“Your dad did something for you, something you say you were going to do, but I don’t buy it. I think you did what you did, and it was done.”

She tensed now.

Yep. I went all the way back, to the night her pops was arrested. Bren stabbed the guy, thought she’d do more, but I didn’t think she would. Her dad did, and so here we were.

“Your pops, he decided to go the extra mile. Not you. You’re letting your own blame train rail you, if you get what I’m saying.”

A whole lot more tense.

I kept going, “Your dad went to the pen. That’s where people go who did what he did. Then he made some powerful friends, and their lawyers mixed with a bad cop and your dad got sprung. Whoop-de-doo, right? Right. Because no matter how you slice it, your dad’s free, but Brennie Bren.” I patted her far shoulder, bouncing her against my side. “I don’t know the details of your job stuff, but the arrest warrants were for your dad’s friends, not your dad. Your pops isn’t hiding. He’s doing what he’s doing back in Roussou, so I wouldn’t worry about it. You gotta trust some people, and one person I’d trust is your brother. If he calls and tells you to worry, he’ll call and tell you to worry. If he doesn’t, then I wouldn’t worry. You’re letting yourself get all eaten up inside about shit that I don’t think you should be.”

She was silent, still tense, but not as bad as before. She picked at a piece of grass, pulling apart the blade. Her voice came out quiet. “And if they try to use me to get whoever they want to get?”

Okay. I had to read between the lines again. She was talking about her job, or I was guessing.

I held her tight against me, lowering my head so my chin was almost grazing the top of her arm and shoulder. “If they try doing that, then they ain’t the ones you want to move forward with. Simple as that.”

She glanced sideways at me, peering a minute before her mouth twitched. “Why does it make so much sense when you say it?”

I chuckled with one last squeeze before I let her go. “It’s my curse. Making shit make sense without the doom and gloom.”

She laughed, but nudged my chest with her elbow. She did it softly, though. “Thanks for coming.” I nodded, all serious now. “For real, though, Bren. I don’t know what’s all going on, but I’d think your brother and father both wouldn’t want you worrying.”