My Brother's Keeper by Adrienne Wilder

Author:Adrienne Wilder [Wilder, Adrienne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gay & Lesbian, Literature & Fiction, Fiction, Gay, Romance, Gay Romance, Romantic Suspense, Genre Fiction, Lgbt, Gay Fiction, Mystery & Suspense, Suspense
ISBN: 1500949124
Amazon: B00J90NPBS
Publisher: Adrienne Wilder
Published: 2014-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

Ellis couldn’t bear sleeping in the bed he’d shared with Jon, so he made himself comfortable on the sofa. That’s where he woke up with a crick in his neck. Memories from yesterday were out of focus, but where he’d slept, the dried tears on his cheeks, and the ache in his throat, concreted the events in reality.

Rudy stood at the front door, trailing his fingers up and down the gauzy curtain. Even when their parents died Rudy hadn’t reacted like this.

Seeing him there, staring out at the world like a lost soul, made Ellis ten times angrier with Jon, and ten times angrier with himself. It was Jon’s fault Rudy was like this. Jon’s selfishness had caused his brother this pain.

Ellis forced his voice to remain steady when he spoke. “You hungry? I was thinking biscuits. How about we go down to Annie’s Kitchen. It’s been a while since we went there.”

“I broke the Christmas tree.”

They’d gone to Annie’s a week before Christmas a few years ago. Rudy hadn’t been able to resist the sparkling lights on the tree. He pulled the whole thing down, covering the people in a nearby booth in a hail of pine needles and icicles. At least the ornaments had been plastic, so except for a few scratches courtesy of the tree branches, no one was hurt.

Ellis dragged Rudy out before they’d even started on their order.

“Yeah. You did. But that was a while ago. They’ve probably forgotten.”

“Will Jon forget about us?”

Ellis sighed and buried his face his hands. “Rudy, please.”

“I miss him.”

“I know you do.”

“When will he come back?”

Ellis pushed himself off the sofa. “Let’s not talk about Jon right now, okay?”

“But it’s important.” Rudy rested his head against the window. “It’s really important.”

“I know it seems like that now.” How many nights would Ellis cry himself to sleep before the pain became bearable? Months? Years?

The answer was never.

Ellis petted Rudy’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go upstairs and pick out some clothes? I’ll come up in a bit and help you get dressed.”

“I like my pajamas. They’re my favorite.” Rudy went from petting the curtain to petting the front of his red pajamas.

“Please, Rudy. Go upstairs and pick out what you want to wear.” He walked a few steps then stopped at the bullet hole in the floor. “Hurry up.” He pushed Rudy toward the stairs.

Damn Jon. He’d promised he wouldn’t bring the gun into the house.

But that had been before Lenny had tried to kill them.

As Ellis climbed the steps he told himself what Jon had done was unforgivable. By the time he reached the top, it sounded like an excuse even to him.

He knocked on Rudy’s door. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah.” Rudy sat at his drafting table still dressed in his pajamas.

“You’re supposed to be getting dressed.”

Rudy huddled closer to the picture he worked on. “I don’t want to go anywhere.”

Hearing him say that was almost as bad as having him refuse breakfast yesterday. At least he ate some lunch and dinner, but it hadn’t been much.

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