“Let’s just say, some of them are quick learners.” His smirk turns sharp. “Others need a little… extra guidance.”
“Translation: you scared them again,” Beau mutters, shaking his head.
“Fear builds character.”
That quiet, unshakable Hendrix energy fills the room, making everything feel both chaotic and safe at the same time. It’s unfair, really, how magnetic they are when they’re together. The PR department practically melts every time they walk through these doors, and if I’m honest, I’m not entirely immune either.
I straighten a stack of folders just to have something to do with my hands. “So, what are you two doing here? Because I know this isn’t a social call.”
Beau’s grin curves in a way that always makes you feel like he’s got a secret he’s not quite ready to share. “We just figured we’d give you a little heads-up.”
“About what?”
Cole kicks one ankle over his knee, relaxed as ever. “Our baby brother.”
“You mean Kyle. Yes, Cooper already told me.”
“Of course, he did.” Cole’s grin widens. “But knowing and beingpreparedare two different things.”
“We figured we’d save you a little time.” Beau chuckles, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. “Kyle’s got the skill, the smile, and just enough chaos to keep everyone on their toes.”
“Translation: he’s trouble.”
“Only if you underestimate him,” Beau says, voice calm but warm. “He’s a good kid who is still finding his footing.”
Cole tilts his head, a spark of mischief lighting his eyes. “He’s also the kind who thinks rules are more like… suggestions.”
“Fantastic,” I mutter, closing my laptop. “Exactly what I needed.”
“You’ll be fine,” Beau says with a smile that somehow manages to be both reassuring and vaguely apologetic. “He eventually listens… when it matters.”
Cole pushes off the chair, smirking. “And if he doesn’t, you can always scare him straight. You’ve got that terrifying teacher energy.”
“That’s one way to describe professionalism.”
“Semantics. Just… go easy on him. He’s had to fight harder than most to get here.”
His calm tone and grin fade for a heartbeat, catching me off guard. “Noted.”
“Good talk, Torres.” Cole winks like he’s said too much and heads for the door. “Try not to traumatize our baby brother before the season starts.”
Beau lingers a moment longer, eyes softening. “You’ll like him. He’s got more heart than he lets people see.”
And just like that, they’re gone. I glance at the clock, then back at my notes, trying to focus, but their words keep looping in my head.
Kyle Hendrix: cocky, reckless, youngest of four. And apparently, my next problem.
But it’s Beau’s words that stick like a song I can’t skip. Great, because what I really need right now is another charming man with too much heart and not enough sense.
By the time I lock up my office, Beau’s words are still looping in my head. I push through the glass doors, and the late-afternoon air hits my face, cool and heavy with the smell of rain and asphalt. The outside world feels louder for a second, the hum of the city pressing in from all sides.
I make it to my car in a few minutes and sink into the driver’s seat. My reflection in the rearview mirror is not reassuring. My hair has escaped its bun, my lipstick is half-faded, and I look like a woman who has completely lost control of her day. I last three seconds before I grab my phone and fire off a text to my group chat with my two best friends, Tiff and Maria.
I need a full-scale emergency intervention session.
Within seconds, the screen flashes:Incoming FaceTime—The Chaos Coven.
I put my phone in the holder before hitting accept.Maria’s face appears first, framed by rollers, her wineglass already half-empty. “I was just about to binge a new true crime documentary, so this better be some good drama.”
