Page 27 of Into the Blue (Shades of Vengeance #1)

By the time we reach my brother she hugs us both, “Ant! You’re here! And look, Uncle Blue is here too!” Tony’s nickname from Drea and her daughter is Ant. Apparently it’s hilarious to them both because he’s so big in comparison to them.

I know that my brother is an important part of Drea and Mireya’s lives.

It makes me wonder why he’s even bothering to date my best friend and why she’s even here right now.

I guess he was planning to come without his new girlfriend until I showed up.

I smirk to myself, watching him squirm in the hole I may have helped him dig.

“Who are you?” Mireya asks with curiosity in her voice that is as innocent as a young person could convey with her head leaning to one side.

Steph approaches her, unbothered. “I’m Steph,” she says, holding out her hand. “And you must be Mireya… Is that right?”

The girl nods, expression unreadable. Doesn’t say another word to her.

She glances at her mother for confirmation, and Drea gives a tight smile that’s very brittle .

This ain’t going how Steph probably imagined.

I step into the awkward huddle, pretending like I don’t notice the temperature drop. “Well… this is nice and awkward.”

There is so much tension in this group and clearly secrets that are being kept. When no one says anything I decide to intervene.

Could I have left it alone? Sure. But this was a problem for my brother that I’m a small bit responsible for. I plan on being here for a least a few days since Colton wasn’t home when I drove by earlier. Letting him have some time to talk to Steph is probably the best thing for him right now.

“Drea,” I say, tilting my head toward the bakery counter. “Show me around? I’ve never actually seen the inside of this place.”

She hesitates for a second, but eventually sighs and gestures for me to follow her. “Come on, then.”

We leave Steph to navigate the lion’s den, Mireya trailing a few steps behind like a tiny bodyguard. Colton’s kid or not, I like the girl.

Drea glances at me as we walk past the framed photos and old-school charm of the bakery's new look since she bought it. “Steph, huh?”

I lift a brow. “What about her?”

“She’s with Tony?” She stops near a side door, arms crossed. “Seriously?”

“Looks that way,” I shrug. “She’s good with Tony. He’s the one who wants to build a family and shit. That’s not for me.”

“Yeah, but girlfriend?” Drea shakes her head. “Wild. I didn’t even know he was talking to anyone.”

Neither did I until Redd made it clear that he had a problem with it.

“Not until about a month ago. She grew up with us. We were all friends. You know, played basketball together. Long story.” I lean against the wall.

“You okay with it?” Can’t help but be a little bit nosy since this development has caused a ruckus in my life.

She gives a half shrug in response and then lets out a long exhale. “I mean, it’s not like it’s my business. But it’s weird seeing him with someone and not tell me about it.”

Fair point .

There’s something like jealousy in her voice, mostly surprise though. Drea’s never been petty like some of the others around here. Maybe that’s why Tony always kept her close. Beats me on why they aren’t together though.

I look for the woman in question and find her standing in line with T by the register.

Steph moves through the bakery like she belongs here, even if the glares say otherwise.

She’s got that unshakeable poise, that high-polish grace that makes women either want to be her or cut her down to size. Gotta admire how she handles her own.

Drea studies me a moment, arms still crossed. “So what really brings you out here, Blue? You haven’t been back in forever. And don’t say it was because of my opening though I am grateful you came.”

I flash her a grin, but it doesn’t reach my eyes. “Love supportin’ small business.”

She narrows her gaze. “That is not an answer.”

“Exactly.” I give her a wink before walking past her. “Come on. Show me the kitchen or somethin’ before T pulls me into a heart-to-heart.”

By the time I circle back to the front of the bakery, I find Tony posted up near the bathroom hallway like a watchdog. His eyes cut straight to me.

“Brutal, bruh,” I say, smirking. “You said they liked you in this town.”

“I know you can’t help yourself,” he says low, grabbing my arm and yanking me into the alcove like we’re teenagers again. “But could you keep your comments in your head?”

“Nah” I lean against the wall and cross my arms. “Am I gonna have to rescue Steph before they get the pitchforks?”

The two of us are evenly matched. Same height, same build.

We’re only a few years apart. I wouldn’t intentionally intimidate my little brother because I have love for him.

I did everything our Pa wanted so that he could escape the dark while I found a way to thrive in it.

Some people were made for this life, my brother was not.

Don’t hold it against him, but there is a certain level of respect that I require regardless of anything else. He’s treading a thin line.

“Why did you come here?” he asks, teeth clenched .

I play it light, losing the drawl in my voice like he has after being away from Louisiana for so long. “I don’t understand what you mean?”

“I left so I didn’t have to deal with your bullshit.” His voice drops into a hiss. “I wouldn’t have to deal with any of this, had you not showed up here with her.”

My lips hike on one side, still a little amused by the predicament he’s in. “You didn’t want to see your girlfriend? How was I supposed to know?”

“By asking!” He lowers his tone. “Could have called me and let me know you were coming. You’ve never been to visit without announcing. And you damn sure never participated in anything my friends have hosted.”

“Wait… You don’t think me being here is only about you.” A little honesty never hurt anyone. “It was kind of a two birds, one stone type of thing.”

Confusion overtakes his face as he processes what I’ve said. “What does it have to do with then?”

“Well if you were in the biz, I’d tell you. But since you decided to be the ‘good brother’, it’s a need-to-know kind of thing. And you don’t need to know.”

A sound like a growl comes from him in what I imagine is frustration. “Why are you here, Blue?”

I sigh and it seems to frustrate him more. “I’m checking on something,” I reach for a blunt, but there isn’t one so I pull on my ear instead. Why didn’t I roll one before I came? “I’m checking on someone. You know who.”

I see the moment he realizes who I’m talking about. “What did he do?”

“Like I said, need-to-know basis. You coming into the fold or what?”

“No,” he shakes his head firmly. “Definitely not.”

“Don’t worry about it then. Spend time with my best friend, oh I mean, your girlfriend. I’m going to make myself more familiar with Colton’s baby moms.”

I walk out of the alcove he’s pulled me aside in, but I don’t go find Drea again. I’ve honestly had enough of the drama at this point.

My priority, outside of checking on the brother I allowed to live the straight and narrow path, is Colton. If he isn’t on track to supply what he said he could, I won’t be leaving the state with clean hands regardless.