Brothers in Shadows

I looked at her hand and tilted my head to the side. "Not interested in that either, Beauti."

Her smile was cute. "So I heard,Eirik. Just in case you ever are, you at least know my name." She winked and walked out the door. Once she left, I wasn't far behind.

I wouldn't see her again. She thought personalizing the experience would give her something the others had tried and failed with.

My attention goes beyond their pussies.

It was time for me to take my ass home and get some rest.

* * *

I pulled up to my building, and something felt off. I felt it in my bones, which was why I did a quick sweep of the parking lot, and my eyes landed on the black Escalade-V. I felt a wave of irritation flood my system. They'd promised to leave me alone.

He'd promised.

My first thought was that my father had sent him, but that passed quickly. My father washed his hands of me four years ago. His ego and pride would never allow him to belittle himself enough to send for me. That would mean I'd have some accountability for what'd happened, and that would also never happen. I was to carry sole responsibility. It was easier for him that way. For all of them.

As expected, when I entered my apartment, my brother was sitting at my kitchen table. He had a bottle of whiskey opened, and the amber liquor filled the glass. He'd brought it with him because I didn't drink, so there was no need to keep it in my apartment. I could see his head from the dim lights that filtered through the skylight above him, but his body more or less faded into the darkness.

"You make a habit of breaking into people's places," I murmured, bypassing him and heading straight to the kitchen. I removed two bottles of water from the refrigerator and joined him at the table. He hadn't bothered turning on any lights, so neither did I. My goal was to get him out of my apartment, then shower and sleep until my body allowed me the luxury of moving without unbearable pain.

"I'm your brother, Eirik. Am I not welcome in your home?"

"No," I responded bluntly, untwisting the cap from the water. My eyes remained fastened to his as I turned it up and emptied half. My brother's stern expression shifted slightly. His eyes also remained fixed on mine. He searched my face slowly, introspectively, before eyes that matched mine moved down my chest and back up again.

"You're hurt."

"I'm fine."

He chuckled bitterly. "Still torturing yourself, I see. It won't help."

"It's not your business."

"You are my..."

"Family,brother, what term would you like to use to convince me I matter to you, Ezekiel? I don't. You made a choice, and it wasn't me. Go home to your family."

"I wasn't the one who chose,brother. That was you. You walked away. You cut us off. You denied us because of your misplaced guilt."

"I did all of the above,brother. But it was never about my guilt. It was because you all needed someone to blame. I gave you that. You accepted, moved on with your life, and didn't think twice about me. I left as a favor to you, Ez. I made it easy because I love you. Love me enough to leave me the fuck alone."

"I can't do that."

"Youcanand youwill." I slammed my fist down on the table, but he didn't flinch or react out of fear. Men who knew me feared me, but never my brother. He knew with certainty that I would never hurt him. He would never hurt me purposefully. We would die for each other. It was understood.

"I can't," he said quietly. I was totally out of character for the man I knew my brother to be, and alarms blared in my head.

"What happened?"

Quietly, he spoke again. "He's gone."

"When?"

"A few weeks ago."

"How?"

"Cancer."