“Honestly, a beer or two here with you guys sounds about right tonight.”
“Hell, yeah.” Jud squeezed his shoulder, strolled to the refrigerator, and pulled out another round. He passed one to each of them. Everyone twisted their caps and lifted them to the center of the kitchen.
“To our baby brother who’s sure as hell not a baby anymore.” Jud gave the toast.
Everyone tapped their bottles together. “To Logan. Happy birthday, man.”
Logan smiled, joy seeping all the way through because this was the only thing that mattered.
His brothers.
Their devotion.
And his girl.
It was on him to make sure all of them were safe.
The four of them sat around drinking through the night. Talking shit. Reminiscing.
And Logan thought for the first time in a long, long time, since they’d all suffered the most brutal blow, witnessing their mom go down in cold blood, that maybe, just maybe, things might turn out right.
The dull haze of morning appeared at the windows when they finally called it. Trent hugged him tight and whispered, “Proud of you, Logan. So fuckin’ proud. Stay smart, brother. Stay safe. Want the world for you.”
Jud hugged him just as tight. “Happy birthday, little brother. You amaze me, you know. So damned smart. You’re gonna own this whole fucking place. Can’t wait to watch you do it.”
Logan nodded. Emotion clotted in his throat, close to overflowing. “Thanks, man.”
Jud stepped back and squeezed his shoulder. “Mean it.”
The two of them rambled off to their rooms, and Nathan remained there, watching Logan from where he was leaned against the wall.
Logan roughed a hand through his hair. “Well, think I’m gonna hit it, too. It’s late.”
Nathan hesitated, then quietly said, “Know you’re in deep, man.”
Logan froze before he swiveled back to look at Trent’s twin. “What are you talking about?”
Logan attempted to play it cool, to play it off, like he didn’t have a clue. Like his limbs weren’t shaking so hard the bones clanked.
“You think I don’t see you come in here every night with that look on your face? You’re fucking flyin’, man. And you know I want that for you. For you to find that happiness. To get that love I see blazing in your eyes. But you can’t do it with a Costa. You’re gonna end up in the ground and put the rest of the family there, too.”
Agitation gathered as sweat at the nape of his neck.
How the fuck did he know?
“I’m not.” It tremored from his mouth.
Nathan sighed without any anger. “You are, man. I know you are. You can’t wait to get there every day and you come home later and later every night. Not sure how Trent and Jud bought that bullshit you fed us when you walked through the door, but you and I both know it’s exactly that—bullshit.”
“Nathan…” He drew it out like a plea.
Nathan pushed from the wall and came toward Logan. He set a hand on his shoulder, looked him straight. “I’m just scared for you, Logan. I mean, I’m fucking terrified every day for all three of you. But what you’re doing? An Owl moving in on a Costa? One who’s already pledged to another? You’re signing over your life, man.”
A heavy sigh pilfered from Logan’s lungs.
“You’re right, Nathan. I’m signing over my life. Because that’s exactly what she is. My life.”
TWENTY-FIVE