“Stop. I can’t hear any more. I fucking can’t. That shit you have to talk to Chris about. Nope.” He shook his head and walked around me, heading for the living room.
“Did you get anything accomplished with your fists?” I asked as I followed right behind him.
“Yeah, Ingram.” He let out a hard sigh. “We got shit worked out.”
“There will be no more fighting, then?”
He turned to me and pulled me into his arms.
“Not unless that asshole hurts you.”
I smiled against his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist.
“He told me he said things to you that broke your trust because he tried to push you away,” Ky said and his voice was so soft and low I almost didn’t hear it. I nodded against his chest because I didn’t want to anger him again. “I wanted to beat his ass all over again after he told me that. But he said he was going to do everything to earn your trust back, at your pace.”
Tears welled up in my eyes but I didn’t let them fall.
Chris chose that moment to come into view with a huge First-Aid kit in his hand. He gave me a soft smile and moved to sit at the tall chairs on the island.
“Let Chris fix you up,” I said and took in the state of his face for the first time. I gasped loudly and my fingers gently pushed his chin so I could see everything.
“Mouse looks worse,” Ky said and there was a smug smirk on his face but the look in his eyes told me he felt at least a little badly about it.
I released my brother with a less than pleased look.
“You can talk to me about anything, you know?” Ky’s eyes were looking into mine and I knew he meant his words.
“Except sex,” I said and tried to hold my laughter in when his face screwed up in disgust. “You do know that I can hear what you two do sometimes.”
Ky’s cheeks burned bright with embarrassment. The truth was, I was happy for my brother. That didn’t mean I wanted to hear him and Chris in the throws of passion, but I did respect that they shared that deeper connection.
“Nope. Can’t talk about this,” Ky said. His head shook back and forth as he stepped away from me. “Chris, you have to deal with the…The Talkbecause I can’t.”
“The Talk?” I asked with wide eyes.
At this point, Chris could no longer contain his laughter.
Chris cleared his throat as Ky went to sit down beside him so he could get his wounds cleaned.
“When two people really like each other—” Chris started only to be cut off by Ky.
“Fuckin’ shit, Chris, not now. I’mhere. Fuck.”
Chris and I both laughed uncontrollably. I had no idea why I liked to make my brother so uncomfortable, but I did.
“You two are off the hook, I got to learn all about those kinds of things while I was away,” I told them.
Chris started to dab at Ky’s face. Ky hissed and tried to move his face away from Chris’ touch.
“I’m sure Mouse could use someone to help him tonight,” Ky said and it was so low I wasn’t sure I even heard it. “We’ll watch Chry, but don’t be gone all night.”
I rolled my eyes at him. Sometimes he treated me as if I was still a kid. But that meant he loved me and I guessed I should be happy.
“Thank you,” I said and turned on my heels.
“Don’t let him off so easily,” Ky said as I took a few steps in the direction of the door.
I gave him a tiny smile and a nod over my shoulder.
