Page 52 of Her Brother's Keeper

“You’re hurting, you’re tired, you’re under atremendousamount of stress and Sage is a typical eleven-year-old. He isn’t making anything easy on you. He’s doing what every pre-teen does, he’s testing limits and seeing what he can and can’t get away with. You’ve been doing a remarkable job so far of holding him accountable, of not letting him get away with anything. It’s a tough line to walk, you’re seventeen; you’re his sister not his mother…” I stiffened, and Nox sighed, he touched the side of my face, tilting my head back. His light colored eyes searched mine and he sighed.

“Kiss me,” I asked and he smiled.

“Thought you’d never ask,” he murmured low and covered my mouth with his. My eyes slipped shut and the kiss was everything I needed. Patient, kind, and gentle. Full of promise that things would get better.

He pulled me tightly against his body and the kiss deepened to almost frantic. His hands slipped beneath my sweatshirt, smoothing against my skin and causing me to shiver. I ignored my cramps and held tightly to him and poured all of my worries, cares, and concerns onto the floor and let him fill me up with hope.

Chapter 19

Nox

She was warm and fit herself so well against me, it was everything in me to maintain even a little control. I crushed her to me and held her tightly and murmured into her hair, “I’m here, I’ll help any way I can and I’m going to take care of some things. I promise you.” She nodded and I sighed, content for the time being.

I don’t think she realized she did it, but she whimpered and I remembered why I’d come in the first place. I pulled away from her so I could look at her and said, “Come on, Angel. Let me take care of you.”

“Okay,” she whispered and the fight was just clean out of her for now. She was tired, she was hurting, and emotionally, she was pretty raw. She needed some love, some support, and for sure a good night’s sleep. I could help with all of that.

I led her past my massage table, which sat forlorn and sad in the living room, and up the stairs. A waste of my good intentions thanks to Sage’s antics. He hadn’t really said why he’d called their caseworker, but I knew it was because he was pissed at me for knocking his little ass down a peg. He couldn’t hit me, he knew that was a bad idea, so the manipulative little shit tried the next best thing. Too bad for him that didn’t work either. I wasn’t going anywhere and I wasn’t giving up on him, either. I think it was time to ‘fess up to myself that I was too far gone on his sister to do any of those things.

“Here, lay down,” I murmured, pulling back her blankets. She got into bed obediently and I pulled them up to her chin. “I’ll be right back,” I promised, and I went downstairs to grab what I needed. I slipped back up to her room and handed her the round tablet I’d brought with me.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Muscle relaxer, take it. You aren’t going to school tomorrow. You need a fucking day off from everything. I’ll take Sage to his school and drop him off, then I’ll swing by yours to get your assignments.”

“Won’t you be late to work?”

“Don’t you worry about that, my first client isn’t until nine, I’ve got plenty of time to get shit done. Take this and let me get the rest of this hooked up.”

She took the pill from my palm and it disappeared between those soft lips before she pressed the water glass from her bedside table to them. Satisfied that she was going along with my mini-vacation plan, I plugged in the heating pad I’d brought with me and set it to its highest setting. I lifted the blankets and tucked it against her stomach.

“Anti-inflammatories from now on, like ibuprofen or an NSAID, you got it?” She nodded and I went on, “Also, use this. Heat helps relax the muscles. If it gets really bad, I can massage you, but I’m also going to show you some stretches that will help.”

“Okay,” she said softly.

I bent down and kissed her again and fuck I was hard to the point of pain.Six more weeks, five more days. Six more weeks, five more days.I reminded myself, and fuck yes I was counting… still, I had no intention of fucking her on her birthday. Something about the idea of it felt classless and tacky.

I had something special planned for it, but sex with Maren would come in its own time, when the time was right and not a minute before.

“Stay with me?” she asked, and I wanted to. Shit did I want to, but we had eyes on us now thanks to Sage… and fuck it.

“Yeah.”

I kicked off my boots and went around the end of the bed. I stayed on top of the quilts and lay up against Maren’s back, pulling her lightly against me. She wriggled back until we were snug and I was pretty sure my cock called me a son of a bitch.

“I love you,” she murmured, drowsing heavily, the drug I’d given her turning her limp as a wet noodle. I smiled to myself.

“Good shit, huh?”

“No, not for that,” she said and sounded annoyed, “I love you.”

I cuddled her closer and said, “I love you, too, Angel.”

“Mean it?”

“Oh, I mean it.”

“Good.”

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