3 Seconds (Time for Love Book 6) by Bethany Lopez Read Free Book Online Page A

His kissed the back of my neck
lightly, moved the rest of my hair off my face, and said softly in
my ear, “I really like you, Bronagh.”
    “I really like
you too,” I replied, right before I drifted off.

 

    Chapter Nine ~
Brendan
     
    “Have you seen
Natalie recently?” Brady asked. We were having a much-needed
brother’s night out. Just the two of us. Brock was working late,
and we were planning to meet up with him at his house later. For
now, it was just Brady and me enjoying great steaks and refreshing
dark beer at our favorite local steakhouse.
    “Um.” I thought
back, trying to remember the last time I’d seen her. “She wasn’t on
shift the last time we played, so probably the time before that.
Why, what’s up?”
    My brother had
recently gotten his hair styled differently, and was wearing it
longer and messy/spiky on top. That paired with the day-old beard,
and tank top showing off the black-and-white tattoo adorning his
left arm from shoulder to forearm, had all the ladies shooting
glances his way.
    With his dark
skin and dark hair, he already looked dangerous. When you added the
way he looked, with his often brooding, silent demeanor, he was a
force to be reckoned with.
    I was lucky
he’d never been interested in the limelight; he would have given me
a run for my money.
    What a waste of
great genes!
    “I went by to
check out our schedule for next month, and Natalie was working the
bar. Day shift.”
“That sucks. She has seniority, why would Jake put her on days?”
Not really caring, but realizing I’d probably have to pry the
information out of Brady in order for him to get to the point.
    He shrugged in
response, causing me to let out a frustrated sigh. I tried a
different approach.
    “Was she
okay?”
    Brady poured a
disgusting amount of A-1 Sauce on his already perfectly seasoned
steak, causing my lip to curl. Why he would ruin a steak that was
cooked to perfection was beyond me. Brady’s love of condiments was
something that always drove me nuts.
    “She was more
skittish than usual. There weren’t any marks or anything, but I’d
bet my life she’s being abused by that deadbeat husband of hers.
She acts like a wounded animal.” Brady looked me in the eye, his
face more serious than usual. “I went to ask her where Jake was,
and she jumped ten feet at the sound of my voice. I swear, it made
me want to punch something. I asked her if she was okay, and she
said she was, just like always, but, Bren, I don’t know how much
more I can take. We’ve known her for years now, and it’s obvious
that she’s unable to leave that bastard on her own, for whatever
reason.”
    “We can’t just
insert ourselves into a domestic dispute, brother. We’ve never seen
him lay a hand on her, and she’d never admitted that there’s
anything wrong.”
    Brady was quiet
after that. I wasn’t sure if it was because he was pissed at my
answer, or if there was something else he was working out in that
crazy brain of his.
    “I’ve been
thinking about becoming a cop,” he said, shocking the shit out of
me. I’d finished my steak and was enjoying the last of my porter. I
put the glass down with a clang.
    I was the one
without words after that statement.
    This was the
first time my overprotective, but gentle brother had ever even
hinted at wanting to join the police force.
    When I finally
got my bearings I asked, “Why? I mean, no offense, man, but you’re
twenty-seven, and you’ve never showed the slightest interest in
being a cop.”
    “I’ve been
thinking about it for a while now, but I didn’t want to say
anything. I don’t know how Brock’ll feel about it.”
    I saw the
concern on his face.
    “ Brady ,
Brock will support you no matter what. Shoot, he never gave me any
grief about going to culinary school, and he didn’t say a word when
I took off for Europe, putting school on hold. He just wants us to
be happy, you know that .”
    A myriad of
emotions crossed his face as he processed what