Closing my laptop, I stand and sigh. “I already showered this morning. My skin is fucking raw from how much I scrubbed.”
His eyes go wide as he looks me over. “Jesus.”
“The girls are goingto ask a million questions,” Beckett says as the driver pulls up to Xander and Quinn’s beautiful new home.
Ever since my older brother came home from rehab and married Quinn, he’s become a totally different man. Still an asshole, but a softer one. He shows a bit more happy emotions, which is saying a lot for Xander.
“Hey, it’s our thirty-eight-year-old brother,” Xander calls out, stepping onto the front porch like he’s excited that we’re here. “Oh, fuck, what happened to you? You’re sparkling. Like that fucking guy. The one from that movie. Dude, don’t tell me you’re into vampire kink.”
Beckett laughs, and Xander follows right along with him while I simply flip both of them off and walk into the house.
“I hate you both,” I say, and then make my way into the kitchen, where Quinn and Jordyn are laughing about something. Cash is there, watching Jordyn like a crazed fucking stalker from a bar stool at the kitchen island.
Quinn sucks in a breath when she sees me, and Jordyn covers her mouth. It takes Cash a minute to tear his gaze away from his wife to look at me.
“Jesus Christ,” Cash mutters when he finally does. “Didn’t know Tinkerbell was joining us for dinner.”
Xander and Beckett bark out laughter and fist-bump Cash.
Looking at my sisters-in-law, I narrow my eyes. “How the fuck do I get all this stuff off me?”
Xander and Beckett enter the kitchen, while Quinn and Jordyn cast a glance at each other and then burst out laughing.
Fuck my life.
Why am I so close to my family?
“That is alook,” Jordyn finally comments with a grin.
Sliding her hand to her swollen belly, Quinn bends slightly, still laughing hysterically.
“I told you he was going to hook up with her,” Quinn finally chirps to Jordyn. “I just didn’t realize the proof would be all over him.”
“Fuck this. I need a drink,” I mumble and turn around to go look for one of the built-in bars.
Xander chuckles. “Good luck with that, bro. We don’t have a drop of alcohol in this house. Do you honestly think I’m going to let my baby have something like that around it?”
The corners of my lips twitch, and I can’t help but look at Quinn, who is staring at Xander like he hung the fucking moon for her. It’s not even that he doesn’t want alcohol in the house because it could be a temptation forhim, but because he doesn’t want it around his baby. That poor kid is going to grow up living in a bubble of Xander’s protection.Just like Quinn. But I think feeling safe is what Quinn needs. I’m pretty sure she never really had that before.
Just like Jordyn had never been treated like she was worth anything, so now my oldest brother treats her like a damnqueen. He’s still a total asshole at times, but somehow it works for them.
“I have a bottle in the car.” Cash grins smugly, then looks at Jordyn and winks. “Wanna come with me to get it, baby?”
Rolling her eyes, Jordyn turns her attention back to me. “No, I want Edward… I mean, Kian to tell me all about this woman.”
Quinn snorts and covers her mouth, looking at me apologetically as she tries to contain her laughter over the Edward comment. Fucking Christ.
Jordyn beams, obviously proud of herself, too. “Quinn said she was stunning.”
Stunning doesn’t even scratch the surface. She was interesting. Soft and innocent, though I got the distinct feeling she was aware of her surroundings. She observed things. Yet she seemed so carefree and up for a good time. Like she was living in the moment. I didn’t even see a phone in her hand once. Which was both refreshing and concerning. She was out in the city of Las Vegas, with no friends and no phone. That’s fucking reckless. And it pisses me off every time I think about it.
“Kian!” Jordyn snaps, pulling me out of my racing thoughts, “What was her name?”
“Ace,” I answer automatically.
Although I quite liked calling her my angel.
“Ace?” Xander looks skeptical as he sidles up to Quinn and slips his arm around her. The way she snuggles right into him is adorable; she practically relaxes when she does.
