Mastered by Malone (Haven, Texas 6)

“It’s not for a stranger, it’s for Lottie.”

Jardin gave a nod. But there was a note of something in his gaze. Sadness. Fear. Gratitude.

“I’ll keep her safe,” Alec told him.

A sound like cattle stampeding could be heard through the house. Things rattled on Alec’s desk and he sighed.

Jardin ran his hand over his face. “Maybe locking her in her room is a better idea that having her meet your brothers. They’ll probably have her running for the hills in a day.”

Alec shrugged. His obligation was to keep her alive. He’d do that however he needed to. It wasn’t his problem to worry about her feelings.

“She’s a good cook. She’s worked in restaurants before. I thought you could tell people you’d hired a cook.”

Alec just sent him a look. “I don’t need to tell anyone anything. And the last time I hired a cook, he ended up running down the driveway, buck naked, screaming that the spawn of Satan was on his tail.”

“Christ.”

“Told those boys I wasn’t hiring anyone else to take care of their asses.”

“Which is why this house is always a disaster,” Jardin muttered.

Alec didn’t think that required an answer. Besides, it was true. The place was a cesspool. Wasn’t so bad when Alice had lived there. The older woman had kept house for him. But she’d retired and moved to Baltimore to help her daughter look after her babies about a year ago. He’d hired a cook to help out and he hadn’t even lasted a week. He’d given up after that.

Alec stood and left the office, walking into the kitchen and the chaos that was his family. Mounds of sandwiches, which is what they all basically lived on, were being created on the table in the center of the huge kitchen. This place had once looked like a showroom. And now, well, it resembled feeding time at the zoo.

He let out a piercing whistle and his brothers all shut up, looking over at him.

“I’ve got to learn to do that,” Jardin muttered behind him.

“They won’t pay any attention if you do it,” Alec told him. “Listen up. Got a situation. We got a woman coming to stay, she’s a witness to a mob hit. Now she’s got a hit on her. We’re gonna protect her.”

“She hot?” Tanner asked.

“How old is she?” Beau asked.

“Can she cook?” Raid added.

Alec glared at them all. “It doesn’t matter what she looks like, you’re all going to keep your fucking dicks in your pants. Understand me? She needs protecting, not seducing.”

“Why are we looking out for her? What’s she to us?” West asked. West was the quietest of the lot. And the one least likely to get in trouble. Or at least any trouble Alec knew of. West was tight-lipped. And smart.

“Jardin’s friend—”

“Wait,” Jaret interrupted. “Jardin has a friend? By God, now I’ve heard it all.”

They all laughed. Even West cracked a smile.

“For fuck’s sake,” Jardin muttered.

“Came as a shock to me too,” Alec agreed.

“You’re just egging them on,” Jardin complained, sending him a look.

“But his supposed friend is this woman’s cousin. He’s been hiding her, but the hit man found her and killed her next-door neighbor, thinking it was her.”

“Still don’t see why we need to stick our necks out for her, especially if we don’t get anything out of it,” Maddox complained.

“You ever heard of being good Samaritans?” Jardin asked.