Hell, I’d been handling Lana’s shit for years. Star was different, though. Constantly getting in my face and intervening in my shit. The stupid bro code of ‘don’t fuck with my girl’ was getting really annoying.
Harper was mine to fuck with. My perfect little doll that deserved every goddamn tear I pulled down her pretty face. Did I hate her? Fuck yeah, I hated her. At least that’s what I told myself every time I saw those big brown eyes. The same eyes I tried to forget at the end of a needle.
The hardest secret to keep was the one you told yourself.
Logan leaned back and flashed a sly smile my way. “You have fun with that girl?”
“Which one? The blonde, or the brunette?”
Shelby groaned while Riley muttered, “Manwhore.”
If only they knew.
Since I got out of rehab, I’d been with exactly two girls. One of which I barely remembered. Pretty sure she’d remember me though. When we were done, the bitch couldn’t get away from me fast enough. To say my desires had taken a dark turn would be an understatement.
Part of the reason why I hated being in this fucking room. I didn’t avoid my brother’s girlfriend because of what happened–I did what I had to do–I avoided her because the fear in her eyes got me off.
“A blonde and brunette, hey?” Logan sang with a mischievous smirk on his face. “All you need to complete that trifecta is a redhead.”
“Yeah,” I snorted. “Too bad there wasn’t one there.”
Sly motherfucker skipped his green eyes over to the stairs. “That’s a shame.”
If anyone else noticed Logan’s implication, they didn’t say anything. Then again, Logan had a way of redirecting people.
I was a perfect example of that. One little suggestive comment and my eyes were once again focused on the second floor. My brother thought he knew me, and maybe once upon a time, he did. But the little boy he grew up with died a long time ago. Years before any of this shit happened. My brother wasn’t the only one with secrets.
Tearing my gaze off the stairs, I turned my attention back to my friends.
Silas kept checking his watch. He had a branding ceremony to attend today and didn’t like being late. And by late, I meant less than fifteen minutes early. Star, however, was a hot mess.
I don’t think that girl had ever shown up on time. It was a match that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. They once argued for an hour on the proper organization of socks. Fucking socks!
I did understand the frustration on my friend’s face this time. I went through the same ceremony. Branded Harper when we were kids. I didn’t lie to Riley about that. I did brand someone I loved, and now she was dead.
Sometimes I thought about carving that mark off Harper’s neck. Other times, I wanted to display it and parade her around like a fucking pet.
“Hey,” Logan said, tipping his head at Micha, “you think we can get one of those chicken places down here?”
“For the love of…” Riley sighed and dropped her face in her palm.
Shelby shrugged. “At least he stopped complaining about the cold.”
“There was one good thing about the cold. You remember when we…” Logan nuzzled into Shelby’s neck and whispered something that turned her cheeks a bright red.
“Logan!” she chastised him with a light slap on the chest.
It was all for show, of course. Shelby was just as addicted to her boyfriend as he was to her. It was annoyingly sweet. Not because their disgusting public displays bothered me, but because I knew what it felt like when that sweetness turned sour.
“What?” he called out in an innocent tone.
Riley grumbled from her corner of the couch. “She’s your girlfriend. Not your sex doll.”
“Wrong on both counts, little sis.” Logan threw his arm over Shelby’s shoulders and pulled her in to kiss her cheek. “She’s not my sex doll, or my girlfriend. She’s my wife.”
We all stopped and cocked a brow. Unlike the rest, mine wasn’t out of shock. Neither was Micha’s. Logan couldn’t keep that shit quiet. He called us that night to brag about getting hitched.
I thought it was fucking hilarious, especially considering the dumbfounded look on Shelby’s face in the picture he sent us. Smooth motherfucker probably slipped that ring on her finger before she knew what was happening.
