Free A Little Harmless Rumor by Melissa Schroeder Page A

definitely fucking hurt.
    “What would happen otherwise?” she asked.
    “I would have shot you.”
    Her mouth twitched and something close to respect filled her expression. “I don’t think my brother would like that much.”
    He blinked as the world shifted a bit. “Your brother?”
    “Didn’t Sean tell you? I’m blood.”
    He shook his head and immediately regretted it. It felt as if she had knocked his brain loose. “That figures, because every time I am around him, I end up injured.”
    She chuckled. “Come on. I am assuming he wants you to call.”
----
    T he phone rang only once and Sean answered.
    “How is she?”
    “She’s safe. She just wasn’t answering her phone.”
    Something loosened in his chest. Damn, when had it gotten so scary being a big brother? Probably the moment she smacked him upside the head with the board.
    “Give me the phone,” Emma said. From the sound on the other end of the line, they were physically fighting over the phone.
    “Go get bent, Taylor. I don’t have time to deal with you.”
    Sean let loose a breath he did not know he had been holding. “Thank you, Del, I owe you.”
    “Yeah, you do. It might cost you more after I go see a doctor.”
    “The doctor? Emma didn’t get hurt, did she?”
    “No. She’s fine; although, I still might shoot her before we leave the island. Your sister hit me with a two-by-four.”
    Sean couldn’t fight the grin. “She did the same thing to me when I went looking for her.”
    “If you don’t let me talk to him, I will post the pics I took of you online. I am pretty sure all your wanker friends will love that. I got one when you were crying like a baby.”
    Del made a sound between a cross groan and a growl. “You do not have one of me crying.”
    Emma snorted and Sean could see her standing in front of Del with her arms crossed as she tapped her bare foot on the ground.
    “Close enough, and I have a good hand with Photoshop.”
    “Dammit. If you don’t let go, I will smack you upside the head.” The struggled died off. “Fuck, I have only met one of your relatives, Kaheaku. One too many.”
    The phone jostled. “Give that back to me.”
    “Get bent yourself, Delano.”
    Sean couldn’t help but chuckle now. He might have never wanted a sister, but damn, he really liked her now that he’d found her. “Hey, Sean. Why did you send the Neanderthal over here?”
    “You weren’t answering your phone. I told you to always answer.”
    She sighed. “Sorry. I just wasn’t paying attention, and I was working on something.”
    He knew that her mind worked constantly, and she did have a tendency to lose track of time. “There’s been some activity. I think we need you to come over here.”
    She didn’t say anything. “I am not sure that is a good idea.”
    “Why?”
    “I can’t put you in any more trouble than you already are. Plus, if we keep our distance, we are safer.”
    “As I said, things have changed. It would be best if you are here. If things get bad, we will find you another place to hide. Besides, we’re family. That’s what matters.”
    “Can’t I just stay here?”
    “No. You need to be safe.”
    “I am safe here. Unless this idiot had a tail. Is this the one you told me about?”
    Although he knew she couldn’t see him, he shook his head. “No. Randy is here with me.”
    “Oh. Okay.”
    She said nothing else. The silence stretched, and he knew she was trying to come up with some way of convincing him to change his mind.
    “Either way, I want you here.”
    “Sean, please, let me stay here.”
    He heard the desperation in her voice, knew what it was about, and felt like even more of a bastard because he had to ignore it. She was not good with change for several reasons, but he couldn’t do anything to alter the situation at the moment. He couldn’t work worrying about her. And, it would be better if she were close by at this point. If they both had to bug out, it would be easier to hop on a plane