Page 60 of Into the Blue
She narrows her gaze. “That is not an answer.”
“Exactly.” I give her a wink before walking past her. “Come on. Show me the kitchen or somethin’ before T pulls me into a heart-to-heart.”
By the time I circle back to the front of the bakery, I find Tony posted up near the bathroom hallway like a watchdog. His eyes cut straight to me.
“Brutal, bruh,” I say, smirking. “You said they liked you in this town.”
“I know you can’t help yourself,” he says low, grabbing my arm and yanking me into the alcove like we’re teenagers again. “But could you keep your comments in your head?”
“Nah” I lean against the wall and cross my arms. “Am I gonna have to rescue Steph before they get the pitchforks?”
The two of us are evenly matched. Same height, same build. We’re only a few years apart. I wouldn’t intentionally intimidate my little brother because I have love for him. I did everything our Pa wanted so that he could escape the dark while I found a way to thrive in it. Some people were made for this life, my brother was not. Don’t hold it against him, but there is a certain level of respect that I require regardless of anything else. He’s treading a thin line.
“Why did you come here?” he asks, teeth clenched.
I play it light, losing the drawl in my voice like he has after being away from Louisiana for so long. “I don’t understand what you mean?”
“I left so I didn’t have to deal with your bullshit.” His voice drops into a hiss. “I wouldn’t have to deal with any of this, had you not showed up here with her.”
My lips hike on one side, still a little amused by the predicament he’s in. “You didn’t want to see your girlfriend? How was I supposed to know?”
“By asking!” He lowers his tone. “Could have called me and let me know you were coming. You’ve never been to visit without announcing. And you damn sure never participated in anything my friends have hosted.”
“Wait… You don’t think me being here is only about you.”A little honesty never hurt anyone.“It was kind of a two birds, one stone type of thing.”
Confusion overtakes his face as he processes what I’ve said. “What does it have to do with then?”
“Well if you were in the biz, I’d tell you. But since you decided to be the ‘good brother’, it’s a need-to-know kind of thing. And you don’t need to know.”
A sound like a growl comes from him in what I imagine is frustration. “Why are you here, Blue?”
I sigh and it seems to frustrate him more. “I’m checking on something,” I reach for a blunt, but there isn’t one so I pull on my ear instead.Why didn’t I roll one before I came?“I’m checking on someone. You know who.”
I see the moment he realizes who I’m talking about. “What did he do?”
“Like I said, need-to-know basis. You coming into the fold or what?”
“No,” he shakes his head firmly. “Definitely not.”
“Don’t worry about it then. Spend time with my best friend, oh I mean, your girlfriend. I’m going to make myself more familiar with Colton’s baby moms.”
I walk out of the alcove he’s pulled me aside in, but I don’t go find Drea again. I’ve honestly had enough of the drama at this point.
My priority, outside of checking on the brother I allowed to live the straight and narrow path, is Colton. If he isn’t on track to supply what he said he could, I won’t be leaving the state with clean hands regardless.
Chapter 19
The true reason I came to Colorado is not one that I enjoy. The mundane reprieve of the bakery opening sits at a stark contrast to the task I’m headed to now.
After an unpleasant update from Redd, I need to calm myself as best I can.
Benefits of flying private is being able to keep my green on me.
I finally light my blunt and smoke it down slowly as I watch Colton’s house. The strong smell of pine crowds the smell of my weed in the air. His truck is parked out front and there are several other cars there too.
Like me, he knows there is safety in numbers. He always had a big crew even before I met him. I don’t feel unsafe here by myself because there are many reasons why my life is more important than any of theirs. If I get hurt, they know it will come back to haunt them tenfold.
Recognize the risk and mitigate it. That’s security that I can trust.
