A Loaded Gun

Chapter 3

Marcus POV

"Thank you for coming down, Mr. Amoretti." A female police officer stared into my eyes confidently.  I admired her guts. 

"So, where is my supposed sister?"

"She is currently in a room, waiting for the results of the DNA test."
"What DNA test?  I never authorized one."

"Yes sir, she requested one herself.  She said she didn't want to go with strangers.  We already had your DNA on file, so we just had to get hers"

Smart girl.  Maybe she is my sister.  Although, "strangers?"  I'm not random.  I'm anything but random. 

Did-did she not know about us?  That's ridiculous.  I took a deep breath, trying to hide my hurt.
"When can I meet her?"

"She refuses to meet anybody until it is confirmed that you are her brother.  I'm sorry, but you can't go into the room right now. 

"However, there is a double-paned mirror, so you could see her without her seeing you."

"I'll do that."  I felt like it was kind of violating her privacy, but I couldn't wait to see her and confirm she was my sister. 

Officer Graham led me to a private room, and I got my first look at my sister for the first time in 14 years through the dirty glass.  She was breathtaking. 

Sitting on a dirty couch with hooded blue eyes, dirty blonde hair covering most of her face, she looked bored.

As I ran my eyes over her face, I noticed something that almost made me storm to her that very moment.

"Why the hell is there a bandage on her nose?"
Officer Graham shrunk back.  My respect for her just dropped.

"I'm not sure, sir.  She wouldn't say."
"Well she better have a damn good reason for this."

Just then a technician burst through the door, waving a piece of paper.  "I have the results, Olivia!"

Officer Graham looked deeply relieved.  "Good, let's go talk to her."

As they headed towards the door, I followed.  The police officer turned to me,

"Sir, I'd appreciate it if you waited a little longer.  I'd like to give her the results myself, and then introduce you."

That sounded reasonable.  "Fine, but I won't wait long.  Give the results to her and call me in."

Brooke's POV

After 3 freaking hours of sitting on this stupid squishy couch, Officer Graham came through the door with the technician holding a piece of paper. 

"Good news!  Your results are back.  Would you like to look at them?"

That's a stupid question.

"Yes please, I would appreciate that."  My mama raised me right, I have manners.

I snatched the paper from her and scanned the results.  Crap.  It was a 99% match.  I don't suppose I'm in the lucky 1%, so that means my mom lied to me. 

So I have brothers.  Lovely.  More people to hide my problems from. 

Marcus POV

I watched from behind the glass as she read the results.  I saw her face drain of all color.  I've been reading people my whole life.  I can tell she's not happy. 

Why would she be upset about this?  Why wouldn't she want a family?  I heard Officer Graham begin speaking and knew that was my cue.

"I have someone I'd like you to meet, Brooke."

Before I swept through the door, I straightened my tie and brushed off my suit jacket.  Damn, I'm being so self-conscious.

Brooke POV (Sorry for the jumping around, I swear it won't be like this the whole book)

A tall man in a dark suit strode confidently into the room.  Just my luck, he looks like me.  My hope of being in that 1% just flew out the window. 

This must be one of the four brothers.  I snapped out of my thoughts to find the man standing in front of me, his hand out.

"Hello, Brooke.  It's nice to see you again."  Damn he has a deep voice.

I hesitantly outstretched my hand.  "Hello, who are you?"

A hurt look flashed across his face.  "I'm Marcus, your oldest brother.  I am also now your legal guardian."

I raised an eyebrow, a skill I have perfected over the years.  "And I assume I have no choice in the matter?"

"Unfortunately no.  You're stuck with me for at least the next two years."  His dry voice contradicted the sad look in his eyes.

Officer Graham chimed in, probably unnerved by the tension between us. "Don't worry hon, he'll take great care of you, and I'll always be around if you need anything."

Well, now I know where I got my eyebrow-raising skills from, because he just sent the most sardonic glare I've ever seen in her direction. 

"Officer Graham, I would like to take my sister home now.  Brooke, we can stop by your house to grab anything you'd like before returning to my house."

Home.  Never really had one, since apparently my whole childhood was a lie.  Wait–did he say he wants to stop by my house? 

I can't let him see where I slept.  The whole house is covered in beer bottles and cigarettes, I can't let him see that. 

But I had to get one thing.  I've had it since I was born, I can't leave it.

"Uh–um I uh...yeah that would be great."  I stumbled over my words, embarrassingly enough. 

Now I was the subject of eyebrow-raising.  Crap.  Don't let him suspect anything. 

"I just...would like to do it alone if that's ok." Yeah because that's not suspicious.  "It's something personal."

"...that's fine." His skeptical tone indicated he didn't believe a word I said, but he didn't mention it. 

He gestured to me briskly, "We're leaving now.  What's your address?" 

Shoot.  I didn't think about the outside of the house, only the inside. 

He's gonna see the rotten wooden door, the paint peeling off the siding, and the crumbling brick steps. 

There's nothing I can do about it though; I HAVE to get that object.

"Umm, it's uh, it's on Mandola Road."
"You live over there?" He asked in disgust.

My eyes narrowed.  "Why?  Is there a problem?  Where I live is not my fault." 

I couldn't believe how bold I was being.  Maybe because I was surrounded by police officers I felt safe. 

I shouldn't have said that though; he can punish me as soon as we leave and the officers wouldn't know.