Chapter 30

Julian

"I should never have listened to you," I shout at Theo, my grip tightening on Poppy's pool towel, the fabric crumpled and twisted in my hands—a tangible manifestation of my turmoil.

"She ran from me. I can't blame her." The words tumble out, laced with regret. Late last night, Theo had his connections enhance the audio from our lobby's security footage so we could hear everything Andrew said. I knew the secrets Andrew whispered to Poppy were designed to sow seeds of doubt, to make her question the very foundation of our love.

I should have been transparent with her, sharing everything I knew and everything Theo had done.

My silence, my hesitance, was my downfall.

Andrew, like a skilled predator, had found my vulnerability and exploited it mercilessly.

"Andrew slipped through our grasp, but it's fine," Theo counters with a cold, calculating calmness. " It gives him a false sense of security, which will only make his downfall more satisfying. We have him under surveillance now. This will all be over soon. We want to dismantle the Sinclairs slowly, piece by piece. We don't want to make them martyrs in the eyes of the public. These things require patience."

"I don't have time!" My voice breaks as desperation takes hold. "Poppy is gone!" The thought of her alone and scared, possibly doubting my love, fuels my panic.

Theo rides my wave of desperation with a dark, confident grin that's almost predatory. "Leon's hot on their trail," he announces, "Harper might think she's slick, but she's just a pawn in my grand scheme. We've had eyes on her every move, every clandestine hack into the cameras. You didn't really think she and Poppy could dismantle both CIA agents, did you?" Theo snorts a laugh, "Harper is a wildfire, and Poppy is her spark. Apparently, yours too." He claps my shoulder with a force that has me seeing stars.

"Focus," He hisses into my ear.

I'm torn between the urge to snap his wrist and the unexpected desire to pull him into a bear hug for his foresight.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I manage, gritting my teeth.

Theo's smirk widens. "You would've tried to play the hero, to stop them. But sometimes, you've got to let the players run the field and exhaust themselves before you make the winning move. It's all about the long game, brother."

I stare into his eyes, searching for any trace of the brother I used to know—the one I built forts with and whispered secrets to in the dead of night once Kent was asleep. But he's disappeared; not even a shadow remains. Whatever he experienced in college didn't just change him; it morphed him into someone entirely new.

When was the last time I looked in the mirror? Have I undergone the same transformation?

"I don't know Leon. I don't even know you anymore." I try to pull his hand off me. But he holds it firmly, his touch surprisingly gentle.

His gaze lowers, a shadow of regret painting his features. "I know I've given you every reason to doubt me. I messed up, royally. I abandon you and Kent when you need me the most," he confesses, the words thick with emotion.

He runs a hand through his hair. "Consider this my first apology. I'm going to destroy the Sinclairs," his voice hardens with determination, eyes now locked with mine. "Let me handle them. All I need from you," he pauses, his voice softening, "is to love Poppy. It's simple. Just—" He stops, searching for the right words, the silence heavy between you. He left Kent and me, but then again, I did the same thing. As soon as I could, I joined the army, and I left Kent behind. "Trust me. Trust my new family, and trust that you're my brother, forever and always." A vulnerable honesty lingers in Theo ' s eyes, a stark contrast to the man who once left.

"Everything I do is for you and Kent. I needed to be strong. I had to fill Dad's shoes. I found that strength through a new family, but that doesn't mean I gave up on my other family."

His eyes fuck with my soul, stirring up old memories. They look just like Mom ' s. She used to look at me like that after I fell, and she had to clean my wounds and place a bandaid on them. " Everything will be okay," he assures me.

I wish I could hug him, but instead, my words strike him. "Words are just that, Theo. Words. I want your actions, not your promises," I warn him, the urgency in my tone as sharp as a blade that pierced my heart when he left Kent and me.

"Fine. You'll have her back by the end of the week," he declares, his words unyielding, like a promise carved in stone.

"That's not good enough." My response is immediate, a reflex born of fear and impatience.

"If you cage her, you're no better than Andrew in her eyes. Let her have time to think, time to miss you." Theo ' s gaze drifts away, a flicker of something unspoken passing through his eyes as if recalling a personal memory or lesson learned the hard way.

"Tell me, brother, has that worked for you? Has the person you've given time come back to you?"

The pulse in his neck jumps.

I hit the nail on the head. Uncovered another secret of his.

"You don't want to go there." Theo cautions.

"But it's okay for you to fuck around with my life?"

"You asked for my help."

"You forced my hand. I should have just trusted Uncle Dan."

"It's my job as the oldest brother to take all the burdens. That's what I'm doing, and that's what I'll continue to do, Julian. I know you're pissed. That's fine. One day, you'll thank me." With a determined swirl, he turns on his heel and slams the apartment door shut with such force that it seems to echo the turmoil churning inside both of us.

" Well, that went well," Kent observes with a smirk that doesn't quite reach his eyes. Sneaky bastard, he pops up like the goddamn devil holding a contract to steal my soul.

I turn to see him uncross his legs and push away from the wall, standing tall. "Do you hate me as much as I hate him sometimes?" I ask.

Kent's response is swift, his voice steady. " No." He admits.

"But I joined the army and left you, just as he left us."

Kent shrugs, the movement carrying a nonchalance that doesn ' t quite mask the anger he once showed me. " I did hate you. I hated Theo, too, but the love I had for you both was stronger. We all have to grow up. You both moved on; it was your time. I was younger. I get it. I was pissed, but I get it."

I snort, disbelief coloring my tone. " The day you sound like the voice of reason means the apocalypse is coming."

Kent's laugh is genuine.

" How can you laugh when your woman is gone?" I question.

Kent strolls to the fridge. He grabs two beers and pops them open. Handing one to me, he muses, " Women are," he pauses, taking a sip, " crazy, fucked up, incredibly amazing creatures. You can ' t cage that. Theo is right, Jules; let them run wild and free. Don ' t chase them, don ' t cage them, learn to run beside them." He raises his brow, "If they are worth it, that is."

Our bottles clink together in a salute to his words. " Poppy is gonna come back to you. Don ' t worry. Just give her time. You did lie. You fucked up, but compared to Andrew, your crimes are weightless. Poppy will see that. She ' s scared, and fear backs you into a corner. Instead of trapping her further, offer her a helping hand."

Taking a long swig of my beer, the carbonation sharp against my throat, I eye him warily. " You ' re scaring the shit out of me right now. You ' re talking, making sense, and sounding wise. Where are the sex jokes?"

Kent's grin is back, as wide and lecherous as ever. " Oh, they're there, brother. Once I get Harper back, I ' m going to fuck her so hard she ' s going to forget how to sing the ABC ' s. All she ' ll be singing is ‘ more, give me more, Kent,'" he jokes, punctuating his words with a lewd thrust of his hips.

I smack the back of his head in mock irritation. " There he is. I was worried Theo and I actually raised a decent human." The laughter that follows doesn't erase the challenges we face, but it lightens the load, even if just for a moment.