Branch,
I need a favor. You’re the only guy I can trust with this job. It’s you or no one. Fara is still in Copenhagen. She’s all grown up now, loves to party. Too much. She’s always going out without security. And even if they showed up, well, she’s sneaky. Rumors are her record for sneaking out after lights out at Gstaad rivals the one you set when we were there. Security guys can’t hold onto her for their lives, or her’s. I need you to go to Copenhagen and keep an eye on her. You’re the only person I know who can keep up with her. And you’re the only one I know can keep her safe.
Larz
Am I seriously supposed to believe this shit? Dad’s out of jail. The worst is over. Everything is taken care of. Even mom is finally warming up to getting remarried.
“Anyone can fake an email,” I reminded him. “Now lower this cage you got me in and let’s sort it out for real.”
“You really don’t get it princess. Not sure why I should call you that, you certainly haven’t been acting like one. Nothing is really over. You have no idea how deep this goes. They threatened Larz and Petr- his friend. And they sent some thug from Warsaw after you. Call him. His number is on there. Give him a call. Now.”
Who’s his new friend? I rolled my eyes. But you know what, if he wants to keep this up, I’ll keep it up. In fact, I’ll let him think I believe the whole story. By the time he let’s me out of the car, he’ll have his guard down and I can strike. I love a fair fight, but he decided things were gonna get dirty with the show he put on with that other creep.
I tapped the contact for Larz. The phone rang, and a familiar voice called out, “hello?”
It was him. Larz. My older brother. I haven’t seen him in so long. I wonder what he looks like now. But there was no mistaking that voice. It was gruff, and snarly. I must’ve woken him up.
“Hello? Branch, what’s going on, it’s the middle of the night?”
I took a deep breath. “It’s not Branch. It’s me.”
“Fara.” He said it softly, like a whisper.
“What’s going on Larz? Please, I have to know. Someone attacked me with a knife as I was entering the palace. This other guy saved me, and then grabbed me and locked me in his car. I thought he was full of shit, that it was an elaborate kidnapping. But it’s really you on that other line…”
I heard him sigh over the phone. “Trust him, Fara. He’s my right hand man. We’d be screwed without him. And you just said it yourself, he saved your life. Listen to him, and do everything you are told, for once.”
Well, this is awkward. I hung up. Fine, I’ll comply for now, for Larz. But I need to keep my guard up around this Branch guy. Whoever he is.
Branch pulled up to a small blue apartment building. It was cleaned and well maintained, in a high traffic area, but not quite as luxurious as I was used to. He got out of the car and opened the door for me. I was embarrassed to look him straight in the eyes after the way I acted. When we finally reached the apartment on the fourth floor, he flicked on the lights and I finally got a good look at him.
He was tan like a Sicilian. But his long hair was golden, as was his beard. His eyes shone like emeralds. He’s a Dane, there’s no denying that. Not quite as tall as Larz, but muscular.
“How long had you been following me?” I broke the silence. He was in the bathroom, wiping away the caked blood from his cut.
“You got spunk. Definitely a Madsen. Your brother did warn me, but I didn’t think you could do so much damage.”
“How long? What is going on?” I pressed on. He’s being cryptic. Maybe it was instructions from Larz, to tell me as little as possible. But I sensed that wasn’t all of it. There was an air of secrecy about him. He had his guard up, which will make intel hard to get.
“Come here. You know how to stitch a wound as well as you can make one?” He poured rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball and pressed it against his cheek. “FUCK!” He cried out as he jerked his head away.
“How. Long.” I wasn’t giving in. I paced over to the bathroom.
He towered shirtless over the sink. His biceps were thick and juicy, and his eight pack abs cut deep. His jaw was sharp, he was living danger. But he was in pain. Pain I put him in.