Hard Brake (Wilkins Brothers Book 2)

Chapter 3

GRUFF

"Fuck." My entire body was heavy as I tried to sit up to grab my phone that was ringing on the nightstand. I blinked my eyes a few times and it all came back to me. The late-night phone call, the tears that I fell for again, and the sex. My ex-wife was laying across my chest, not something that I really wanted at all. I usually kicked her out after our trips down memory lane, but I guess I was just too tired last night.

I hear Ash groan as I move her so I can grab my phone, the name lighting up on the screen is my almost sister-in-law, Bellamy. A sense of panic runs through my veins and I scramble to answer the phone and sit up in bed.

"Bellamy, is everything okay?"

"Calm down, Gruffy, everything is fine."

Gruffy, I fucking hate that nickname. The girls started calling me one night when they were drunk as fuck. It usually doesn't come out unless they're drunk, but every once in a while when they're being sassy or a pain in the ass, they bust it out sober.

"Excuse me for being worried about my sister-in-law calling me at fucking...Jesus, what time is it even?"

"Like 4:30."

"Fucking hell. Anyway, you're calling at some dumbass time in the morning and you're about 100 weeks pregnant and I thought maybe something was wrong and that is why you were calling me and not my brother."

"First of all, I am not 100 weeks pregnant, asshole. I'm only 38 weeks along. I'm calling about something kind of serious though. So Mav and I were on our way back from Mesa and we ran into a car."

"You what?"

"Sorry, not actually ran into, we saw a car on the side of the road with a flat tire. We pulled over to help and Mav tried to put on the spare, but it didn't fit so we need to see if we can't get it towed into the shop."

"Can't you take them home and I'll pick it up later?"

"I don't think they're from around here, Gruff. Plus, something is going up with them, Gruff."

"Okay. Are you on the main highway?"

"Yes, sir."

I hang up the phone and toss is onto the nightstand. I glance back at Ash, still asleep and nudge her in the back. "Ash, you need to get up."

"Mmm," she moans, "I'm not ready to go again, Griffin."

"We're not going again. You need to get your shit and get out of here."

That gets her attention a bit more and she sits up, clenching the sheets against her chest like I haven't seen her naked body a million times before. "Are you seriously kicking me out in the middle of the night? Come on, Griffin, we were having a good time. I miss being this close to you."

"You don't miss me, Ash, you never have. You just miss having good sex because your fiance lawyer sucks in bed. Bellamy just called and she needs me so you need to get out of here."

"What could she possibly need at this hour?"

"It is none of your business. I'm leaving and you need to go too."

"I can just stay here and then maybe when you get back."

"Get the fuck out of here, Ash," I snap, a bit more rough than intended, but if I'm not like this with her, she'll never leave. "This was a damn mistake anyway."

Ash huffs as she climbs out of bed and starts putting her clothes back on. "You say this every time, but I know you don't feel that way or you'd stop inviting me into your bed."