Coming Undone (3 page)

On a Saturday in the early summer, the street was rife with activity, everyone in the yard or dealing with a car. Children riding bikes or roller skating. None of it was overwhelmingly loud, just a quiet hum of activity. Soothing rather than jarring.

The hottie from across the street walked toward his mailbox at the curb, and Elise paused to watch the lope of his strides. Long and sure. Today he wore a black T-shirt and jeans so faded they were pale against the flip-flops on his feet. She wondered what his hair would feel like. Soft?

Close-cropped, it only highlighted the bold lines of his face.

Some men were so handsome they were pretty, but this one was . . .

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not pretty. He was hard. She blushed as she remembered the nights of the past week, using her toys and her fingers to make herself come as she thought of him.

Wow, that guy was going really fast for a residential neighborhood
.

Elise straightened, checked back over her shoulder to be sure Rennie was still on the porch and out of harm’s way before she looked back out again, only to see the dark sedan careen to miss a trash can and, instead, clip the hottie, tossing him against his mailbox as the car peeled away.

Adrenaline filled her, spurring her to action. “Rennie, get the cell phone and the first-aid kit! Now!” she called as she ran toward where he’d fallen.

Rennie quickly obeyed, pressing both into her mother’s hands just moments later. One-handed, Elise dialed 911, relayed the information and handed the phone off to Rennie, whom she’d ordered up onto hot guy’s lawn, out of the way of a return trip by the hit-and-run driver or the arrival of the aid vehicles.

Elise wasn’t a stranger to first aid triage. She held the memories at bay and pretended to be someone else while she stanched the bleeding on his forehead and checked him for other injuries. Her hair had fallen from where she’d had it loosely knotted, but she didn’t want to let go of the pressure on his wound, so she let it fall into her face.

His eyes flickered open here and there as he fought unconsciousness, but he never seemed to focus on her at all. During one such moment of his partial consciousness, she smiled down at him, hoping she was at least somewhat comforting. “Hold on. You’re going to be all right. Help is on the way.”

He licked his bottom lip and closed his eyes again, God help her, the sight tightened things low in her gut.

It wasn’t too much after that when the sound of a siren punctu-C O M I N G

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ated the afternoon and paramedics pushed through the crowd surrounding them.

She reassured him quietly, keeping out of the way as best as she could. And when he opened his eyes, focusing them on her, seeing her for the first time as the paramedic knelt beside them, she felt the connection all the way to her toes.

Her pulse jumped as he blinked thick, sooty lashes shading big, brown eyes. He smiled, crooked through the neatly trimmed goatee and mustache. “Angel.”

She laughed. “Not so much. You’re going to be all right, Mr. . . .

Um, yeah, I don’t know your name.”

“Brown. Brody Brown.” No slurring, so that was good. A bit of tension in the words, probably soreness and pain. But his pupils looked fine.

A cop stood to her left and she multitasked, speaking to the officer about the car, the license plate and other details while making sure Rennie kept her booty away from the street.

The paramedics got him onto a board as she kept her eye on them, making sure they didn’t jar him. He grumped at the paramedics, bitching about being bumped around. She smiled down at him, touching his cheek, sliding her fingertips into the surprising softness of his beard. “Okay, Brody Brown, stop fussing and let them take care of you. I’m talking to the cops right now. I’ve got it handled. Do you want me to call anyone for you?”

“You’re not real.”

She laughed. “My electric bill says otherwise. I’ll lock your house up for you, all right?”

“On my phone, in the hall, push one. My sister.”

She nodded. “All right then. I’ll go now.”

They told her where they were taking him, and she stood watching as they drove away, then she headed into his house.

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She didn’t expect what she saw inside, even just from the entry near the phone. Neat. Lived in, but neat. Hmm. Elise grabbed the phone, steeling herself for a call she was frightfully glad she wasn’t on the other end of for a change.

Erin groaned and leaned over Todd’s body to grab the phone. Late nights under his talented hands were more than worth the sleepi-ness the next morning.

“Hello, Brody. Why on earth are you calling my house at ten on a Saturday?”

“I’m sorry to wake you up. I’m Elise Sorenson. I live across the street from your brother. First let me tell you he’s fine.”

Erin sat up, awake instantly. Todd stirred, his handsome face creasing with the concern he must have felt when he saw her reaction.

“Is everything all right?” Nausea swamped her, her heart pounded.

“He’s had an accident. They’re taking him to Harborview right now. He asked me to call you.”

Erin scrambled up and began to get dressed as she held the phone to her ear with her shoulder.

The woman on the other end gave her details but kept her cool.

Erin really appreciated that level voice as the fear threatened to tear reason from her head.

Ben came in carrying a cup of coffee and wearing nothing more than a smile. Sweet baby Jesus, was he pretty to look at. Even better, when he saw the look on Erin’s face and Todd getting dressed, he simply put the mug down and began to dress as well.

“Thank you, Elise, I appreciate you calling and locking up Brody’s house too.”

“Not a problem. He’s going to be all right. He was conscious C O M I N G

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enough to be grumping at the people getting him in the ambulance and to tell me where the phone was to call you.” She paused. “If you need anything, please feel free to call me. I’m just across the street.”

Erin liked this Elise Sorenson. The woman was no-nonsense and calm, two qualities Erin needed and appreciated right then. She hung up after giving Erin her phone number and offering to help if she could, kindly waving away Erin’s profuse thanks.

“What’s going on, gorgeous?” After she dressed quickly, Ben handed her the coffee, now transferred to a travel mug, and the three of them headed to the door.

Thank God for them. Her men, her everything. She rose on tiptoe to kiss Ben and then Todd. “Brody got hit by a car. They’re taking him to Harborview. His neighbor called. She says he’s all right, but I’ll feel a lot better when I see for myself.”

Todd nodded, taking the keys. “I’ll drive. You call Adrian on the way.”

Ben put an arm around her as they drove to the hospital, and Adrian was, thank goodness, just getting back from an afternoon television appearance in New York.

“I’m coming back right now. I’ll just head straight to the airport.”

“Brody will be so pissed if you come back here without making sure there’s a reason to. Why don’t you wait. Sit tight and I’ll call you the minute I know anything else.”

“Um, let me see. Hmm, what to say, what to say? Oh, I know.

Fuck you. I’m coming back. Do you think for one second he’d just hang out in the city to be interviewed and get blown by hot chicks if one of us got hit by a fuckin’ car? If I didn’t know you were only trying to manage everyone and keep us all happy, I’d be insulted.

You call me the second you hear anything. I’m in the limo and on the way right now.”

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“I told you the just-stay-in-New-York-unless-we-hear-bad-news thing wasn’t going to work for him. You Browns are all stubborn as hell.” Todd looked at her in the rearview mirror. “He’s going to be all right, darlin’.”

Which she knew, of course. But this was her brother, and she’d feel a hell of a lot better when she was able to see it for herself.

Brody was in X-ray when they arrived at the hospital, but the nurse didn’t seem too worried. Another hour passed, Erin stepped out to leave a message on Adrian’s voice mail, and finally they got to see Brody.

“Christ a’mighty, why are you here looking like someone kicked your kitten?” Brody was grumpy in his paper gown, but Erin saw him fight a smile when she fussed over him. “I almost said ‘ate,’ and then I remembered who I was talking to.”

She rolled her eyes. “
Someone’s
had some pain pills. From the sound of it, they gave you the good stuff. Now, do kindly shut up. You’re coming to our house for a few days, where I can keep an eye on you.”

“
You
shut up. I’m older and I’m not going to your palace of decadence and deviance.” He made a raspberry sound and Todd burst out laughing.

She didn’t feel like laughing. Erin wanted to punch someone for his scaring the crap out of her. What on earth would she do without Brody? The very thought of him not being around had left her sweaty, grumpy and slightly depressed despite the evidence that he would recover completely.

“You got
hit by a car
. I’ll be the judge of where you go. A hit-and-run. Oh my god. Your neighborhood is so nice. What the hell is the world coming to?”

Brody squeezed her hand. “Baby girl, I’m fine. Some bruising, a bump on my head, but nothing broken. I’m pissy, I’m hungry, and I feel like someone ran over me with a car. I want to go home. I C O M I N G

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want to eat and take a few more of these very fine painkillers, and I want to watch
The Matrix
in bed.”

“Adrian is on his way back. I told him to stay in New York but he said bad words to me.”

Brody barked a laugh as he signed the release papers. “You gonna want me to kick his butt? You’re on your own there. The two of you are the exact same. Full of shit. It’s a wonder all my hair didn’t go gray after seeing you through teenagerdom. Now, let’s get me home. I want to stop at Red Mill.”

That was a good sign. “If you want to eat burgers, you must be feeling better.”

Carefully they helped him into the shirt Ben had been smart enough to bring along and led him to the car.

Despite the official okay to leave, Erin worried. She kept at his side, her hand tucked in his even as they drove back. She didn’t plan to let him out of her sight for the time being. The scent of the hospital had been bad enough. If he hadn’t been holding her hand, it would have been shaking.

He brushed his lips over the top of her head. “You all right? I know how much you hate hospitals.”

Being understood that way made her love him even more. This man who, at seventeen, had stepped in to raise his younger siblings.

A man who never complained about giving up his dreams to make sure theirs came true. And here he was, bruised and damaged from being hit by a car, and he was worried about her feelings.

“I’m fine. You’re here. Thank God you’re here and okay.” How very blessed she was to have so many wonderful people who loved her.

He sighed and pulled her close. “I sure do love you.”

“Back atcha. By the way—Elise? Your neighbor who called? She sounds really cute. What’s she like?”

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Ben burst out laughing. “Honey, let the man get his stitches out before you start trying to play matchmaker, why don’t you?”

Erin blew raspberries at Ben. “What? She seemed very nice. She has one of those soft, gentle voices, but she must have her shit together enough to deal with some stranger covered in ink and blood.

I like that. Who’s to say she’s not hot? And looking for a nice man?

Sheesh. You have to grab opportunity with both hands when it comes.”

Brody just shook his head and groaned when a wave of dizziness hit. “I’m not looking for a nice woman. I’m not looking for a woman, period. I think she’s got a kid anyway. Probably a husband too. I don’t do married women.”

“Leave him alone, gorgeous.” Todd chuckled, and Erin made a snuffling sound. Brody knew his sister; she did what she wanted to do, accident or not. God knew he was helpless against her most of the time.

“Thank God, we’re home.” Good thing, before his sister had him engaged and choosing silverware patterns with the woman across the street.

Hell, all he could remember of her was the pale hair and the sweetness of her smile. She was probably covered in spots and had buck teeth. He’d had a head injury after all; his memory was most likely faulty.

4

“Go the hell home. You’ve been here nearly twelve hours now.”

Raven pointed toward the back door and glared. “You just got hit by a freaking car a few days ago. If Erin or Adrian find out I’ve let you be here this long, I’ll never hear the end of it. Especially from Adrian, who already thinks I’m evil incarnate. Now go.”

He bent and kissed her soundly. She allowed it for a few moments until she gave his bottom lip a hard nip.

“You wound me.”

She laughed. “Now go home, please. You look pale. Do you need me to come over and bring you dinner?”

Raven, the woman he’d once loved until she’d broken his heart, and then he’d come to like her and realized
like
was better. Safer.

She summered in Seattle and worked in his shop, helped him run things when it suited her. Most of Raven’s life was about what suited her, he had realized some years before. At one time it had hurt him deeply, but now he just accepted it as part of who she was.

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Still, he knew she cared about him in her own way. And she was right. He had a headache from concentrating on the fine line work in a full sleeve he’d spent hours on that day. His back ached, his eyes were dry. The constant buzz of the needle machines, the scent of the ink, of skin and disinfectant—of his shop—was usually a comfort, but it was getting on his nerves today.

“I’ll get takeout. I’d guess Adrian is still camped in my house anyway.”

Raven laughed. “He’s still refusing to go home?”

“Eating me out of house and home. I’d forgotten how much that lean body could tuck away morning, noon and night. Thank God he can afford his own groceries now. The man has his own freaking palace with a view and he insists on sleeping in one of my spare rooms. I’m fine. I keep telling you all that.”