LUST (Dirty Brothers 2)

“Thanks.”

“Do you want food?”

I glance over toward the piles of food in the next room, and my stomach turns. I’m too nervous to eat. “I’m good for now, I think.”

“Well then, let me give you a tour,” she says. “This place is amazing. I haven’t spent that much time here, and every time I come I discover a new room.”

My stomach jumps into my throat, and the words stick behind my teeth.

Rose freezes. “Shit. You’ve been here before. Probably more than I have.”

“Yeah,” I clear my throat. “A long time ago, though.”

My sister pauses, tilting her head and looking at me in that way she has—like she’s reading my mind. “Drinks. We need drinks.”

“God, yes,” I say and follow her over to the bar that’s been set up for the party. I don’t want anything complicated, so I order a vodka cranberry. Tasty enough to drink quickly and strong enough to take the edge off.

“I think we can safely say that this is a success,” a voice says from behind us.

Rose turns with a smile and hugs a woman I recognize as Vanessa Logan. Samuel and Thomas’s mother. “I think so too!” Rose says.

Vanessa looks at me, and even though it takes her a second, I feel the moment she recognizes me. “Fiona,” she says.

“Hi Mrs. Logan.” Vanessa was always a bright spot in the Logan family, and after everything happened between me and Samuel, she tried to reach out to me. I couldn’t bring myself to talk to her. If I could go back and do it again, I’d take the comfort she offered. “It’s really good to see you.”

She reaches out and puts a hand on my shoulder. “You too, darling. Now that you’re part of the family we’ll have to catch up again. Maybe do lunch?”

“I’d like that,” I nod.

Turning, she gestures to two men standing a little behind her. The air between them is thick, and they’re pointedly not talking. “You remember my husband, David?”

The older man raises an eyebrow and looks at me. Unlike Vanessa, there’s no recognition there. I reach out and shake his hand. “Fiona Monroe, Rose’s sister,” I say.

“And this is my eldest, Robert.”

The younger man turns toward me, and I can see a passing resemblance to his younger brothers, but he’s different. Less polished. He’s just as attractive as his siblings but he seems out of place here, like the suit he’s wearing is the most uncomfortable thing in the world. I don’t think we’ve ever met before. Robert shakes my hand. “Hello.” He seems bored.

“Nice to meet you.”

“I remember you,” he says with a soft smile. “We may have met in passing years ago.”

“I’m sorry that I don’t remember.”

He laughs. “It’s fine. I believe you had other things on your mind.”

I blush because being with Sam was the only thing on my mind at that time. I’m saved by someone I don’t recognize coming up to our little grouping. “Rose, Vanessa, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

Rose glances at me. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

She and Vanessa move across the room, and David drifts away to talk with some other men. I recognize a few other guests as rich businessmen from Hawthorne. I realize that I’m glaring at them when Robert says, “Enjoying the party?”

“What?” I’d forgotten he was there, and I smooth out my face immediately.

He points to my hand. “You’re holding onto that drink like it’s a lifeline.”

“Oh. Yeah. Well…”

He chuckles, but it doesn’t sound like he actually thinks it’s funny. “You don’t have to explain to me. I don’t really want to be here either.”

“Parties not your thing?”

“Sure,” he says. “We’ll go with that.” He orders a beer from the bar and takes a sip. “I don’t blame you, by the way.”

I do a double take. “I’m sorry?”

“For glaring at my father.” The look he shoots in David’s direction…the phrase ‘if looks could kill’ comes to mind. I’ve never liked David Logan, because he’s always seemed cold, distant, and strict. The incident with my father’s bakery hasn’t exactly made him popular in my family, but I never got the impression that he’s a bad person. Or that his family didn’t like him.

“Your sister seems nice enough, but my family doesn’t deserve nice. Especially not him.” He nods over his shoulder at his dad.

I glance over at David, conversing with his group. I’ve never heard anything like this before, and it’s a little startling. What is there about David Logan that would make his son look at him like that? I’m about to ask him when I hear my name called from across the room. Rose is waving me over.

Looking back at Robert, he gives me a tight smile. “Go. And good luck with your speech.”

“Speech? What speech?”

2

Fuck.

“Are you serious?” I’m looking at Rose, and she doesn’t look like she’s kidding. Please let her be kidding.