Free Missing (The Brannock Siblings Book 3) by Jessica Wilde Page A

really pretty and I couldn't for the life
of me figure out why she was single.
    "Someone tells me you will be joining us tonight."
    I smiled with a wink and her cheeks flushed pink.
"That's right. No food here so I'm being a mooch tonight."
    "That's fine with me. Come on over. I want to talk to
you while dinner cooks."
    "I'll be there in two minutes."
    She nodded and walked into Aiden's apartment. I grabbed my
phone and the six pack of beer in my fridge and took a deep breath.
    "Don't push too hard, Gus. Just take baby steps."
    Aiden was either going to be Red, my feisty, frustrating
neighbor who could throw attitude all night long, or she was going to be the
sweet I knew she had in her. Either way, I couldn't wait a second longer. Her
apartment door was left open a crack and I shook my head. These days, you can't
be too careful.
    "You know, you really shouldn't leave your door open
like this," I called without entering and instead knocked lightly.
    I heard a small shriek before a tiny giggle and smiled to
myself.
    "Just get your ass in here Gus and stop being Mr. Macho
Detective Man."
    There's my Red.
    Walking into her cluttered apartment wasn't the same as last
time. It was welcoming and downright impressive. I caught a glimpse of a fresh
painting still on her easel near the window. Blue and grey swirls moving across
the canvas, but that was all I saw before a little torpedo came flying out of
the kitchen and stopped abruptly right in front of me.
    "Hi!"
    "Hi," I waved.
    Little Aiden was almost an exact replica of her mother. With
the exception of the bright red hair and countless freckles on her nose, she
could pass for a younger Lily.
    "Mommy said that you were going to eat with us. Is that
true?"
    "Yep."
    "Good. She said Aunty Aiden needs a friend before she
turns into a crazy cat lady. Is that true, too?"
    My mouth opened and closed like a fish as I tried to figure
out what to say to this little girl, but her mother got to her first.
    "Aidy! I told you to keep that a secret, sweetheart.
Secrets mean you don't tell anyone."
    "But he could be her friend, Mommy."
    "I know sweetie, and he is, but you still don't tell
secrets, okay?"
    "Okay, Mommy."
    Then she was gone, a blur of red hair and tiny limbs darting
back down the hallway and disappearing into one of the bedrooms.
    "Sorry about that, thank God Aid didn't hear it,"
Lily whispered conspiratorially.
    I just shrugged, still not sure how to react. That's when she walked out of the kitchen. Red hair straightened perfectly, white sundress
clinging to the curves I had recently discovered, and lips turned up into an
anxious grin.
    Aiden was breathtaking on her worst day, and today was far
from her worst.
    "Hi, Gus."
    "Hi, Aiden."
    Her brow furrowed and she folded her arms and leaned against
the wall. "Why do you sometimes call me Red and other times Aiden?"
    I cleared my throat and kept my eyes on hers. "It all
depends on you."
    Lily covered her mouth with her hand, but not before I
caught the smile that crossed her face. She was loving all the awkwardness.
    "What do you mean?"
    I raked a hand through my hair and tugged a little, trying
to get my head in a good place because that dress of hers was distracting and
knowing I wanted nothing more than to throw her over my shoulder and take her
back to my place was really making it hard to think clearly.
    I am an asshole . I'd hated this woman for
months and up until recently, she hadn't even been a blip on my radar. Now it
was like high school all over again; my thoughts were getting hard to control.
    "Sometimes you are this fireball of fury and sass and
nothing can persuade you to be otherwise. That's Red."
    "And Aiden?" Lily asked quietly, her hand pressed
against her chest right above her heart like she was about to faint right
there.
    I wasn't sure why, but it made my chest puff out. I may be
an ass but I am quite the charmer.
    "Aiden is the sweet, vulnerable woman that literally
takes my breath away. When you show me that