Free Brother to Brother: The Sacred Brotherhood Book I by A.J. Downey

dinner and a night in.” I went past her and Noah and into my room shutting the door. Sure enough, when I got out of the shower, the boy was quiet and I could hear Nox out there playing with him.
    I threw on fresh jeans and a clean shirt and went out, tying my hair up and back into a damp pony. I went into the kitchen and took the spoon out of Mel’s hand.
    “What have you got going on in here?” I asked.
    “Tomato soup and grilled cheese?” I raised an eyebrow, and shook my head. She’d had a hell of a day.
    “I think I can manage, go lay down, take a nap or something,” I grated and she very nearly slunk out of the kitchen. Nox and I exchanged a look and when the door shut quietly behind her, he mouthed at me ‘what the fuck?’
    It was a good question, I didn’t have an answer. I finished up the food and Nox fed the kid and we put him down after a talking to that I think maybe only like twenty-five percent of it got through his little toddler brain.
    I looked in on Mel and she was passed out. I let her sleep.
    “I gotta run, man,” Nox said quietly and I nodded.
    “Thanks for comin’,” I said.
    “No problem, he’s my nephew, too. What’s going on with Mel?” I gave a one shouldered shrug.
    “Not sleepin’ so hot, I guess. I’m not really sure. She hasn’t said shit to me.”
    Nox gave me a look like I was a dumbass, “Not like you’re the easiest guy to fuckin’ talk to,” he said and I gave another shrug. “Right,” he said dubiously, “I’ll see you around.”
    “See you around, little brother,” I affirmed and shut the door behind him.
    I checked my phone, and Rush had texted back some dumbassed excuse as to why he couldn’t come around tonight. I didn’t care, Nox had been enough. I went over to the couch and dropped onto it with an overblown sigh, Noah watching me through the bars of his crib.
    “Go to sleep, kid.”
    He grinned his adorable baby grin at me and I felt my mouth quirk up on one side into a smile I couldn’t resist. Even on a bad night, it wasn’t so bad havin’ ‘em here. I was kind of surprised by that, and by how easy they’d fit into things. I didn’t have much time to dwell on it though, I think I passed out before the kid even had a chance.

Chapter 11
    Melody
     
    I’d done as Archer had ordered and had gone to lay down. I hadn’t meant to sleep for so long, but exhaustion had sucked me under and held me in some kind of comatose death grip, because the next thing I knew, I was dragged back up out of sleep by the alarm on my phone.
    I hadn’t even changed for bed, and sat up, still in my clothes from the day before. I pushed my hair off my forehead and clambered to my feet, waiting for my sleep fogged brain to orient its self.
    Breakfast, I need to cook breakfast…
    I went out into the living room and spied the empty couch, Noah’s attention rapt on the TV screen as cartoons played. I turned to look and Archer stood in the kitchen, eyeing me.
    “Sit down before you fall down, Mel.”
    I walked over to the little four person dining table and sank into one of the chairs. Archer brought over a glass of orange juice and set it down in front of me. I picked it up with a shaky grip and sucked some of it down.
    “Better?” he asked, and I nodded. “When was the last time you ate something?” he asked me and I thought about it. He sighed and said, “If you have to think about it, it’s been too fuckin’ long. Jesus, Mel. How you expect to take care of him if you can’t even take care of yourself?”
    Ouch again. He was right, of course he was, but his comment more than stung. The knife went deep and twisted in my heart and I focused my gaze on my sweet little boy, transfixed by ninja turtles on the small screen. I felt tears slip free and wiped them away quickly. I didn’t answer Archer, figuring the question what rhetorical, but I couldn’t help but wonder what it was exactly that I’d done to make him hate me so much.
    “Here, eat this,” he