The Insiders (The Insiders Trilogy 1)

He was wide awake too.

When did these people get up? Was this normal?

Matt’s arms shot up, catching his little brother. “Oh really? I’m the loser asswipe?” He laughed, rolling Cyclone to the cushions beside him and starting to tickle him. “I’m the loser?”

“Loser!” Cyclone laughed as his legs were flailing in the air. He landed a good solid kick to Matt’s face. “Whoa! Sorry. I’m sorry, Matt.”

Matt jerked back, a hand cupping the side of his face, and he turned away.

Silence. Total silence.

“Matt?” Cyclone’s eyes were wide with fear.

A sniffle came from behind Matt’s hand before he jumped back on his little brother, pinning him back down and tickling him with no mercy. “Gotcha, you little punk. That’s what you get for kicking your older brother. Huh? Huh? Am I right?”

Cyclone was trying to wrestle, but he was no match for his older brother.

Quinn wore a fond expression, with a resigned patience there, too, as if this were a common occurrence.

It was then that I noticed that Seraphina had stepped farther out from behind her mother, more to the side. They were holding hands.

Seraphina looked almost exactly like her mother. Same cornflower-blue eyes, same honey-blond hair, but with a touch lighter streak to it. It couldn’t compare to her mother’s, but Seraphina’s hair was wispy, with a bit of natural volume and frizz to it. She had some flyaway strands that couldn’t be contained in the braid her hair had been put in. Similar high cheekbones and a heart-shaped face with a pert little chin. She could be a model. Long arms and legs that she was still growing into, but she didn’t have the teardrop eyes her brother and mother had. She must’ve taken after her father, like the rest of us.

The rest of us.

That was the first time I lumped myself in with them, as if I were one of them.

But I wasn’t. I was the outlier.

“I can see we weren’t the only ones up early this morning. I think we’re all a bit ‘feisty’ from the lack of sleep.” The same fondness, shot through with a frustration, too. Quinn raised her chin up as both her boys paused in their wrestling, which had taken them to the floor by then. “Matthew, perhaps you and…” Her eyes darted to mine. “Kash’s friend could join us for a late lunch later today? Seraphina has her lessons at three, remember?”

Matt scoffed, grabbing Cyclone and lifting him to his feet as he stood. “I did not, dear Mother, realize my being here may upset Seraphina’s precious lessons in how to be a lady.”

Quinn wasn’t amused. Her mouth pinched together.

Seraphina giggled, looking down at the floor.

Matt smirked, still holding his brother captive. Cyclone was trying to kick out of his hold, but not enough to actually be set free. “I’m surprised Victoria is coming today. Does she not realize that Kash isn’t here?” His smirk dropped to a meaner glint. “She’d be wasting her time.”

Cyclone stopped kicking.

I could see from the angle that Seraphina’s eyes had widened, but she kept her face pointed downward.

The only one who moved was Quinn herself, and it was when her eyes narrowed. “Be nice, Matthew, or I won’t be, either.” Her gaze slid my way and her threat was evident.

Cyclone watched her too, and his head popped up. “Why’d you be mean to Kash’s friend? She’s Kash’s friend.” He said it like it made the most perfect sense in the world, as if he had been asked if his name was Cyclone or not. The whole tone was a resounding “Duh.”

“Yes, well…”

Seraphina looked up now, watching her mother with those same big eyes. Her mouth opened, just a centimeter.

Quinn took in both of her children’s gazes and her face clouded over. She cast me a tight closed-mouth smile. “Seraphina’s been asking to meet Kash’s lady friend, and Cyclone has talked about you as well. Both are eager to get to know our mystery guest more. Would you like to sit with us for our lunch later today?”

I gazed at her.

She was really beautiful, and it took a second before I realized she was addressing me. And waiting for a response.

My gaze fell back to Seraphina and I saw the curiosity there. It was banked, hidden behind a few walls of her own, and some shyness, but I saw it. I felt it, too. Her and Cyclone. I wanted to get to know them both—and Matt.

“Yes.” My voice was hoarse for some reason. I cleared it, speaking clearer. “Yes. I’d love that, actually.”

Seraphina shyly grinned. Cyclone snorted.

Quinn said to Matt, “We’ll be in the family room at one then.” Her gaze fell. “Cyclone, let’s go and get you dressed for the day.”

He looked down at his outfit, a yellow polo shirt and khaki shorts. Mumbling, as Matt lowered him to the floor, he followed her out. “I thought I was dressed. This is what Marie put out.” Seraphina trailed behind, and all of them disappeared around the corner. “Do I really have to change? What’s wrong with these clothes?”