Free Emergency Reunion by Sandra Orchard

Eddie’s voice quivered.
    â€œNo, we need to dust it for fingerprints.” Cole’s breath bottled up in his lungs. They’d find Eddie’s prints, identify the phone as Eddie’s, and take one look at his rap sheet and not believe for a second that he wasn’t connected.
    Alibi or not.
    And Cole—the new cop brother—trying to defend him would
not
go over well.
    Eddie tugged on his arm. “Cole, you can’t turn it in. They’ll think I’m trying to hurt her. You know they will. But I’m not. I swear I’m not.”
    Cole flung off his grasp, plodded back toward the road. “I can’t withhold evidence.” He could still picture the censure in Sherri’s eyes when he’d begged her not to say anything about the pills she’d found in his pocket. “If this phone is found out later, it’ll only make you look more guilty, like I was trying to cover for you.”
    â€œThey wouldn’t find out. ’Cause I’m not going to tell them. They’ll put me in juvie this time for sure if you turn it in. Please, you can’t do this to me. I’m your brother.”
    His conscience twinged. “I’m not doing it
to
you. I’m trying to stop whoever is terrorizing Sherri.”
    â€œSo you’re choosing her over me? Just like you always chose everyone else over me.”
    â€œWhat? That’s not true.” Except even as he said it the many times Eddie had begged him to play with him paraded through Cole’s mind, and every time he’d chosen to go out with his buddies instead.
    â€œYou’re just like Dad. You look like him. You sound like him. And you think like him. Family doesn’t mean anything to you.”
    Cole rammed Eddie against a tree, rage boiling in his chest. “I’m nothing like that man.” All his life he’d been told how much he was like his father. Until seven years ago it had seemed like a compliment. Now it ate at his insides like acid. “I’m here because of you. I left the Seattle police force and took this job because of you. Because I care about
you
.”
    Eddie shoved him away. “You got a funny way of showing it. And if you cared so much, why’d it take you seven years to come back? Huh?”
    â€œBecause you’re not the only one Dad’s choices hurt. Mom needed me. And I didn’t trust myself not to rip him to pieces if I saw him again. The only reason he sweet-talked you into staying was to spite her, and you were too thick-headed to see it.”
    The tears that sprang to Eddie’s eyes hit Cole square in the gut. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
    â€œYes, you did.” Eddie stalked out of the woods.
    Eddie had always been desperate for Dad’s attention, because Dad had always favored Cole. Was it any wonder that Eddie had clung to the chance to be on the receiving end of the attention he’d always craved, no matter how dysfunctional Dad’s motives? Clearly the attention hadn’t lasted long.
    Or were the drugs a desperate attempt to get it back?
    Cole trailed Eddie out of the woods, kicking himself for blowing it so badly. It was almost a relief when Eddie started walking down the road instead of heading to Cole’s truck. They both needed time to cool down.
    The ambulance had left. Only Zeke and the wall-climbing guy were still at the scene. The guy shook Zeke’s hand, then climbed in the orange car. At the sound of the engine roaring to life, Eddie turned and stuck out his thumb. The guy pulled up beside him, and Eddie climbed in.
    Cole hovered on the opposite side of the road, his brother’s phone heavy in his pocket. “So who was that guy?”
    â€œTed Holmes. He said he was driving by and saw the paramedics in trouble, so stopped to help.” Zeke squinted from the disappearing car to Cole. “What happened with your brother?”
    â€œWe had a disagreement.”