Page 94 of Gorgeous

I head straight for my truck, my keys a comforting escape in my pocket.

“Cade!”

Anniston’s voice stops me. I turn and see her on the dock, her eyes going between me and Breck standing outside the boathouse. I give them both one final glance and then I turn around, done with everything, and continue up the hill to where my truck is parked.

“Cade!” Anniston’s shout draws a crowd, and before I know it, all five of my brothers are on the front deck with matching concerned expressions. I give them a nod, silently asking for them to watch over the girls, but I keep heading to my truck.

Theo hops the bannister and takes off in a jog, catching up easily. “Where you headed?”

I don’t spare him a glance. “Look after them for me,” I tell him, fishing my keys out of my pocket, my truck just a few steps away.

Theo scoffs. “Fuck no. I’m done taking care of strays. You brought Breck into our lives, she’s your responsibility.”

I ignore the stray comment and unlock the door, Theo appearing in the passenger seat. I sigh. “Go back to the house, Von Bremen. The girls are upset.”

He buckles his seatbelt, clearly not going anywhere. “It looks like the girls are more than upset. I’ll be damned if I stay in that mess. Where we headed? I hope it’s not the streets because I can’t deal without a shower every day.”

I start the engine with one more companion than I want, and look over at the pain in my ass already changing my preset radio stations. “Von Bremen?”

“Hmm?”

“Shut up or I’ll stab you.”

Three hours of driving and I’m still a fucking mess. I can’t tell if I’m sad or pissed off.

Theo’s phone has been chiming nonstop from a steady stream of texts. I don’t have to think hard at who could be texting him. Anniston is freaking out and I feel slightly guilty for leaving the way I did. She doesn’t deserve my wrath.

Breck does.

Lying, scheming Breck.

At first, I couldn’t put it together. The dog tags in her bag … I thought maybe they were the designer necklaces that imitated dog tags, but then I saw the engraving. The name.

Bennett Brannon.

The greenie I took under my wing. The youngster that admired me more than he should have.

His sister.

His sexy fucking sister has been in my bed this entire time. How did I not put two and two together?

Because you blocked out everything that reminded you of your past, asshole.

She said she came for me. To help me. The lie sounded beautiful slipping out of her mouth. I wanted to believe her. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and listen to her teary explanation, but I knew better. I know what I did—who I am.

I’m a killer.

A disgrace to my country—to my men.

She didn’t come for me. She came to stare into the eyes of her brother’s killer.

I just can’t figure out why she stayed so long. Why befriend the other guys? They had no part in what I did all those years ago.

“I have to take a leak.”

Theo’s voice loosens my grip on the steering wheel. He’s been silent until now. And had it not been for his phone chiming every thirty seconds, I would have forgotten he was in the truck.

“Too bad,” I tell him, forcing my eyes on the horizon. The sun is setting and I still have another hour and a half before I reach my destination. I don’t remember making the conscious decision or where I was heading. It was like my truck just knew what I needed to do.

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