Chapter 193: Brenden

Saturday. Safe House, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

BRENDEN STARED AT THE dark liquid filling his cup. The groggy sensation wasn't one born from hours spent staring at a ceiling.

No.

He'd slept.

True REM sleep.

For hours.

And when he'd woken up, it was to find Priscilla using him as a kind of body pillow, her head on his shoulder, their legs tangled up.

He wasn't sure what to make of this. It had to be a fluke, obviously. They'd been tired, it was a draining day and then sex on top of it all had become the perfect cocktail to a full eight hours of sleep.

"Wakey, wakey." Vaughn smacked Brenden's shoulder.

A bit of the coffee sloshed onto the counter.

"Fuck, man." Brenden set the mug down and reached for a napkin.

"Someone's testy this morning." Vaughn leaned against the counter, far too chipper for Brenden's liking.

The hair on the back of his neck rose. His stomach tightened. He pressed his toes down, grounding them to the earth to keep from moving.

Priscilla br