The Cardinal Bird (1 of Cardinal Series)

Chapter 11

"Sang," Corey said after a moment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it earlier. I was just surprised. I wasn't thinking."

"Damn straight, you weren't thinking. Fix this," Brandon growled.

I finally looked at them. "Please don't be angry at him. It's not his fault."

Brandon turned his glare to me and opened his mouth to say something but then closed it as he caught movement from Corey.

Corey had started to unzip his jacket.

"What are you doing?" Brandon asked, his eyes narrowed at his brother.

"She can have my shirt," Corey said, grabbing it by the back of the neck and pulling it over his head. He held it out to me.

"Are you sure? You don't have to." I didn't reach for it immediately, eyeing it instead.

His eyes warmed a bit and he smiled at me. "Yes," he said just as softly as I had.

It made my heart flutter. I reached for it, my hand closing over the surprisingly soft black cotton. It was still warm. "Thank you," I said, meeting his kind, sweet eyes, so similar yet so different from his brother's.

They both got up with some unspoken cue and left to give me some privacy. I quickly shucked the damp jacket and pulled the shirt over my head. It went down even farther than the jacket had. The twins were really tall.

"Sang," came one of the twin's voices. "This might be really weird, and if it is just say so, but would you like some boxers too? You can have mine."

Brandon hadn't had any boxers on after his dunk in the tank, so it must have been Corey that had asked me.

I tried to think rationally. My immediate response was to say no, but then I thought about it. He was offering, and from what I knew of Corey was that he was sincere. He wouldn't have said anything if he hadn't meant it. Not only that, but since I had removed the damp jacket for a dry t-shirt, I had been able to feel how cold I really still was. My damp unmentionables were painfully noticeable now that I had something dry to compare them to. It would be really nice to get out of them.

"Yes, please, if you're sure you don't mind?" I asked through the door, but before I could finish speaking, one of the doors had cracked open and a large, tanned hand appeared, holding them out.

I reached forward to take them, only now just realizing how intimate this really was. I was looking at a man's boxers. I could see what his boxers looked like. I was going to be wearing a man's boxers. A stranger's boxers. Boxers that, like his shirt, were still warm.

...and there went my cheeks again.

"T-thank you," I said. I pulled the panties down as quickly as possible, deciding to also slip the wet bra out as I did so. The flash drive clinked to the floor, so I put it back on the bench. I wouldn't have any pockets, so I'd give it to one of the guys for safekeeping.

I pulled the boxers up. They were loose and wouldn't stay, but I could hold them up just fine and was more relieved that I was covered and dry than I was about being inconvenienced.

I went to open the back door, briefly remembered what had caused the whole mess earlier with Corey knocking me out, and thought better of it. Instead, I knocked against the door gently. "I'm finished," I said.

"Back up, sweetie. We're coming in."

I went back to the bench seat, grabbed the thumb drive, and sat. Brandon had done a pretty good job at organizing the supplies. It was how I would have arranged them. I picked up one of the rags that had been set and went to work on cleaning up the trails of blood that had been making their way down my legs. The blood trail on my right, the one from the stomach shot, was longer and thicker. It must've been worse off than the one on my thigh.