Page 90 of Brutal Sin
“Don’t worry.” He gave her a thin-lipped smile. “Shay snoops like a P.I. She would’ve found out sooner or later.”
His easy acceptance only compiled her guilt. It also made her want to kiss the breath from his lungs.
“Is she okay?” Leo asked.
Bryan kept his focus on her, not acknowledging his friends as he announced, “She’sdead.”
She didn’t wince. Didn’t flinch. She began to think the brutal replies were the only way he knew how to respond. Maybe it was a coping mechanism, or something he’d been taught since childhood from his heartless parents.
“Oh, shit.” T.J.’s voice sounded over the numerous gasps. “What happened?”
Bryan’s composure fractured, his forehead creasing with deep wrinkles.
“It’s okay.” She could be his strength. At least, she wanted to be if he’d allow her. “Let me take care of it.” She faced his friends with a sad smile. “She lost her battle with cancer at the end of April.”
“April?” Shay accused. “She died last month and you couldn’t tellus?”
Pamela flinched, her blood boiling over the insensitive reaction.
“Let her go,” Bryan mumbled in her ear, his arm weaving around her waist. “I get too much satisfaction watching her make an ass of herself.”
“Brute?” Shay snapped. “What thehell?”
“You’ve gotta admit, this is unfair,” Leo added. “We’ve given you space for weeks, letting you dump the workload on our shoulders. I don’t doubt you needed time, but you could’ve told us before today. We had no idea what was goingon.”
Bryan began playing with her hair, acting as though the heated conversation was a casual chit-chat. “This pretty little lady was the cause of my issues. Not my mother.”
“Me?” She peered over her shoulder. “Why?”
“I told you—you were messing with my head. I couldn’t concentrate. I had to bow out of dealing with customers because my public relation skills became less than stellar.”
“They’ve never been anything to write home about,” Shay muttered.
He smirked, the expression quickly fading. “I didn’t find out about my mother until today.”
“Oh, shit.” Leo palmed his stubbled jaw. “Who the fuck doesthat?”
“My family,” Bryan offered. “But on the bright side—one down, one togo.”
They all cringed.
Leo held up his hands in warning. “Don’t say shit like that. You’re gonna go tohell.”
“At least my family will be there to greet me, right?”
“Bryan…” Her plea whispered between them. She couldn’t handle his detachment anymore. It wasn’t healthy. She needed them to be alone so she could comfort him the way women do—with affection and understanding and love. Not the careless back and forth between friends.
Cassie met her gaze, her eyes questioning. “We should go back upstairs…”
“Yes. Please,” she mouthed, appreciating the woman’s intuition. “Thankyou.”
“Good idea. We’ll give you two a few more minutes alone.” T.J. placed a hand on his wife’s hip and guided her toward the exit. “If you need anything…”
“I’m good.” Bryan’s lie was convincing. If only she didn’t know better.
“Yeah.” Leo nodded. “We’re here, buddy. Just say theword.”
The four of them filed through the entry to the newbie lounge, their footsteps fading until the deafening click of a door latch sealed herfate.
