Page 37 of The Break Down

He studied me a second longer. Then he nodded—slow and quiet.

“Okay,” he said finally. “Okay, Brother. If I trust anyone to know what the hell they’re doing in this messed up world, it’s you.”

My throat tightened.

Because that wasn’t just some casual comment. Not from him.

It meant even I fucked this up he would be there.

It meantI’ve got your back.

If this blows up, he’d be the one helping me pick up the pieces. Despite the sibling rivalry that haunted us all our lives.

Plus the fact he’d given up his promising career to follow me to the states.

Fuck. It meant a lot.

“Thanks,” I muttered, but it was inadequate for what I was feeling.

“Shut up. Pussy.”

I snorted.

Tank settled back in his seat, like the moment hadn’t happened at all, already pulling up something on his phone with his usual chaos energy.

But I didn’t move.

I just sat there, watching the road pass, and thought about how badly I wanted to reach through the window of this shitty bus, defying all laws of physics just so I could grab Finley, and remind her exactly what last night meant.

Everything.

Because even if I didn’t have all the answers yet.

I knew this one thing sure as I knew my name.

Finley Adamo was mine now.

And I was just getting started.

CHAPTER TWELVE-FINLEY

We landed in NOLA a few hours ago, but I haven’t seen Koa yet.

Which is probably for the best. I’m not entirely sure my legs wouldn’t buckle if he so much as looked at me.

Last night still has my body humming like I’m some kind of instrument only he knows how to play.

But it’s not just the sex.

Or whatever you call what happened in the shadows behind the snack shed.

It’s the way he touched me.

Like I was already his.

Like he’d claimed me.

Like there was no going back.

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