Brooks rolled his eyes, but he didn’t buck back. “Shit’s hit the fan with the Black Flags.”
I rolled my eyes. “You guys are still at it with those losers? For real?”
His hands slid down my arms. “No, you don’t understand. It’s bad. I mean really bad.”
I pulled away from him. “Well, you know those are the shitheads that landed you in jail in the first place. I told you that time and time again.”
“I know you did. And you were right.”
I threw my hands in the air. “Of course I was right! Except no one wants to fucking listen to the stupid younger sister, right?”
“That’s not what I—”
I held up my hand. “I don’t want to hear it. If you’re really willing to take that risk again and chase after some—”
“They’re still coming after us, Astrid!”
His booming voice halted my words. “What?”
He shook his head. “It’s so much to explain, and I don’t have the time or the energy right now. But I’m having to take Raven everywhere so she isn’t attacked again. Or taken.”
I balked. “Raven was taken?”
He nodded slowly. “There’s more drama than you could ever imagine right now. Raven’s life was at risk. She was confronted by those assholes the day I got out of prison. And that’s only the beginning. She was taken days after I got out, and we’ve been chasing down those assholes ever since. They almost killed her, and we’re pretty sure our current president is working with them to take us down.”
I paused for what seemed like forever. “I suppose that explains why you never called.”
He cupped my cheeks. “I would have if lives wouldn’t have been on the line. I’m telling you, Astrid, it’s not safe right now.”
I stepped away. “So, is that why you’re here? Not to help me move in, but to help get me back out of town?”
“I mean I was hoping I could at least—”
I shook my head. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“What?”
I slammed my cleaning supplies onto the kitchen counter. “You’d rather your own shred of family leave town and never come back instead of just leaving that fucking club altogether to start a life of your own. That’s the rational thing to do in your mind?”
“I can’t leave. Not just yet. Chops is setting up something massive, and I have to fix it before it gets worse for everyone.”
“And why the hell do you have to fix it? Why can’t someone without a rap sheet fix it!?”
Before my brother spoke again, I turned my back to him. The audacity of him never ceased to amaze me, and that little “please” from before—I was convinced, at least—was nothing more than a manipulated attempt to get me to feel bad for him. That was how it had been our entire lives: I was the quiet one who kept to myself and got trampled on and he was the one that made calls for everyone and felt like he had to take the weight of the world onto his shoulders in order to fix shit.
Even if it meant leaving his sister behind in the dust.
“Astrid, I just want—”
I shook my head. “I don’t wanna hear it. You wanna be useful? Pick up a damn rag and start cleaning. You’ve let this place go to hell and back.”
I lost myself in cleaning up the kitchen, but when I looked up Brooks was gone. My eyes welled with tears as I moved to the living room, vacuuming with an old-as-hell vacuum and wiping the windowsills down that were caked with dust and grime. Of course Brooks left. Why wouldn’t he? He was a professional at choosing literally everything else over his own family. Just like he left to escape our alcohol-addicted mother, leaving me to pick up the pieces.
Abandoning us, just like Dad did.
“Like father, like son,” I murmured to myself.
Then, a set of footsteps came down the stairs. “Just me.”
Porter’s voice rang loud and clear, and it pulled me from my trance. “How’s it going up there?”
The front door opened. “Your car unlocked?”
I peeked over at him. “Why?”
His eyes met mine. “I was gonna go get your stuff out of your car. Brooks and I got the biggest room upstairs all cleaned up and situated. Figured I’d put your stuff in there.”
At least he didn’t leave, I guess.
I heard his words, but I couldn’t formulate a response. Why? Well, because the damn man was shirtless, that was why. His chiseled abs dripped with sweat and his swollen pecs moved with the panting of his lungs. I swallowed hard as my eyes slowly made their way back up to his, and I could’ve sworn I saw him smirking.
So, I grinned. “Guess coming back wasn’t such a bad idea after all.”
And when he smiled, the world around me ignited with happiness.
At least I’ll always have Porter’s smile.
Seven
Porter
Watching Astrid stare me down stirred something in my gut. And my pelvis, to be honest. I liked the feeling of her grinning at me. The feeling of her eyes sliding down my body. I didn’t think much about taking my shirt off. The damn wooden furniture up in the master bedroom was heavy as fuck, even for Brooks and myself. But to see Astrid enjoying the view made me wonder what else she might enjoy
Until Brooks cleared his throat behind me.
“You two can stop now, thanks,” he said flatly.
I quickly looked away from Astrid as she turned her back to me and I started outside. Her car beeped before the trunk popped open and I peered over my shoulder, watching as she stared out the window.
Then, Brooks appeared behind her with a foul look on his face and she quickly got back to work.
Jesus, that man needs to lighten up.
Brooks was my brother. My ride or die. The only person in my life I fully trusted. But damn, he needed a fucking chill pill. If he thought for one second he’d be able to protect his sister and Raven at the same time, he had another thing coming.
No man ever succeeded in splitting his time between two women.
“Need help out here?” Brooks asked.
I stacked a couple of boxes before picking them up. “Trunk’s full of boxes; the back seat has her suitcases.”
Brooks ripped open the door. “Put a shirt on when you get back inside, yeah?”
I smirked as I walked past him. “Eh, I’ll think about it.”
He growled and it make me chuckle. It was too easy to fuck with that man sometimes. And damn it, I loved pissing him off. The two of us lugged Astrid’s stuff upstairs and sat it anywhere we could, but I didn’t dare start unboxing shit.
I mean what if I came across her toys? Her underwear? Her lingerie?
Damn it, now I want to see her in lingerie.
“Shit,” Brooks hissed.
I peered over my shoulder. “You good?”
He pulled out his cell phone. “Fucking hell, it’s Archer.”
I furrowed my brow. “What’s he want?”
He looked over at me. “He’s been watching Raven.”
I held my hand out. “Then, what the fuck are you doing? Pick it up!”
He answered the phone and walked into the en-suite bathroom that needed a fuck ton of upgrading. But it had good bones. In fact, this entire house had good bones, and I already had the names of some contractors in town I wanted to contact about doing some work with me on this place.