When he walked out, his shoulders seemed to sag in disappointment, and he looked as if he’d aged ten years.

He left through the bedroom. I heard the main door closing as he stepped out into the hallway.

A second later, I heard the soft tread of footsteps over the carpet.

I hadn’t moved.

The door hadn’t been open before Kai shut it. Whoever was coming toward me had been in the wing the whole time. They’d overheard everything.

Tanner stood in the doorway. “I can’t believe you did that.”

Yeah. Neither could I.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Tanner and Jonah kept me company for the day.

No Kai.

They didn’t talk about him, and I didn’t ask. We acted like we were friends having a movie marathon. They ordered pizza—or had someone make it. It just showed up, carried in on trays with anything I wanted to drink.

Tanner had a beer, and Jonah was drinking a green probiotic drink. I’d had one earlier as well. I kept to my tea for the rest of the evening. All day long, no matter what we did, I felt unbalanced. My hands weren’t steady, and I knew it was because I’d given Brooke up.

I had broken my oath as a 411 operative. Would I be able to continue working with the Network? They would’ve understood. Hell, Brooke wasn’t even an official client, but she was my client. She had been my person to help, and I’d given her up. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t told Kai where to find her. I’d assisted him in getting closer to her.

After the fourth movie, Tanner grabbed the remote and turned it off. “No more.” He dropped it on the coffee table and sat back, his arms hugging a pillow over his chest. He burrowed into the couch, his ass toward me and his head in the corner.

“I’m fucking tired, and no more superheroes,” he said, his voice muffled. “I’m superheroed out.”

Jonah yawned, stretching his arms on the other side of me. The couch was ridiculously big, with thick, plump cushions, so I barely registered he was there.

Jonah groaned, standing up. “What time is it? I feel like I could sleep for a week.”

Tanner snorted, still in that corner. “So says the real-life superhero. Give it up, little bro. You’re going to be bouncing off the walls by tomorrow, wanting to go off and rescue people.” He rolled over to sneer at his brother. “Save lives and shit.”

Jonah frowned, another idle yawn coming over his face. “You sound pissed about that. Why you pissed?” His eyebrow went up. “I’ve saved your ass a few times.”

He had?

I looked over Tanner, trying to see any scars.

Tanner rolled his eyes, sitting upright and rubbing a hand through his hair. “I’m giving you shit because Brooke ain’t here to do it for me. That’s what she does. She looks out for you, checks in with you, and gives you enough shit so your head don’t get all swollen up from being the saint in this family.”

Tanner sounded irritated.

Jonah grunted, grinning. “Yeah, right. She doesn’t give me shit. I’m the brother she adores. She gives you shit so your head doesn’t pop off and float away.” Laughing to himself, he grabbed the beer bottles on the coffee table and the paper plates with leftover crusts.

He took them into my kitchenette area. I had a small sink, a mini fridge, a small microwave, and a coffee machine. All I really needed was a kettle for some tea, but I was growing a taste for coffee since being with the Bennett family.

As Jonah put the trash into the garbage can, a pillow whipped past my head and hit him square in the back.

Tanner growled, “Stop being perfect. We have staff to do that shit.”

Jonah’s mouth opened, his frown deepening. He finished putting the trash away. “You drunk, Tanner? You can be a dick at times, sober or not.”

Tanner laughed, rolling over to stretch out on the sectional. His face smashed into the cushions once again. “Damn straight I’m a dick. And you know what? I would be more of a dick if Kai weren’t so, so, whatever he is.”

Jonah came over to pick up more of the trash.

I stood to help him.

“No, no. Sit.” He waved me back down. “We came in here and made a mess.”

“See!” Tanner barked. He flung a hand up. “He’s being perfect. It’s annoying.”

“You’re annoying.” Jonah put down the paper plates and went over to his brother.

Tanner didn’t know he was there until Jonah grabbed one of his legs and yanked.

Tanner’s entire body came off the couch. Jonah kept pulling, sweeping him clear over the coffee table. All the garbage went with him, and Jonah finished with a yank so Tanner went sailing, almost to the wall.

“What the fuck?!” Tanner was up, charging his brother.

Jonah braced himself.

Tanner hit him in the chest. His arms wrapped around Jonah’s waist, and planting his feet, he body-slammed him to the floor.

Jonah twisted out from under him, tucking a leg around Tanner’s and flipping them over.

Tanner wasn’t to be outdone. The two of them wrestled all the way to the main door, and after a bit, I started to hear their laughter.

“Check!” Tanner slammed Jonah back into the wall.

Both were panting and sweaty now, their faces red, but their smiles relaxed me.