Free The Other Brother (Snow and Ash Book 3) by Heather Knight Page A

outside.”
    Damn it. I do nothing but fuck up. My heart hammering in my chest, I grasp the tray in one hand and reach for the door handle.
    “No!” Kent shoots to his feet. “I mean, please. I asked you to come, but then I got caught up.”
    I hesitate, a rabbit caught in the wolf’s stare. I flash a look at the small buffet table behind him. He nods once, and he smiles out of the good corner of his mouth.
    Feeling like a complete idiot, I close the door behind me and make my way to the corner.
    “It’s clear,” Nico says. “I don’t know why you don’t admit it. The shooter was obviously sent by Balenchuk.”
    “No, it is not clear, Nico. We don’t have all the facts yet,” counters Col. Wagner.
    “We pissed him off,” Nico insists. “Or Lawrence did, anyway. We kidnapped his daughter. We tried to use her to lure him into a trap. Why wouldn’t they try to take Lawrie out?”
    “Nico’s right,” Kent says, his voice calm. “But we also just slaughtered a large cannibal settlement near Old Charlotte, and we aren’t exactly popular with the people down in Chattanooga. We can’t fight a war on three fronts, so I suggest until we have more information, we hold off on any retaliation.”
    Nico crosses his arms over his chest. “I think you’re so in love with peace that you’ll take it up the ass just to avoid war.”
    The room fogs with silence, and I keep my focus on preparing Kent’s rose-hip tea. Old Charlotte. The thought of even going near the place gives me the chills. In fact, the thought of going anywhere east of the Appalachians frightens me. Most of the Eastern Seaboard is rubble. DC, Philadelphia, and New York City were bombed to hell and back three and a half years ago when rioters overran troop trains, slaughtered the soldiers, and took the relief food and supplies. Rampant cannibalism erupted in all three cities, and gangs started bleeding out into the countryside and attacking the outlying communities. In an effort to control the outflow of cannibalism and savagery, the president bombed the shit out of all three cities as a warning. There’s nothing left. Charlotte took a hit when a relief train carrying the first lady’s nephew was attacked. The soldiers again were slaughtered and all the food and supplies taken. The president’s last act before disappearing entirely was to flatten Charlotte, Cleveland, and Atlanta.
    The fact that Kent dared attack a larger settlement of cannibals out near Old Charlotte is testament to the fact that he is not afraid of war.
    Col. Wagner clears his throat. “With all due respect, I don’t think we should make any decisions until A, we know whether or not the general will recover, and B, we know who did this.”
    Kent’s lunch is all set up, and I take him his tea since it’ll just get cold sitting in the corner. Then I pick up a pitcher of water I spot and begin refilling their glasses.
    The conversation buzzes, but I concentrate on filling the glasses and on not tripping in my too-high heels.
    “You’re looking quite rosy today, Mrs. Barry.” I shoot Col. Wagner a wide-eyed look to see if he’s making fun of me, and catch him looking down the front of my dress. It’s Kent’s fault. He’s been feeding me, and I have more curves than muscle these days. For reasons of his own, he’s not letting me hide anymore.
    “Thank you.” I barely restrain myself from clasping the dress close to my chest.
    I study Kent to see if he noticed the colonel’s pervy behavior. His head is cocked to the side and his expression is soft, like he’s proud of me or something. Which, of course, completely unnerves me. I look away and move on to Nico. I reach for his glass.
    “What happened to your wrist?” he asks.
    For a moment I freeze, and then I resume filling his cup. I am uncomfortably aware that all eyes are on me, and there’s nothing I can do to tone down the mottled flush on my face. “I’m trying to practice my Wing Chun, but I’m a little