3 The Braque Connection by Estelle Ryan Read Free Book Online

stared at our joined hands.
    Colin’s smile was gentle when I looked up at him. Expressions I did not often observe around his eyes now had my full attention. For a few seconds he sat quietly, allowing me to study him. I wanted to ask why I saw pride and respect when he looked at me, but he shook his head. “Let’s go home. We can talk there. The car is waiting for us, but we’re going to have to walk there. Will you be okay walking only in socks or do you want me to carry you?”
    Walking across a meadow in Colin’s thick socks had not been too difficult. Nature’s dirt was acceptable to me. A glance at the paving brought information flooding into my mind. Statistics on bacteria and organic matter caused my blinking to increase. I forced my thoughts away from that and looked at Colin.
    He was already moving past me to climb out. He stood tall at the door and held out his arms. “In my arms or a ride on my back?”
    “Your back.” It would make me feel less weak.
    He turned around and presented me with his strong back. I had never been carried on anyone’s back before. I had seen this on television and in parks when parents, usually fathers, carried their tired children to the car after a day of fun. This was a first for me. It took a few tries before I clung onto Colin like a baby monkey. Twice he had to tell me to ease up around his neck, I was choking him.
    The pilots found this amusing, but I could not see the humour in this. With every passing second my desperation for the safe haven of my apartment increased. Transferring from Colin’s back to the town car was awkward, only to repeat the exercise when we arrived at the front door of my apartment building. I wouldn’t even get down from Colin’s back when we were in the elevator. I had seen a neighbour’s dog urinate in excitement one day. I shuddered.
    “You all right back there?” Colin’s voice vibrated where my chest pressed into his back.
    “I will be soon.” One more floor, the hall and I would be in my sanctuary. A soft ping announced that we had arrived, the doors opened and Colin walked to the front door. He let go of one of my legs and lifted his hand to knock, but the door swung open. Vinnie’s large frame filled the door to my apartment. He was wearing his usual combat pants and black T-shirt, stretched over muscles that belonged on a wrestler. Whenever he experienced intense emotions, the long ragged scar down the side of his face became more prominent. Like now.
    I expected an outburst filled with expletives, but Vinnie merely stood there staring at us. After two seconds of observing him, I tapped Colin’s shoulder. “Let me down.”
    I slid down his back, preparing myself for the next few minutes. In the year that I had known Vinnie, I had discovered that despite his criminal background, his size and demeanour, he was sensitive. Of those I counted to be my friends, he needed the most reassurance. I stepped around Colin and stopped in front of Vinnie. He was ignoring Manny’s irate insistence for him to move out of the way and had his attention solely on me now.
    “We’re here, Vinnie.” It had become easier, but I still found friendship difficult. Comforting a friend was not a skill I excelled in. Logic and rationale were my fortes. Reassuring someone wasn’t.
    Vinnie didn’t respond verbally to my attempt at reassurance, but his micro-expressions told me everything I needed to know. Our disappearance had affected him deeply. The relief on his face warred with fear and anger. After a year of friendship, I knew what he needed. It came at a great personal cost, but I had learned that friendship meant being selfless even at trying times. I sighed, bracing myself as I stepped closer and opened my arms.
    Strong emotions washed over his face before he lifted me and enveloped me in an embrace gentle enough to not cause me too much discomfort. He buried his head in my neck, his whole body trembling. My feet were dangling, my arms loosely