I smiled. “No fucking way. You know what you have to do, don’t you?”
“What’s that?”
“Snap a picture and post it.” Just hearing their voices relieved some of the misery.
“I’m on it. Seriously, Luke, we thought we’d lost you.”
“It was fucking close.” My throat seized up. “Wish we were both coming home.”
“Yeah, I know.” Dex had been like a third brother to all of us.
“See you both soon.” I handed the phone to the patrolman. Then I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes. The past few weeks limped through my weary head. So much had happened, and in the midst of the chaos I’d fallen crazy in love. I was free of Dreygon Sharpe’s tyranny, but now I was attached to his world more than ever. As soon as I got home, I needed to figure a way to get back to her. None of this was over until Angel was with me.
Chapter 20
Luke
They treated the blisters on my feet and I ate two rubbery vending machine burritos. I sat in the chief’s office while I waited for Carson and my brothers to arrive. When I heard their loud voices in the lobby, I hobbled out to them on tender feet. It had been months since I’d seen either brother. Gage looked even bigger than I remembered, and Seth looked as cool and calm as ever.
Gage walked over and threw his heavy arms around me. “Little brother, shit it’s good to see you. It’s so fucking good to see you.”
Seth hugged me next. “I knew you were alive. I am now a full believer that twins can feel each other’s pain. I knew you were still alive.”
“Were your feet hurting too?” I directed his attention down to my shredded feet.
“Shit, no, my feet are still pretty. Those look like two pieces of hamburger. And what the hell happened to your ear.”
The question jarred me. There was no way I was ready to answer it. I shook my head and Seth seemed to understand.
Carson looked as wrung out as I felt. He’d lost one man and had been sure he’d lost a second until just a few hours ago. The lines around his face had definitely deepened since I’d seen him last. He threw an arm around me next. “Haven’t told everyone yet, but there’s going to be quite a celebration tomorrow.”
I smiled. “Is that your subtle way of telling me I have to be at work tomorrow?”
“Not on duty, of course, but I think people are going to want to see you. And if you’re ready to talk . . .”
“I’ll be ready. Just not completely sure where to start.”
“Let’s get you to the car, and if you’re up to it, you can tell us where the hell you’ve been for a month.”
“Shit, has it been that long?” The officer who’d brought me in handed me my shoes. “You can toss these,” I said. “I never want to see them again.” I looked down at my tattered feet. “Don’t know when I’ll be able to wear shoes again. Thanks for all your help, and I owe you a water. And I’ll hold the backwash.”
He laughed. “Just glad you’re safe.”
We headed out to the car. The station was in the center of a small strip of stores and businesses. The ride back in the squad car had been a good ten miles. I wouldn’t have made it if they hadn’t found me. Gage climbed into the front seat with Carson, and Seth and I climbed in back.
“Shit, still can’t believe you’re sitting here next to me,” Seth rubbed his hand roughly through my hair. He always kept a cool exterior, but I knew this had been eating him up inside.
“When did you guys get into town?” I asked.
Gage looked over the seat at me. “I’ve been down here since the day after you were reported missing. And Seth came a few days later, proving once again, that I’m the better brother.”
“Hey, I was out to sea. If I could have swam in, I would have, but it was too far and too damn cold. We were welding the bottom of a stalled tanker out on the Atlantic.”
“Then I guess I forgive you for taking your time getting here,” I said.
I looked at Gage. “What about your job and Penelope?”
“The job will be there when I get back . . .unfortunately. Not that many people lined up to do logging. Penelope, on the other hand, will not be there when I get back because we broke up three months ago.”
“Oh, sorry, didn’t know.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. It was never meant to be.” Gage had been with dozens of girls, and it was never meant to be. It had been that way for me until Angel had walked into my life. Now I was convinced that it had to be her, or I would spend the rest of my life alone. There was no one else who could fill a void left behind by someone like Angel. No one else came close.