Page 125 of Crossing the Brooklyn Briggs
Can’t focus on that. “Alex?”
He bows. “I’m ready to introduce myself even though I’ve only met this girl through video chats. Then I’ll bring her back here, where you’ll be waiting.”
My parents are inside the house and will absolutely be watching through the window, ready to bring out sparkling cider in celebration. Assuming she says yes, anyway, though I’m not too worried. Now that Mom is in full remission and has way more energy, she and Brooklyn have become fast friends, and Mom has been hinting that Brooklyn wants this as much as I do. Hard to say if that’s wishful thinking on Mom’s part or not, but she is incredibly excited about this proposal.
I have to hope Houston did his job right and brought the whole Briggs crew, though I’ve been coordinating everything with him over text and video call because the guy is rarely in town. When he is here, he spends most of his time with Brooklyn and me, and it feels like old times but so much better.
I shake out my arms, hating this nervous energy inside me. “She’ll be okay with getting engaged this quickly, right?” That’s only the stupidest question I could ask my brothers when I am minutes away from asking the biggest question of my life. I already know the answer, but there’s still a part of me that knows she’s too good for me.
Alejandro laughs. “And here I thought you were the unbothered one. I’m going to get into position; good luck dealing with this mess, Matty.”
As soon as Alejandro closes the gate behind him, Mateo wraps his arm around my shoulders. Somehow he got taller than me over the last few months, which officially makes me the smallest of my brothers. I don’t like it. “You seriously need to calm down. You’re makingmenervous.” Considering he’s the one with the fire, that’s a bad thing. “Brooklyn picked you for some reason, and she’s not the kind of person who changes her mind. You don’t have to worry that she won’t want to marry you.”
“You’re right. I guess I’m…” I frown when I catch the amusement in Mateo’s eyes. “That wasn’t exactly what I was saying.”
He shrugs, stepping away from me. “Am I not allowed to paraphrase?”
“Paraphrase all you want. That was something else.”
He is definitely trying not to smile now as he ducks his head and starts fixing my display.
“Mateo, is there something Ishouldbe worried about?”
“Like what?”
“You tell me.”
Alejandro does his low whistle again, and Mateo clicks his lighter and holds it to the large sheet of paper we prepped with potassium nitrate last night. The one I’m using to ask Brooklyn to marry me.
“Wait!” I shout, but it’s too late. The message is already burning into the paper, following the path of the invisible words I painted. Only, it doesn’t say “marry me” like it’s supposed to.
I stare at the sheet and the words left in the holes that burned away. “Turn around?” I read out loud.
Before I can turn to question Mateo, a bag is pulled over my head at the same time someone grabs my arms behind my back and loops a rope around my wrists. My heart rate spikes as adrenaline shoots through me, and for half a second I think I am actually in danger.
But then Alejandro speaks in my ear. “I wanted to use chloroform, but Mom wouldn’t let me.”
“What?”
He shoves me forward, holding me up as I stumble across the lawn. We hit the sidewalk, and then two pairs of hands grab me, lifting me up despite my struggling. Wherever they’re taking me, I don’t want to go. Once I land in what I’m pretty sure is the trunk of a car and I’m no longer being manhandled, I start trying to free myself.
“Relax, Torres.”
I freeze. “Houston?”
“This will all be over soon.”
“That’s not as reassuring as you think it is!” I snarl, but the closing trunk cuts me off, leaving me in silence.
I guess now I get to contemplate my life and consider finding new brothers?
As the car starts moving, I work to free my hands, though it isn’t easy. Alejandro was always good at knots, and we spent plenty of hours of our childhood tying each other up and/or locking each other in small spaces. Maybe that’s a strange way to bond, but it helped us get closer. Thankfully, it also helped me learn how to get free from my younger brother’s knot skills, and my hands eventually come loose.
I sigh with relief and tug the bag from my head, only to find the trunk lit with a lantern. There’s a duffel near my feet with a paper taped to the front that says, “Get dressed.”
Swearing, I search my pockets for my phone, but of course one of my brothers took it. I would think maybe they were trying to sabotage my proposal if not for Houston being a part of this, though now I’m wondering if he’s not as cool with the idea as he pretended. But why would Alejandro have anything against Brooklyn? He hasn’t even met her. And I know Mateo likes her. He’s the one who came up with the potassium proposal.
What in the world is going on?
