Page 129 of Cuffed (Everyday Heroes 1)
“No one.”
Another grunt. Another unsatisfying slam against the bag.
“Ah, so then you pissed yourself off.” He chuckles, and I don’t respond. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry, man,” he says suddenly, as if the wind has been knocked from his sails. And it’s just enough to catch my attention that I glance his way.
“What?”
“Did you blow your interview?”
“No.” I hit the bag again. “I killed the interview.”
“Then what the fuck man?” A few seconds pass. “Oh.”
“Yup.” A one-two combo.
“How’d you fuck it up?” I love that I have brothers who understand what’s going on without my ever saying a word, but at the same time, it’s annoying as fuck when I want to be left alone. A blessing and a curse.
A jab combo. An uppercut that I pretend is Grayson if he doesn’t leave me the hell alone.
“Because I am a dumbfuck, is how.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Gray says and dodges to his left as I miss the bag on purpose and come a little closer than I should to his chin.
My arms ache, but there’s nothing I can do but blame myself.
“So? What did you do?”
It’s his question that steals my air. I throw one more punch and then let my arms hang as I rest my head against the bag and try to catch my breath.
“I broke her trust,” I murmur, not even sure I want to tell him. How could I have been so damn stupid?
“You are a dumbfuck.” He slaps me on the back, and I jerk my shoulders back to get him off me.
“So we’ve established.” I step away from the heavy bag and walk toward the bench where my water bottle sits, gritting my teeth when he follows.
“Considering you’re here and beating the shit out of a bag instead of figuring out how to make it up to her, I’d say it’s definitely been established.”
“Leave me the hell alone, Gray. I can handle things on my own.”
“You sure about that?” Not at the moment. “Because I may not know what the fuck you did, but the big brother I know doesn’t give up without a fight. You’re the hero. The guy who saves things . . . so, go save this.”
I glare at him.
“I’m out of the hero business.”
“Like hell you are.”
“C’mon, Em. Open up.” I pound my fist on her door. Again. The same as I’ve been doing for the past ten minutes.
“She obviously doesn’t want to talk.”
Leo’s voice startles me, and when I turn, I find him leaning against the wall of the next hangar over, arms across his chest, eyes hidden beneath the shadow of a ball cap, body riddled with irritation.
“Thanks, but it’s none of your business, Leo,” I say and turn back to the door.
“It actually is my business.”
I’m not in the mood for this shit. “You know what?” I say as I take a few steps down the stairs. “I love that you watch out for, Em. I do . . . I love knowing that when she’s here alone, you have her back . . . but I’m not the prick from the loan office trying to get in her pants. I appreciate the whole big brother thing you have going, but it isn’t needed. So, do you mind?”
