Read Online Isela's Love by Sasha Cain - Free Book Online

opinion. I got him to come around though.”
    Maggie squeezed his arm as she moved around him. “You do have some wicked powers of persuasion.”
    He slapped her bottom, playfully. “You know it, toots.”
    “Ahem,” Brendan said, exaggerating the tone, “Before this moves to a level I can’t stomach, I move we change the subject. Did Bernie find out anything?”
    Darrios glanced at Maggie. He nodded to Brendan. “Yeah, we’re a go.”
    Brendan smacked his hand on the table, waking Lucan. “Yes!”
    Maggie glared at her brother as she picked up the crying infant. “Excuse me, gentleman. Thanks to that outburst, I need to go feed this young man a bit ahead of schedule,” Maggie said, taking Lucan down the hall.
    Darrios leaned in and spoke quietly. “The Council is sending a guard detail to escort you to the prison. They’ll have a story for you, complete with the necessary paperwork. Are you sure you’re up to this, Brendan?”
    “Trust me, Darrios. Compared to what I’ve seen in the last two years? This will be a cake-walk. The worst part is telling my sister.”
    “We’ll do it together. It’ll be safer that way.”
    Maggie returned a few minutes later. “He went right back to sleep. I laid him down in his cradle. Too noisy in here.”
    Darrios got up and grabbed the bottle of Mulsket. He poured a glass for himself and one for Brendan, hoping Brendan would begin the conversation he didn’t want to have.
    “Mags, sit down for a second, will you?” Brendan said.
    She eyed him warily, glancing over at Darrios, who seemed completely immersed in pouring drinks.
    “What’s going on, Brendan? I know that tone of voice. The last time you used it was when you told me you’d joined Social Saviors. Are you leaving again...so soon?”
    “I’m not leaving yet. In fact, I might even be here longer than I originally thought.” Looking over at Darrios, he took a deep breath. Darrios handed him his drink. He sat down in the chair next to him, leaving an empty one between him and Maggie.
    “I’m going to do some work for the Celio Council...some undercover work, kind of like some of the stuff I did in Africa,” Brendan said, keeping his tone light.
    Maggie narrowed her eyes. “I thought you were cleaning rivers and teaching kids to read, getting them immunized, stuff like that. As far as I know, the Celio Council has other interests at heart.”
    Brendan and Darrios exchanged glances. Darrios took Maggie’s hand, caressing it. “He’s going into the prison...posing as an inmate to investigate Guarros,” he explained.
    Maggie jerked her hand away. She jumped up, pointing her finger at Darrios. “You did this,” she shrieked. She turned to Brendan. “Are you crazy? You can’t go into that prison. It’s too dangerous.”
    She took a couple of deep breaths, focusing her attention back on Darrios, making an effort to lower her voice. “Why would you involve my brother in something like this? It’s bad enough I have to worry about your adrenaline addiction, but now you’re dragging Brendan into it too?”
    “He didn’t drag me, Maggie. I volunteered. It was my idea.”
    Her eyes still on Darrios, she said, “Then Darrios should’ve said no.”
    “I tried, but arguing with your brother is like arguing with you,” Darrios said. “There’s no winning.”
    Brendan stood up. “Maggie, I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t need you to protect me. I did some crazy shit in Africa...way more dangerous than this and I’m still around to tell the tales. I’m really good at this covert stuff. I know what I’m doing. I promise I’ll be careful. You have to trust me.”
    “I do trust you, Brendan,” she said, hugging him. “It’s the bad guys I don’t trust.”
    “I have to do this, Maggie. That animal has to be stopped. I’m the only one who can do it. Guarros has seen the other guys.”
    “And the Council doesn’t have anybody else?”
    “Actually,” Darrios said, cringing, “Bernie went to