The Arrangement

“But nothing. I’m not going to sit around here while the three of you figure this out.” I waved my arm around the white-washed, bare-bones kitchen. “How long did you say you’ve been here again?”

Kane answered this time. “Thirteen months.”

After a short span of silence, I laughed. “You’re out of your mind if you think—”

“Dallas please,” Maddox pleaded. “At least for now, let Austin pick up—”

“I need girl things too you know,” I smirked, throwing an intentional wrench in the works. “Stuff I have to pick out for myself. I’ll need different sizes for different shirts, different style pants… oh, and I’ll need bras… underwear…”

Austin’s shoulders slumped.

He looked uncomfortable. Maddox looked worried.

Kane however, had the slightest hint of a grin.

“Feminine products,” I went on. “Lots of those. And also—”

“But—”

“Look,” I said loudly, with a sigh. “I’ll put my hair up. I’ll wear a hat. I’ll wear sunglasses and a phony fucking mustache if you want me to, but I’m absolutely not sitting here alone all day.”

Before they could answer I pushed past them, into what looked like the living area. It was big and empty, just as sparse as the kitchen with the walls and floor almost entirely bare. At least they had couches.

“Anyone gonna tell me where the shower is?” I asked over my shoulder. I reached the staircase in silence, and stared climbing. “Or should I just keep opening doors until I find it?”

Seven

AUSTIN

She was stubborn as hell, I’d give her that. Strong-willed and intelligent and unable to take no for an answer.

In short, she was exactly like Connor.

I couldn’t help but stare at her during the ride back, one leg up on the dashboard as she painted her toenails. Dallas had dragged me to nine different shops, including three grocery stores and a stop for lunch. Three fish tacos each later, we were almost home, no worse for wear.

God, she’s gorgeous.

She really was. I mean, we’d known her forever… at first through photos Connor showed us, then through watching her on the monitor for so long. But now she was here. Actually here! Sitting beside me in the passenger seat, window down, her blonde hair blowing so wildly it was whipping around her beautiful face.

“Stop for beer?”

I shook my head. We were too close to home already, and she’d already been out too much. As far as keeping things low key went, we’d failed miserably on the first day.

Besides, though we weren’t exactly stocked back at the house? Beer was the one thing we had plenty of.

“Got a few cases in the basement,” I said, using the conversation as an excuse to glance right. “I’ll bring some up for us, when we get back.”

Stop looking at her!

It was impossible, though. She was every bit as beautiful as Connor had been obnoxiously good-looking, only with prettier cheekbones and full, kissable lips. She had his eyes though. Those same stunning blue orbs that burned with a distinct inner fire. A burning charisma that converted you without words; a magic that automatically made you want to please her, without her having to say a single, goddamn thing.

Dallas was wearing shorts and a tank top now, and a pair of high-quality mirrored sunglasses that had probably cost us a small fortune. I had no clue, really. I hadn’t looked at the receipts on anything. I’d just given her the card — the one we all shared together — and we could worry about the bill later, when it came in.

“How long did you serve with my brother?”

I was surprised she’d waited this long to ask. So far, our conversations had been pretty limited: shopping and the weather.

“All eight years he was in.”