Page 30 of The Devil's Wrath

I snorted. “You mean illegal?”

His jaw tightened at my remark. “I’m not saying I agree with everything they do. But it’s not as simple as good versus evil. Most people can’t understand the layers and complexities of this life.”

I leaned back, crossing my arms. “Complexities. Right. Like murder, racketeering, and god knows what else?”

He leaned forward. “Wren, you know I would never be involved with anything that goes against my oath as a doctor. I’m not out there pulling triggers or breaking kneecaps. I took a vow to save lives, and that’s what I do, regardless of who the patient is or what they may have done. The less you know, the better off you are.”

I sighed, realizing that this was an argument neither of us would win. It wasn’t like I could judge him for how he’d chosen to move on after our parents had died. I knew our father had worked closely with several criminal organizations and families; I didn’t know the specifics, and my brother had always been vague when I’d asked.

I took a deep breath, deciding to drop the subject for now. “Okay, okay. I get it. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply anything. I know you’re a good man, Gage. I . . . worry about you sometimes.”

His expression softened. “I know you do, Jellybean. And I appreciate it. But you don’t need to.” He reached across the table andsqueezed my hand. “Let’s talk about something else, yeah? I don’t want to argue with my favorite sister.”

I snorted. “I’m your only sister, doofus.”

He grinned. “Exactly. So you’re my favorite by default.”

The waitress arrived with our food, providing a welcome distraction. We ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, the only sounds the clink of silverware on plates and the low murmur of conversation from nearby tables.

“School going okay for you?” Gage asked, breaking the silence.

I nodded, swallowing a bite of chicken parmesan. “Yeah, it’s going well. Midterms are coming up, so I’ve been studying my ass off. But I’m feeling pretty good about them.”

“You’ve always been the smart one in the family,” he said sincerely.

I rolled my eyes. “Says the hotshot doctor.”

He chuckled. “Everyone knows nurses are the ones who really do all the work.”

I playfully threw my napkin at him. “Damn straight.”

We settled into easy conversation as we finished our meal, catching up on the mundane details of our lives. Except I didn’t tell him about Theo. He told me about this new Indian restaurant that had opened up downtown while I filled him in on my recent shifts at work and how Dr. Michaels, his mentor, had been teaching me different types of sutures. It felt good to fall back into our familiar banter and be siblings for a while. No talk of the dark underworld he was involved in, no reminders of the broken mess my love life had become. Just two siblings sharing a meal and catching up.

As we stepped out of the restaurant and into the crisp autumn air, Gage pulled me into a tight hug. “Love you, Jellybean.”

I squeezed him back fiercely. “Love you too, nerd.”

As we pulled apart, a black SUV with tinted windows rolled to a stop at the curb. The passenger’s window lowered, revealing a stony-faced man wearing dark sunglasses. He gave Gage a curt nod.

My brother’s expression tightened almost imperceptibly. To anyone else, it probably would have gone unnoticed, but I knew him too well. Tension radiated off his muscular frame.

“Duty calls?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light despite the uneasy feeling pooling in my stomach.

He sighed. “Yeah, looks like it. I’m sorry to cut this short.”

I waved an apology. “It’s fine. I understand. Go do your thing, Doc.”

He pressed a quick kiss to my forehead. “Stay out of trouble, okay? I’ll call you later.”

I forced a smile. “You know me. I’m the queen of staying out of trouble.”

He snorted. “Since when?” With a final squeeze of my shoulder, he strode over to the waiting vehicle. As the door opened and Gage climbed in, I saw a man in the back seat with dark hair, staring at me with an eerie smile.

A shiver ran down my spine as the man’s cold gaze locked onto mine. There was something sinister and predatory in his eyes that made my skin crawl. I quickly looked away, wrapping my arms around myself as if to ward off an invisible chill.

The SUV pulled away from the curb and merged into traffic, disappearing from view. But the unsettling feeling remained, coiling in the pit of my stomach like a snake ready to strike.

With a sigh, I turned and started walking back toward my house, my boots crunching on the fallen leaves littering the sidewalk. The sun had dipped behind the clouds, casting long shadows across the street. A gust of wind whipped my hair around my face, carrying with it the scent of impending rain and the faint aroma of wood smoke from someone’s chimney.

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