6 Mountain Brothers for Christmas

Oh, holy fuck.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO – TATE

I was at my computer tweaking photographs when my sister burst into the room. “Great news, brother!” She plopped down on my bed and tossed a pillow at my head.

I ducked and spun my chair around to give her a dirty look and toss it back. “What the hell?”

“I found a house!”

“The one down the street?” I had hoped my sister would stay closer to me rather than move across the city where I couldn’t keep an eye on her.

“You wish! It’s only a few minutes from here, but the house is perfect, and I already put down some earnest money. I just have to come up with the rest of the down payment, and then I’ll use my next trust check to pay the closing cost.”

“Here, take this.” I passed her the check from Hazen, and her eyes bugged.

“Wow, is this what Hazen gave you to be super-stud on his silly website?”

“Yeah,” I shrugged. “I want you to have it.” Megan’s expression grew softer. “Still haven’t heard from Kami?”

I shook my head. “No. She won’t answer any of my texts. I thought about going down to her work, but I don’t want to be that guy and cause a scene. I just don’t know what to do, Meg.”

“Do you want me to try?” she asked. “I mean, I know she and I don’t know each other well, but I’m willing to give it

a shot.”

I shook my head and smiled at my sister. “I really appreciate that, but I need to fix this myself.”

Megan opened her mouth to speak but the sound of knocking at the front door cut her off. I scrambled to my feet and all but ran to the door, hoping against hope that Kami had come to talk. When I threw the door open, however, it was Rain that was standing on the other side. And boy was she pissed.

“Rain—” I started, but she held up her hand.

“No, you don’t talk, asshole. You listen,” she said, her voice harsh.

I shut my mouth and stood helplessly while she let loose on me.

“You are a sorry excuse for a man,” she began. “Kami is the best thing that has ever happened to you, will ever happen to you, you threw it all away? Why? So you could fuck a bunch of whores who send you pictures of their fake tits?”

“It’s not like that Rain,” I tried again.

“I said you don’t talk!” she yelled. “My best friend is hurting because of you; because of your selfishness and your need to get your dick wet. You are a disgusting piece of shit.”

“Hey!” came Megan’s voice from behind me. “My brother may be a lot of things, but he is not a piece of shit.”

“It’s OK, Meg,” I said, holding up my hand.

“No, it’s not,” she argued. “I’ve had about enough of this. He made a mistake, a really big one, but he doesn’t deserve to be talked to like this.”

“A mistake?” Rain asked, incredulously. “He was fucking several other women at the same time that he told my best friend that he was in love with her!”

“No, actually, he wasn’t,” Megan said.

“Listen, I get that you are his sister and you want to protect him but—”

“Oh, for the love of Christ. Would you please come in off the porch and let him explain? The neighbors don’t need to know our business.”

I stood between my sister and Kami’s best friend, not quite sure what to do, but knowing I had to do something. “Yeah, Rain. Please come in.”

Hesitantly, she stepped over the threshold and into the living room. Megan turned to go back to her own room, but added, “I’ll let you two talk, but know that if I hear you berating him again, you and I are going to tangle.”