Lying Hearts (Small Town Lies 1)

“--Luna!”

“--Are you safe?”

Three Moore’s brothers barked at me as they left each vehicle. Ethan and Easton from the firetruck and Zeke from the police car. I started laughing, and London knew why and joined me in my fit. The universe was like, ‘screw your small favor; I’m upping the ante and making you go crazy’.

Yes, well, message received.

“Luna? What’s wrong? Did you hit your head, Moon? Baby, talk to me,” Easton’s voice was soft and soothing, and when I heard the pet name leave his lips, it stopped my laughter. I was entranced when I saw the real look of concern on his face.

It wasn’t real. He was playing you.

Once a liar, always a liar.

“Why isn’t she talking? Luna? You’re freaking me out,” Easton said, cupping my face with his large, wide palms.

The universe whispered in my ear, “You know what they say about large palms, right?”

Cruel. So cruel, universe.

My eyes fluttered shut for a moment, and the loud sirens faded in the background. Nothing else existed. It was just him and me. His warm, strong fingers against my cheek, the soft pants of his minty breath against my lips, and my eyes drifted over his face. The cut over his brow looked painful. I reached up with my fingers, forgetting where I was and who was around me and slid two of my fingers beside the wound. It was purple and looked like it needed stitches.

“Baby?” he said again, brushing his thumb over my cheek, and it was enough for me to shake the weird fuzz that had taken control of my head.

I quickly leaned away from him and crawled back to get out of his touching radius. I needed to get as far away from him as possible.

“Luna,” his voice broke my name in half, and it was painful to hear the agony in the deep tremble emanating from his throat. “Luna, please—”

“—Don’t touch me,” I whispered, terrified that just that simple touch made another one of my walls crumble, adding to the pit in my stomach.

“It’s fixed,” Ethan said, strutting out of the shop like he was the man.

“Oh, my hero,” I said, fisting my hands over my heart and giving Easton the cold shoulder. “Oh, whatever would we have done with you?” I batted my eyes playfully at Ethan, and he blushed.

“Awfully chummy the two of you,” Easton said, a trace of anger lacing his words.

I didn’t say anything, but I did give Ethan a goodbye hug. “Thank you.”

“We will need to come back. The alarm isn’t up to code,” Ethan said, his suspenders hanging on the sides of his body, his arms bulging through the tight long sleeve shirt he wore, and I noticed London eyeing him. Who wouldn’t? Firefighters were hot, but the Moore brothers really stepped the ‘hot firefighter’ image up a notch.

No woman’s heart was safe.

All the men needed to hide their wives.

Because the Moore brothers are a force to be reckoned with.

“You okay?” Zeke asked, laying his hand on my arm. He had the blondest hair, the brightest green eyes, and a spitting image of his twin Ezra. Zeke was reserved, his voice deep and commanding. His outgoing side only comes out when his twin is around.

London was looking at him too, analyzing which was better, the hot Moore brother in the cop uniform or the hot Moore brother in the firefighter uniform?

Decisions, decisions.

I liked the firefighter uniform, even if my opinion was biased because Easton looked better than all of them.

“I’m okay, Zeke. Thanks.”

“What the fuck?” Easton snarled, staring at the place on my arm where Zeke was touching me. Without another word, Easton headed toward the firetruck and slammed the door loud enough that it made me jump. I locked eyes with Easton, his defined jaw ticking with agitation, but his eyes told me the real story. He was jealous.

It was only a matter of time before Easton found out the only brother that was isolated from me was himself.