The Promise (Wolfe Creek Duet #2)

6

ADRIAN

“D!” I shout out as smoke pours from between my lips. Walking toward his car, I take another puff of my cigarette before tossing it to the ground.

I lean down, propping my arm on the roof of his Audi. Inside, I see my other brother. “Wild wild Wes,” I tease slyly, memories of the trouble we’d get into flash through my mind. He breaks out into a wide grin.

Taking a moment, I study them. They haven’t changed too much, a little older I guess, but aren’t we all?

“You’re a free man now. Get in before they change their minds,” Damian greets jokingly. God, I’ve missed this. I’ve missed them.

He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I pull open the door and slide into the backseat. Looking around, I take in the black leather interior and the touch screen display. A pang of resentment hits me. They’ve been living in the lap of luxury all this time. I push the thought away. It’s not their fault, I remind myself. I’m responsible for what happened that night.

“Sutton and Cole stay home to prepare the welcome wagon?” I pull out another cigarette, flicking the lighter to life.

“Don’t even fucking think about it, Adrian,” Damian growls as he stares me down in the rearview mirror. Rolling my eyes, I tuck the smoke behind my ear for later, trying to ignore my need for it. “Sutton’s at home. As for a welcome wagon, don’t count on it.”

I scoff. I wasn’t expecting balloons and shit, but something would have been nice. A sign that they missed me while I’ve been gone for the last decade. “What’s got you all pissy?” I’ve always known how to push my oldest brother’s buttons. He hates how nonchalant I am. I hate how uptight he is. But we’re brothers, so we tolerate our differences.

“A lot’s happened while you’ve been gone. Most of it’s happened in the last few months. We need to talk.”

Well, shit. That’s never good.

I listen with my head leaned back, looking up at the roof as my brothers fill me in. Nothing seems too concerning until it’s all concerning. “What do you mean? Where the fuck is Cole?”

Wes chimes in, looking back at me with those familiar brown eyes and the messy hair he’s always sported. “We don’t know. Dead? Alive? He just… vanished.”

I lean forward, tilting my head to examine him. “And what are we doing to get him back? To get him help?”

A pair of glacial eyes turn to me momentarily before focusing back on the road. “Did you not hear what I said? Cole went off the deep end. Worse than last time. He kidnapped and nearly killed someone, someone we all care about. He almost killed Sutton and wanted to take down the rest of us.” His voice is as cold as his gaze. “If I ever lay eyes on him again, he’s a dead man.”

“We’re brothers,” I argue. “We stick together, no matter what. We’re going to let some bitch change that?” The words are hardly out of my mouth when a hand clamps around my throat tightly.

Wes looks like he might actually kill me. “You won’t talk about Thea like that. Your ass can kick rocks if you have an issue with her.”

Damian shoots Wes a look and his grip loosens before letting me go completely.

I let out a mocking chuckle. Does he think his threat or a little violence is going to scare me into submission? I’ve spent the last ten years around some of the most dangerous people in the world. He’s going to have to do better than that.

“Is that how you treat the person who took the fucking fall for all of us that night?”

“Took the fall? You sure about that? Who was in the house? Not Damian and I. If you would’ve stuck to the plan, you wouldn’t have spent the best years of your life behind bars.” Wes’ words are harsh and maybe I deserve them. He’s not entirely wrong. He wasn’t in the house, but all of my brothers were accomplices that night.

Leaning back, I push farther. “So he makes a few bad choices and that’s it, he’s out of the pact?”

“A few bad choices?” Damian retorts questionably. “A bad choice was him threatening to kill himself after your conviction. Or saying he wanted to open fire on the prison. Or find and kill the judge and jury members. Those were some bad choices, but he didn’t act on them, or at least we didn’t let him. We made sure he got help. This time was different.”

My fingers play with the cigarette behind my ear. I hope the drive isn’t too long. I need some relief.

I don’t believe that Cole can’t be rehabilitated. That isn’t a possibility in my head. He and I were close before I went away—closer than I was with Damian, Sutton, or Wes. Cole was truly family to me, and I can’t let this be it for him. There has to be another way.

But I also know that I can’t push Damian too far. He’s in charge. That doesn’t mean I have to like the rules he lays down. It also doesn’t mean I necessarily have to follow them.

I meet Damian’s gaze in the mirror again. His eyes are softer—it makes my jaw tighten.

“Look,” he starts, a lock of auburn hair falling over his forehead. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for how everything went down. It shouldn’t have been all on you. We were all a part of it. And we’re going to make up for the time you were away. I promise. We’ll get you everything you need.” I wonder what he thinks I need. A decade in prison has taught me that I don’t need much more than a couple of meals a day and a dry place to sleep. “A car. A business, so you have money coming in. Clothes. Whatever you want, we’ll make it happen.”

Wes turns in his seat to look at me. “I’m sorry, too.”

The ache in my chest eases a little. It’s been there a long time, I don’t notice it much anymore, but the heartfelt apologies make it evident. “It’s fine. It’s in the past.” We all know it’s not really fine. What else can I say, though?

“We’re almost home,” Damian announces a while later. “Thea will be there. She lives with us. So there’ll be ground rules.” He waits for blind compliance. He won’t get it from me. I want to know what these ground rules are exactly. My brother pushes forward reluctantly. “I’ve given Thea the option of leaving. She may not choose to stay, so all of this could be for nothing. But if she does choose to stay, you’ll need to respect her.”

I scoff. “Brother, have you forgotten who you’re speaking to? I’m not going to outright make her life hell, but I’m also not going to treat her like royalty or something.” He narrows his eyes at me.

“You know the terms of the pact. We share everything, including her. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t get a choice. She still has to give you consent. If I find out that you put your hands on her without her permission, you’re gone. Do you understand me?”

Looking out the window, I contemplate his words. “Yeah. Got it.” His little rules won’t be an issue. I have no desire to put my hands on the woman who destroyed Cole, unless it’s to strangle the life out of her. Although, I’m not keen on going back to prison, so she’s probably safe.

The crunch of gravel underneath the tires draws my attention forward. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it.

The house is amazing, to say the least. Bigger than any house I’ve ever seen in person. I step out of the car and follow my brothers to the front door. Damian eyes me, a silent reminder of the ground rules. I shake my head.

Inside… well, it’s even better than the outside.

A massive fireplace draws my attention first. Then the kitchen. Finally, the wall of windows on the other side of the house.

“Looks like y’all made good for yourselves.” I gaze up at the high ceilings and the fancy touches like matching couches in the living room. This is going to take some getting used to.

“Sutton. Thea,” Damian calls out. A few moments go by and then I hear footsteps coming from a staircase leading down to another level. I see Sutton first.

A smile takes over and I walk over to my brother, holding out my hand for him to take. He gives me an odd look, grabs my hand, and pulls me in for a hug. I can’t stop the flinch that seizes my body as he embraces me. Too close. I can’t do close.

I pull away as quickly as I can without making him question me.

“It’s been too long,” he says as he grins. “How was the ride? Good?”

I shrug. “Anything’s better than that shithole I’ve been in.” He nods in agreement, but we both know that none of them can really understand how bad it was.

From behind Sutton, I see her dark hair first. Then, her face. I hate looking the woman who drove my brother crazy in the eyes. But god damn if she’s not smoking hot. Jesus, they could’ve made this a little easier on me. I chalk it up to being locked up for so long.

It’s been over ten years since I’ve touched a woman. My cock springs to life, making me shift uncomfortably.

I survey her slowly, hoping to intimidate her a little. I start with her long dark waves, then move to those big blue eyes. My eyes drop lower. She’s in a sports bra and tight shorts, leaving very little to the imagination. She’s all curves, from her full tits to her wide hips and thick thighs. I bet her ass is amazing. I angrily push that thought away. As much as I’d fuck her until she’s screaming, I can’t. Not after what she did to Cole.

“Thea, this is Adrian, our youngest brother.”

My eyes lock in on hers as she crosses her arms. Oh yeah, she’s a bitch. I tilt my chin up in a silent acknowledgment of the introduction. We both stand our ground, neither of us wanting anything to do with the other.

“Where’s my room?” I finally say, looking at Damian. I’ve had enough for today.