Page 13 of Pretty Broken Wings

“What?” Axel’s voice sobers.

“John from the bank may have given her something, too.” I stare at the vague outline of the woman, who is still on the floor.

“I’m on my way. Fuck, is she okay?”

“How should I know?” I flip the phone shut.

Why should I care? Now that I know she’s breathing, I feel around for the pieces of my glasses. Fragments of glass brush against my fingers, and a helpless wave washes over me. Helplessness, then anger. What did I think I was going to do, glue them back together?

I stand, stalking over to the bar, bumping into what sounds like a chair on the way over.

Axel is going on about something; I’m not sure what. I don’t really care. My brother has made his bed; now he needs to lie in it.

The phone rings again, and I flip it open just to hang up. Again.

CHAPTER SEVEN

I’m drunk. The kind of drunk I usually reserve for Halloween to keep the memories at bay. But waiting for Raven to show up at the bar, I can’t stop thinking… so I keep taking shots.

Gage’s call sobers me just enough to realize how drunk I probably am. What the hell is Raven doing at the club? Is she okay?

I make my coworker and drinking buddy, Dave, drive me the short distance to the club. He’s become my go-to driver, always brown-nosing as a way to advance in the ranks. I think he also thinks he’ll get more pussy if he hangs out around me. That partmight be true. Dave can get insufferable, but if enduring him gets me a driver, then I’ll endure it.

As we drive, the lights from the streetlights are all blending into one and spinning like bubbles in a tub. I pop a piece of gum in to try and cut through the blur.

As the car slows and we pull up, I can make out shapes outside, but it’s dark and my head is swimming in alcohol. Gage must already be waiting for us. It’s blurry, but I think it’s Raven leaning on the building. Gage gestures at the car.

I get out, saying, “I see you found my–”

Gage just shoves something at me, and I blink down at it. It’s a purse.

“Brother, you shouldn’t have–”

“And give me these.”

I see his hand coming, and it feels like I dodge him in slow motion. Gage’s hand knocks my glasses loose.

“Those are mine!” I reach up to fix them.

Gage is mad. His whole face is red, even his eyebrows. Both of us get red eyebrows when we get pissed. Comes with having very little melanin. Usually, we look fairy-like. Now, he looks like an angry red fairy.

It makes me laugh.

“Flavor of the day broke mine, so I’ll be taking these until I get a replacement pair.” He tries again for my glasses, and I dodge faster this time. One of the downsides of being identical twins is that our prescriptions are the same.

“Hell no,” I grin. “I have to get myfucktoyhome.” I can’t help but needle him more. Gage never gets pussy, so he’s always so mad when I do.

Gage freezes, then looks at me, narrowing his eyes. I see his nostrils move as he pulls in a breath. “Are you… drunk?”

He looks from me to Dave in the driver’s seat. Gage’s breaths are coming in pants, and I laugh because getting my brotherwound up is my favorite thing in the world. It breathes life into my soul.

“Fuck no.” I smile at him, even though I’m sure he can’t see it, although I know he can probably hear the smile anyway. “But Dave might be.” He’s not, but I know it’ll piss Gage off.

I see the movement, but this time, I don’t want to dodge it. There’s a blow to the side of my head that whips my face around. A buzzing fills my head. A delicious buzzing that drowns out the thoughts.

“You let him drive you over here drunk?”

Oh, he’smad. The buzzing feels warm, and there’s a dull throb, like I should be feeling pain.