Page 44 of The Bronze Garza

Trent smacks him on the back of the head.

“Ow!”

Trent reprimands, “Youareaware of everything that poor girl’s been through, right?”

Rubbing the back of his head, True lifts a finger. “‘Been through’being the operative words. AKAsurvived.” A grin. “I don’t mind nursing her back to happiness and confidence. And...”—he darts another glance out the window—“maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see nothing ‘poor’ about that woman out there. Looks pretty damn wholesome to me. I mean...hotdamn.”

With an aggravated sigh, I sit back on the edge of my desk and cross my arms. “If you two are about done, care to fill me in on the Philly job?”

“I thought you didn’t want to be bothered with—”

“You already bothered me. Might as well fill me in on everything.”

Trent nods and crosses the room to settle in one of the chairs. “True,” he barks. “Stepawayfrom the window.”

True holds his hands up and slowly backs away, and I have to wipe away a smile with the heel of my palm.

My brothers are a complete pain in my ass, but man...mando I love them. Life doesn’t impress me—I don’t care for it. But if you ask me why I get up everyday, why I still breathe, why I work, why I survive. The answer isthe Garzas.

Take them away from me and life just isn’t worth living anymore. They’re my reason.

My only reason.

Though I’ll never admit it even with a gun to my head. Taking that truth to my grave.

‘Cause they can’t know.

They can never know that I need them more than they could ever need me.

ChapterTwelve

“Noneyabidness.”

Lyra

I’m in the kitchen blending upa fruit smoothie after a calming yoga session when two burly men emerge from the hall that leads to Torin’s office. Two men who resemble each other to a T, even in stature.

Identical twins.

I pause what I’m doing and just stare.

Because one, they’re hot.Stupid hot.

And two, who are they and what are they doing here?

In the time I’ve been here, the only visitor my grumpy keeper has had is a tatted, preppy, suspender-wearing, handsome Italian dude who told me his name was “Guy.” So seeing these two fine-looking men this morning is a delightful break in routine.

“Good morning!” I lilt a little too loudly.

One twin grins.

The other doesn’t. “Mornin’.”

“You came to see Mr. Grumpy?”

The serious one’s top lip twitches. “Yeah.”

“How unfortunate for you,” I say, peeling a banana. “I apologize on his behalf if your morning is ruined. He’s like a soggy blanket, that one.”