Conklin's Corruption (#3) (Conklin's Trilogy) by Brooke Page Read Free Book Online Page B

missed you too,” she said quietly.
    Silence passed between us.  I could have fallen asleep, but Becca seemed unsettled.  She would normally roll over and snuggle into me, trace patterns on my chest and give me little kisses randomly.  I liked that, even if it sealed the deal for my slumber.  Yeah, I felt bad when I’d pass out after we had made love and she wanted to pillow talk, but most of the time I couldn’t help it, and she rarely gave me grief.
    “You’re so quiet,” I murmured, moving my hand up and down her arm.
    “I’m just tired.”
    I sat up on my elbow and kissed her shoulder, hoping my movement would cause her to face me.  She stayed put.  “What else is bothering you, Becs?”
    She finally rolled to her side and looked up at me through her lashes, apprehension on her face.  I moved my hand from her arm to her cheek, urging her to open up to me.
    “Talk to me, love,” I said softly.
    “Did you ever get into trouble in college?”
    I scowled down at her.  I played baseball in college.  I couldn’t get in trouble by mixing with the wrong crowd.  I drank at parties but never got caught.  That was the extent of my law breaking.
    “I was an athlete.  I couldn’t afford to get into trouble.”
    She suddenly sat up, pulling a pillow to her chest, not looking at me.  Confusion spread over me as I looked up at her.
    “So you never fought?”  Her tone was accusing.
    Oh crap.
    My silence caused her to turn and frown at me.  I ground my teeth, not wanting to relive what she was talking about.  “Who told you,” I sighed, sitting completely up and leaning back on the white Beachwood headboard.
    “I think you should be telling me what happened,” she snapped.  “Not asking how I found out.”
    I blew out air.  There was no way around this.  “It was complete bullshit is what it was.”
    Becca leaned back against the headboard and gave me her no nonsense look.
    I sighed and reluctantly began to tell my story.  “Sometimes when I would drink in college, I got a little hot headed.  Cooper was normally with me and would calm me down if I started to feel threatened.  But there was this one asshole…”  I shook my head in disgust.  “He never knew when to shut his mouth.
    “Nathan and I were in the same fraternity in college.  We would always go to parties together.  Since he was older, I didn’t have to do all the lame shit underclassmen had to do.  My baseball team took advantage of this as well.  Nathan wasn’t your typical frat boy.  He drank, you’ve obviously picked up on his habit.”
    She shrugged her shoulders.  We all knew he was an alcoholic like my mother, but Nathan didn’t recognize it as a problem.
    “Anyway,” I continued.  “The only thing different about Nathan was his lack of attempt to hook up with women.”
    Becca’s eyes softened.  Maybe it was the change in my tone. 
    I turned so I was completely facing her on the bed, crossing my legs and meeting her eyes.  “Nathan has never told me outright he’s gay.  I always just knew.  But Nathan’s tells weren’t as obvious in college.  There was this one asshole named Jonah.  He was my age and was constantly on Nathan’s ass about hooking up with the sorority chicks.  I think I was the only one who could tell how uncomfortable Nathan was when Jonah would pester him to go after a girl or grind against one at a party.  It seemed to happen more and more frequently.  Every party, Jonah wouldn’t let it go.
    “Then he said something in front of everyone that made me lose all self control.  I jumped him, literally beat the shit out of him.  I remember blood running from his face.  I couldn’t tell you how many swings I took until Cooper could finally pull me off him.”
    I looked away from Becca, recalling the evening and how floored I was.  Nathan meant everything to me.  I wouldn’t stand for someone bullying my brother for something he had no control over.
    Becca put her hands on