“So I’m being paraded around,” I say dryly, grateful my voice sounds steadier now.
“You’re being introduced as my Chief Strategic Officer and trusted advisor,” Charles corrects. “They need to know you speak with my authority. That you’re not just my sister—you’re part of the leadership structure.”
“No pressure.”
“You’ll be fine. Jace will handle the heavy lifting. You just need to be your brilliant, observant self and read the room.” A pause. “I’ll head to Charlotte after we meet with Ryan, but call me if anything feels off. Otherwise, I’ll see you back at the compound for dinner.”
The comm clicks off, leaving us in weighted silence.
I lean back against the leather seat, processing. Ryan Matthews. The Dents. The Ramirezes. The McCoys. A full day of being scrutinized, evaluated, and tested.
And underneath all of it, the memory of Jace’s lips inches from mine. The heat that still simmers under my skin. The way all three of them are looking at me now—like I’m something they want to devour.
This is going to be a very long day.
“You guys remember Ryan Matthews?” I ask slowly, breaking the quiet.
“Vaguely,” Cal says, too casually.
“Mmm,” Silas adds, which isn’t an answer.
“He seemed nice,” Jace offers beside me. “Very... enthusiastic about that scholarship opportunity.”
“That came out of nowhere,” I repeat. “Very suddenly.”
Silence.
“Right,” I say slowly, turning to look at Jace. “Out of nowhere. And you just happen to know he’s thirty-two.”
More silence.
I look between them—Cal focused intently on the road, Silas staring straight ahead like the windshield contains secrets, Jace examining his cufflinks with sudden fascination.
“You didn’t,” I say.
“Didn’t what?” Cal asks innocently.
“Whatever she’s thinking we did,” Silas adds.
“We have no idea what you’re implying,” Jace finishes.
I stare at them. At these three men, who used to control every aspect of my life, who made boys I liked mysteriously transfer or move or suddenly discover new interests far away from me.
“You got rid of him. Ryan Matthews asked me out, and you made his entire family move.”
“‘Got rid of’ is such an aggressive phrase,” Cal protests. “We merely...facilitated an opportunity.”
“An out-of-state scholarship that didn’t exist until suddenly it did.”
“Education is important,” Silas says to the windshield.
The audacity. The absolute audacity of these men.
“Why?” I demand. “Why would you do that? He asked me out. One time. At graduation. It was barely even?—”
“He touched your arm,” Jace says quietly. His voice has gone darker. Rougher. “Three times during one conversation. That’s excessive.”
“That’s called being friendly!”
