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Branded (Strand Brothers Series Book 1)(10)

By:Lora Ann


I slammed the handset back into its cradle and then sat there staring out the window. As memories tried to resurface, I shoved them back into their box inside my mind. I would not allow myself to go there. I refuse!



A short while later, Alex sauntered into the room. “To what do I owe this pleasure, brother dear?”

“Sit,” I commanded.

He smirked. “Domineering as always, I see.”

“I didn’t call you here to bust my chops.” I clarified, “I need some advice.”

He sarcastically replied, “Awesome. How may I assist the almighty Nik Strand?”

“Fuck you,” I said with no heat. My brother knew how much his opinion mattered to me.

He laughed, “No, thanks. I’m really not into that sort of thing. Besides, incest is illegal,” he pointed out.

“Hardy har har. You’re so damn funny,” I sardonically proclaimed.

“I do my best.” He ran his hand through is hair. “What’s going on, Nik?”

“I met a woman.”

His brow arched. “Well, that’s not so surprising. Considering, you don’t date the same one twice.”

“I don’t date, period,” I asserted.

“Yes, I know.” His look betrayed his concern for me.

“Here’s the thing, Alex.” I leaned forward and steepled my fingers in front of my mouth. “She’s engaged.”

“Not like that has ever been a deterrent to you before.”

“True.” I added, “But there’s more.”

“Do tell.”

Such a smartass. “She’s engaged to Reynolds.” I held my hand up to silence him. “It’s being forced on her, Alex. She in no way wants anything to do with him.”

“Then, why?” I could see the confusion in his eyes, not to mention the worry etched in his face. Caleb was bad news for me, and Alex knew it.

I took a deep breath before I explained, “He’s threatening her.”

“Ah, hell!”

“Now, you understand?”

He pushed back from the desk and stood. Then he began to pace. “This is bad, Nik. Really bad.”

“You don’t think I know that? Why do you suppose you’re here in the middle of the night?”

“Oh, I know you’re fully aware of just how fucked up this is. Question is, what’re you planning to do about it?”

“Hence, the reason I called you.”

“You want legal advice?” he inquired.

I countered, “Is there anything she can do legally?”

He shrugged. “Depends.”

My ire was up. “Expound, please.”

He shook his head. “Did he actually threaten her? Or was it perceived? If actual, was it verbal or written?”

“What the…? Look man, I need your expertise, not your legal mumbo jumbo.”

He had the audacity to laugh. I growled. He sobered up and deadpanned, “I’m not trying to be difficult.”

“Point taken. Then, let’s assume all of the above. What can she do about it?”

“If verbal, file a police report. If written, again, file a report with the note. If perceived, she’s shit out of luck. Gut instinct does not hold up in a court room.”

I ran my hand through my hair out of pure frustration. “You and I both know that a woman’s sixth sense is spot on nine times out of ten.”

“True,” he agreed. “Yet, it still won’t hold up. What do you think you can do for her?”

I grumbled, “I offered to marry her myself.”

“Say, what?!” he passionately exclaimed.

I sighed heavily and then elucidated, “I can provide ‘round the clock protection for her. Although I highly doubt she will consent to it.”

“Why not? She seems to understand that Caleb’s trouble.”

“Yes. But she doesn’t see the complete danger involved. Get this…she thinks he’ll only go after her reputation, career, family and friends. She has no concept that she’s the one in danger.”

“While I get that he’ll take whatever means possible to get her to comply with him, how would her reputation matter?”

Dammit all. Here goes nothing. “She’s a call-girl.”

“Is this a joke, Nik?”

I laughed with no humor. “I wish.”

“Fuck me.” He ran his hand along the side of his jaw. “She’s in way over her head.”

I couldn’t put into words how much I appreciated that my brother didn’t even bat an eye at the fact I just shared Aimee was a prostitute. This was one of the many reasons why I loved him so much. He also understood that Senator Caleb Reynolds had a notorious reputation for “bringing prostitutes to justice,” as he liked to call it. It was just this side of legal what he’d been known to do with ladies of that profession. For years we’ve been waiting for him to make a mistake, because truth be told, I had a gut feeling there was more to it than what we knew. And he was good, damn good, at covering his tracks. “Yeah, you could say that.”