Busted (Barnes Brothers #3)

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Book: Busted (Barnes Brothers #3) by Shiloh Walker Read Free Book Online
Authors: Shiloh Walker
keep that part of her. But, Trey, she is gone. It’s time you let go . . . and start living again.”
    Jaw clenched, he looked away. Max couldn’t be any more off base if he tried, but Trey wasn’t about to go into the real reasons. But abruptly, he had a sickening realization.
    Had Ressa seen his ring?
    Son of a bitch

    The news of Aliesha’s death had gone national—hell,
global
—but not everybody followed some of the things the media chose to sensationalize. Maybe she didn’t know . . . ?
    “Did I ever tell you that I was married before Maude and I got together?”
    Frowning, Trey shot Max a look.
    But Max had a far-off expression on his face as he stared down the hall. “Amelia. We met in high school. Married the day after we graduated . . . man, I loved her so much.” Thatdistant look cleared. “We were together for four years. Four of the best years I ever had . . . and then, one night while I was working, a man broke into our home, raped her, killed her. I thought I’d die, too. The man I had been, he did die. She’d been gone a year when I sat down to write my first book—the purest shit I’d ever seen. It took me three years to finish. The day I finished, I went into our room and sat. Then I started to cry. I hadn’t cried. Not until that day.” He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath, held it for a long moment. Then he looked up, met Trey’s eyes once more. “That much time had to pass before I let myself cry enough to let her go. It wasn’t until then that I realized I wasn’t honoring her memory by keeping her so close. She wouldn’t have wanted that.” He clapped Trey on the shoulder and unlocked his room. “You should think about that ring, son. Think hard.”
    As he slid inside, Trey found himself standing in the hall, staring down at the gold band on his hand.
    Maybe Max hadn’t been as far off as Trey had assumed.
    No, he wasn’t still clinging to Aliesha’s memory. He’d accepted her death. Let her go. But the ring was still a barrier. It was his shield, and sometimes a reminder.
    And tonight, when he had actually thought about trying to reach out?
    It had been the barrier he’d planned for it to be—only this time, he hadn’t really wanted that.

Chapter Eight

    Leaning against the door that opened out onto the balcony, Trey rubbed his thumb over the well-worn script of his notebook. Normally, the thing would be filled with notes by now and he might have even replaced it. And he actually
had
replaced it—in a way. But instead of just carrying one, he carried two. This one, with the
to-do
list he’d never finished and then another one that he used for more lists, more notes, the odd and random doodle. That one was on the table with his wallet, his change, his keycard, and phone.
    This one, though . . . He stood there, staring at the list he’d written weeks ago.
    Start living again
.
    Shifting his gaze to the ring he wore, he thought about the whispered conversation—if it could be called that—he’d had with Aliesha in the few minutes before they’d wheeled her off to surgery.
    Aliesha had known.
    His mom had called Aliesha an old soul. She’d been grounded and solid and so serene. Gentle, even. He’d fallen in love with that gentleness and her kindness and her humor.
    And she’d lain on the table, gripping his hand and lookedat him with knowledge in her eyes. She’d
known
. She’d been born with a genetic heart defect and maybe that had given her a somewhat fatalistic outlook on life.
    She’d been sick often as a child but she’d gotten stronger, healthier as she grew. Both her cardiologist and her OB/GYN hadn’t seen any reason why she couldn’t have a safe pregnancy, as long as she was careful.
    Too bad the fucking drunk driver hadn’t been
careful
.
    As they were wheeling her into surgery, she’d looked at him with pain-bright, but clear eyes, her hand clinging to his.
    Don’t stop living
.
    Hadn’t he, though?
    That ring that he

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