Page 74 of Quiet
“I’m glad I got the honor then,” Will said proudly. “Let me know if you need me to do it again.”
The cousin Briar had knocked out began to stir. He was planning on keeping an eye on him, but it turned out to be unnecessary. Will planted his stiletto on the man’s throat. “Leave. All of you. Now.”
Rebecca narrowed her eyes but began to back away. “This isn’t over. Blood is thicker than water.”
“I think you’ll find you got that quote wrong. ‘The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.’ Found family, bitch. It’s stronger than your toxic brain-washing.” He waved cattily and pressed his heel down hard enough to make the man at his feet start to choke. “Now shoo.”
Will didn’t let the man off the ground until Rebecca and Isa’s other cousin had vanished around the corner. Once the man jumped up and hurried in the direction of his family, Will shouted, “I hope I didn’t awaken anything in you!”
He stood firm until Isa’s cousin was out of sight, then he turned. “Isa, love. We need to get you to a doctor.” His hands trembled, but his voice was steady as a rock.
Briar finally allowed himself to turn and look at Isa. His face was worse than Briar remembered. The bruise was dark purple now, almost black in the center. Briar’s hands clenched so hard he thought his bones would crack. The only reason he hadn’t hurt Rebecca was because he was afraid he would kill her. She was only a little bigger than Isa, and he was angry enough to crush her throat. He was beginning to regret holding back.
Isa wasn’t paying attention to either of them, instead, he took Briar’s hand and held it up so it would catch the light. “Is it okay?” Isa’s eyes shimmered.
Briar examined his hand. His first two knuckles were a shade of rose. He flexed it. “It’s fine.”
“Briar, you can’t . . .” Isa’s voice cut off with a choking sound.
Can’t what? Hurt Isa’s dirtbag cousin? Stand up for the guy he loves?
“Can’t get hurt because of me.” Isa finished softly.
Briar raised his eyebrows, unable to form an answer to such a misguided comment. His brain was working its way to a truly epic headache.
“Don’t be an ass, Isa. Of course, we’re going to stand up for you, just like you’d stand up for us. Which would be a terrible idea. Dance and Taekwondo have made me the badass bitch I am today. And this guy . . . keep him close, babe, or I’ll snatch this sexy brute right out of your tiny doll hands.” Will smiled brilliantly. “Unless you are open to sharing, that is.”
Isa gripped Briar’s arm with both hands. “Don’t make me destroy your makeup kit.”
“On second thought, now that I look at him, Briar isn’t that hot. Downright ugly, in fact.” Will’s voice caught a little on the word ugly, as if it pained him to force it out.
The ridiculous conversation wasn’t getting Isa any closer to medical care. Briar’s mind prickled, and his head throbbed too loudly for him to create any more words. He stepped forward and put an arm around Isa, boosting him until his ass rested on Briar’s forearm. As soon as Isa wrapped his arms around Briar’s neck, he made for the health clinic at a pace just under a run.
Behind him, he heard Will say with a sigh, “So ugly . . .”
Chapter28
Briar
The medical center was . . . challenging. Isa had rested his head on Briar’s shoulder and was mostly asleep by the time they got there. Briar didn’t want to disturb him, so he’d had to find words to get Isa admitted. If the staff hadn’t been familiar with Briar and Will hadn’t been there, it would have been a nightmare.
The party at his house was in full gear by the time they got home, but Briar walked past the partiers populating his kitchen without acknowledging their greeting and climbed the stairs to his room. He did, however spare Will a nod before abandoning him. He deserved something for his help.
Interestingly, Will barely spared them a glance as they parted. The moment they entered the house, his attention was fixated on a familiar girl with magenta hair, dancing in the crowded hallway off the kitchen. He patted the air next to Isa’s head as he mumbled a vague good night. He did manage to rouse himself long enough to say, “Take care of our boy,” before striding boldly in the direction of the girl.
Isa was worn out and limp but managed to wave a sleepy hand at Will from where he was tucked in Briar’s arms. He rested his head on Briar’s chest, unbandaged side down, eyes heavy-lidded with exhaustion.
When Briar sat him on his bed, he allowed himself to be dressed without a fuss. Compliant. Still.
Briar’s overworked and frazzled mind began to calm as he cleaned the undamaged side of Isa’s face and put him in one of Briar’s shirts. The boy was practically swimming in it, but it was better than nothing. Taking care of Isa was one of the best feelings in the world.
His Zen was immediately broken when he discovered a deep purple bruise on Isa’s stomach blotting out the love bites Briar had given him that morning. Anger spiked. Will should have hit Rebecca more.
She would never touch Isa again. Briar would make sure of it.
“I’ll move your stuff here tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
