?”
I shrugged. “Probably Raven, for starters.”
She blinked. “Raven?”
I furrowed my brow. “You don’t know?”
Her face fell. “I didn’t even know he was out of prison, Porter. What the fuck’s going on with him and Raven? Are we talking about the same Raven?”
I nodded slowly. “The one and only.”
She jammed her tongue into her cheek. “I guess it shouldn’t shock me. Those two were always meant for each other.”
I clasped my hands in front of my body. “Need any help getting your stuff inside?”
She thumbed over her shoulder. “Can’t say I’ve even opened the door yet. For all I know, I’ll need a hotel room after I see what’s in here.”
My eyes scanned the property. “Been a bit neglected, huh?”
She turned back toward the house. “In his defense, it was always this shabby.”
You deserve better. “Here, let me help out anyway.”
I put my kickstand down and hopped off my bike before striding up to the porch. And despite the grimy exterior and the front gutter being loose, everything felt solid. Nothing creaked when I touched down onto the porch. I reached for the railing and shook it, but it didn’t budge.
“Good bones,” I murmured.
Then, Astrid put her shoulder into the front door and stumbled inside.
“Shit,” she hissed.
I reached out, wrapping my arms around her waist. “Whoa, whoa. No need to go throwing yourself around. I would’ve gotten that.”
She pulled away from me. “I’m fine. I know how to run my life.”
The heat of her body stuck with me, though. And judging by the flush of her cheeks, it did the same for her. Still, the musty smell coming from the house quickly ripped me from my trance and made me wrinkle my nose.
“Could use a good clean down,” I murmured.
Astrid walked down the small hallway in front of us. “The walls could use a fresh coat of paint, too.”
I darted into the living room to my right. “The furniture looks good, though.”
“Eh, I’d change it out. I don’t want to keep living with the same childhood furniture, you know?”
I chuckled. “Makes sense.”
Something squeaked in the distance. “My God, it’s like this place has been untouched all these years. Come look at this.”
I meandered my way into the kitchen. “What’s up?”
Astrid held up a plastic cup. “I can’t believe this is still here.”
I blinked. “What is it?”
She smiled. “It’s my cup from when I was a little girl. I used this damn thing for years. It was the only thing Dad ever bought for me, and I used the hell out of it.”
I walked over to her. “Is Ariel your favorite princess?”
She giggled softly. “Always has been, always will be. I like her style.”
I resisted the urge to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You think there’s any cleaning supplies around here?”
She kept her eyes on the cup. “Maybe. Why?”
I shrugged. “I could get started with cleaning up a few things, starting by throwing open all these windows so we can let the house breathe.”
She finally looked up at me. “I think that sounds like a great idea.”
And when her eyes held mine, my heart stopped in my chest.
