To Betray A Brother Read Free

caught her arm in the crook of his, holding her hand with his as they walked toward the restaurant. An electric green dragon fighting some imaginary enemy glowed, iridescent above the door.
    “Hi, Justin Byrne. I have a reservation for two people for seven.”
    The waiter led them to a large booth. Red and gold tapestries depicting scenes from traditional Chinese life, hung along the walls. Penny slid into one side while Justin sat across from her. Pretending to scan the menu, Penny peeked over the top at him. He focussed on skimming the menu. Light reflected off his burnt orange T-shirt, the shadows highlighting his arms and shoulders. She wondered what he might look like with his shirt off and how those muscles might feel beneath her hands.
    “Do you see anything you like?” His voice startled her out of her daydream.
    “Plenty.” A wicked smile formed on her lips.
    “Have you any idea what you might like to eat?” he asked, brushing over her comment.
    “Oh. No question, the Szechuan chicken and a glass of red wine. Cab Sav, I think.” Penny placed the menu back on the table.
    Justin caught the waiter’s attentions and ordered for them.
    “How is your preparation for the next meet coming along?” Penny asked, knowing Justin approached nothing without having considered every possibility. His race planning would be impeccable.
    “Ah...” He leaned back into the seat. “Not so good.”
    Penny’s eyebrows lifted. “Now I am surprised. What’s the problem?”
    “It seems customs have taken to holding up every container we import. I use my import/export business to bring in just about everything the team needs. The engine parts we’re waiting for are tied up in a million miles of red tape—what the? There’s a face I never thought I’d see again.” His tone shifted, noticeably colder. She turned her head to see a man, clearly a biker, entering the restaurant.
    He lowered his voice as if not wanting to draw attention. “Don’t you recognise him?” Penny shook her head. “It’s Bryce Huntington. We went to school with him.”
    Penny shook her head, “No, surely not.” Her heart beat slowed to a painful thump. She had loved Bryce years ago, after that one kiss before he stranded her dateless without warning at their school prom. She’d secretly been in love with him for years, joining in with the boys just to be near him as they grew through their teenage years. She struggled to recall when she had last seen Bryce. It had to have been at least several years. As far as she knew, he was still in the Army.
    Heavy boots thudded across the wooden floor. The man stopped beside them.
    Justin raised his head to look at Bryce, his voice icy and hard. “Never thought I’d see you back here. Not after...”
    “After what?” Bryce spoke, his voice as cold as Justin’s, only deeper. His entire body, his stance, his voice screamed disgust and loathing as he looked at Justin.
    The years wrought Bryce’s face into almost unrecognisable from the boy he had once been. Dark eyes regarded her, causing a wave of electricity to wash over her skin. “Careful the company you keep, Penny MacIntyre.” He shifted his attention back to Justin. “You never can tell where or when a scorpion will sting.”
    Penny shuddered.
    Palpable energy radiated from Bryce. Something stirred deep inside her in response. He turned and strode away, ‘ Dogs of Dereliction’ curved in dark green writing across the top of his vest. Picking up a bag from the counter, Bryce disappeared into the night.
    “What was that all about?” she asked, looking directly at Justin. The twinkle in his eyes had disappeared. The fathomless dark holes in their place absorbed any light unlucky enough to venture too close.
    He leant forward, voice soft enough to be a whisper. “We were in the same unit in Afghanistan for a while. Things didn’t go so well for him.” His eyes grew distant at the memory. “Bryce was our machine gunner. The first time we