Page 17 of Brazen Defiance (Brazen Boys #4)

Clara

E mma picks up on the tension between RJ and Trips immediately when they follow us into her apartment, for once blessedly quiet.

“I take it your sister isn’t back yet?” I ask, following her to the kitchen while RJ and Trips start installing whatever security RJ brought.

With basically no words exchanged. I don’t know if it makes me more or less sad—even not talking, they work well together.

“Nope. Her high school friends are doing nonstop barn parties for the next week, so I’m living solo.”

“Nice.”

“Want to tell me what all that is about?” she asks, nodding at the guys.

“Not until they’re gone. It’s a long story.” And I don’t know how much to share.

“You seem, sad? Are you okay?”

My fingers tap on my leg, and I don’t stop them. “No, but weirdly, I’m better than I was a few weeks ago.” Because eating and sleeping help. Who’d have guessed? “How about we go make you an outfit for tomorrow?”

She grins, but there’s tension around her eyes. “You wouldn’t know what kind of style Evie has? Oh shoot. Do you know if everyone calls her Evie? Or is it a family nickname? I don’t want to mess this up.”

“Ooo! Emma has a crush!” I tease as she drags me to her bedroom.

“Yes, I do, and I haven’t even met the girl. This is bad. Really bad, Clara.”

I tackle her onto her bed, wrapping myself around her. “You’re hot, you’re fun, you’re smart. Just be yourself and either she’ll like you, or she’s nothing more than crush material.”

She laughs, trying to pry herself out of my grip. “I haven’t had a real crush in so long, I’m panicking.”

“Then we’ll pick out the hottest outfit for tomorrow. Fashion armor is more helpful than I’d realized.”

“You’ve gained fashion armor experience over break?”

The shredded pink silk on the blue rug at Trips’ house flashes through my mind. “Yeah. It didn’t go quite as well as I’d hoped, but it helped.”

Her curiosity sparkles, but I ignore it. “So, what do you wear to a bluegrass concert?”

She laughs. “You might not have been the best assistant.”

“Nope. But I’ll try my best.”

We settle on some blue jeans that make her ass look great, a simple white long-sleeve shirt, and finish it off with me helping her re-dye her hair so it will be the pinkest of pinks tomorrow night.

The guys left about half an hour ago, and Emma’s impatience for an explanation is making the air in the bathroom practically hum.

“So, alarms at my place?” she finally broaches, and I know I can’t put off this story any longer.

I start with the parts that can be told: how Bryce is out of jail and has escalated. She’s already vibrating with anger. And I haven’t even told her about the mess with Trips’ family.

Or my near-death experience last weekend.

I shiver just remembering.

“That’s so shitty, Clara. I can’t believe the cops just let him out like that. And poor RJ, that run in with the cops had to be terrible. No wonder he’s in a mood.”

“That’s part of it.”

“That’s not all of it?”

I shake my head, stripping off the bloody looking plastic gloves and tossing them in the trash. “Set the timer,” I say, and she does.

“What else?”

Closing my eyes, not wanting to see her reaction to what comes next, I force the words out. “I almost died. Then I got engaged.”