Page 89 of Brooke's Bliss
“So nothing bad has happened at the Sheriff’s Departmentsince Gemma came on board?”Tate asked as he started his engine again.
“Now that I think about it, it’s all happened out in thefield,” Nate mused, completely ignoring the fight going on around him.“Let’ssee, Henry got kidnapped by a drug cartel, but that was on his own land.Lucydid nearly get murdered.”
“But that was up at the lodge,” Gemma pointed out.
“What do you mean he offered you a job?”Rye asked.
“She’s going back.”Shane whispered the words, sounding likehe was already defeated.“She’s leaving.”
His brother could be pessimistic at times.He often wonderedwhat he brought to the table beyond pretty art.Shane was the one who managedtheir day-to-day lives, but Bay was the one who slapped him upside the headwhen he wanted to quit.Bay was the one who could see there was hope.Shane wasalways trying to find the dark side.Likely because he’d lived there most ofhis life.“She said he offered.She didn’t accept.”
“How was he offering you a job?Did you have to look for theoffer down his throat?”Rye asked.
“Dummy.She wanted to figure out why he was asking,” Maxargued.
Bay pointed Max’s way.“What he said.”
“And that man who was trying to kill Hale was thoughtfulenough to do it outside of town,” Nate reflected.
Brooke whirled on Bay.“No.You don’t get to have a say inthis.I know exactly why you charged into the fray.You didn’t like his handson me.”
“Of course he didn’t.”Shane stepped up.“You should know Iwould have done the same.Brooke, we love you.We’re never going to stand bywhile some asshole who’s already cost you so much tries to drag you back intohis hell.”
Shane trusted him.Shane didn’t have to hear his side of thestory.
Damn it.He’d done his brother wrong.
“Uhm, is that it?Because that’s a hell of a lot.”Taterolled down the window.“Auntie told me it would be an easy job and I can helpout with the alien hunting.I’m not sure how I’m supposed to protect Earth frominvadingReticulanGreys if I’m always stopping somemurderer.”
“You would have done the same damn thing.”Brooke pointedthat well-manicured finger Shane’s way.He had to wonder if in addition to thegel, it was also coated in righteous judgment.“You both think you own me.Well, guess what.He’s going to sue, and none of you will be able to talk himout of it.”
“Well, then you’ll sue him right back.He harassed you,” Ryereplied.“I don’t understand why you’re taking this lying down.This is not theBrooke I know.”
She went still, and he knew this was going to be bad.Ryewas pushing her in a way Bay never would have.He would have silently taken allher worry and bile and offered to get her a glass of wine and agreed witheverything she said because she was processing.She would come back in an houror two and be reasonable.
Or he would fuck her until she wasn’t mad at him anymore.
Rye only had the one option, and he’d chosen poorly.
“Well, we did have to deal with a bunch of deadMCer’s, but they had the courtesy to die at Hell onWheels,” Nate replied, though he was warily watching the Harpers now.“Also,they burned down a good portion of the bar, but Sawyer got that fixed up realquick.”
“The Brooke you know?”Brooke’s eyes were red as she staredat her brother.
“He didn’t mean that, sweetie.”Max was all kinds of seriousnow.“You know how he gets when he’s under stress.He’s worried about you andRach and everything.”
“No, I’m worried that my sister won’t fight for herself,”Rye insisted.“She ran back here like a dog with her tail between her legs.”
Brooke looked down at her watch before sniffling and wipingat her eyes.“I’m due at the theater.Rye, don’t worry about me.I’ll beleaving soon, and you won’t have to see me again.I’m sorry I was such adisappointment.”
Rye’s shoulders dropped.“I didn’t mean it that way.I’mconfused.”
Brooke turned and started back toward the sidewalk.“Itdoesn’t matter.Like I said, I’ll be leaving soon.There’s nothing here for meanymore.”
“But you got two boyfriends,” Max called out.“And we kindof like them now.”
“Not the right time, dude,” Bay said.
Brooke stopped and stared at them.“It wouldn’t have workedanyway.I think I’m going to work with Cleo on her new films, and we all knowthose two wouldn’t change their plans to follow a woman around.”
