We all tramped back into the cabin where most of the men headed upstairs to their rooms to get dressed. Flint, I noted, did not. Instead, he walked over to the whiskey decanter, still clad in his boxers, and poured himself a snifter full. Shooting it down, he filled it again, plus two other glasses, and walked them over to me and Millie. It didn’t miss anyone’s notice that he’d completely snubbed Logan, the only other person in the room.
Knowing better than to add fuel to an already stoked fire, I asked my brother, “Would you like some whiskey?”
“Wouldn’t turn it down,” Logan spoke in his gravelly tone, as he eyeballed the large open space with a mixture of mistrust and appreciation. “Looks like you’ve done well for yourself, little brother.”
Flint’s gaze lit up angrily at the comment. “And why wouldn’t he?”
Logan’s lips thinned into a smug grin, like he guessed what the younger ware was angry about and found it humorous.
“Laurence is to thank for that,” I stated ambiguously, not wanting to get into my career choice, or how my mentor had given me the tools to be able to build most of my cabin.
“Ah, yes, the lordly Laurence. What’s he up to lately?” Logan facetiously posed, ignoring Flint’s blazing stare over the rim of his whiskey glass.
Knowing better than to rise to the bait, and give Flint an excuse to rise with me, I abstained. “He’s doing well. Busy with several more boys who’ve recently showed up at the house. A set of triplets, if I’m not mistaken.”
Logan snorted after taking a long gulp of his drink. “The man still thinks he’s a saint, I see.”
Accurately taking the temperature of the room, Millie jumped off the couch and blurted, “Who wants some snacks? I could really use something. Flint, why don’t you help me pop some popcorn in the kitchen. I’m having the biggest craving for some right now.”
His icy cold stare spoke volumes as Flint followed Millie into the kitchen.
“So, where did you meet the omega?” Logan inquired, as he got comfortable on the couch. “She’s something else.”
“Her name is Millie,” I reminded him, not willing to share our connection so he could exploit it down the road, “and yes, she is.”
My brother cracked half a smile then. “I can see why you called me. If I had someone like Millie, I’d knock my pride aside and make a few phone calls myself.”
Is that what he thought? This was about pride? Christ, this man could be so obtuse. “You think we went so many years without contact over “pride”, brother?”
Logan took a long moment to respond. “Maybe pride was the wrong word. Perhaps resentment would have been a better option.”
That comment hit the nail a little too hard on the head. “You know the phone works two ways, right?”
Logan full-on smiled this time. “I’m aware, yes.”
Gavin came down the stairs then, putting an end to the scratching of the surface of our complicated relationship. A few moments later, both Stark and Colt joined him. Once they got settled, I explained Millie’s predicament. By the time I was finishing up, my mate was heading back into the living room with several brimming bowls of popcorn. Damn, it looked like she was ready to feed an army with those things.
Flint, I could see, had one to himself. Plopping down onto a free seat in the far corner of the room, he began to snack with an almost angry vengeance.
I didn’t bother to tell him to go and get dressed. I knew he wasn’t trying to show off for anyone. He just hated leaving me alone with my brother. It wasn’t in his nature to allow his pack members to be vulnerable with anyone he didn’t trust, which spoke volumes about what he thought about Logan.
Millie’s new cell rang and she pulled it out of her pocket. “It’s work,” she told me as she reviewed the number. “I’ve got to take this.”
After taking the call in my study, she came back out and told me that the coffee shop was short staffed and her boss had asked her to cover an extra shift tomorrow.
I wasn’t happy about it, but I understood. Besides, I wasn’t going to argue about this with the others around. Especially Logan, who was watching me especially close for my reaction.
“I better turn in now if I’m going to work the early shift tomorrow. Don’t stay up too late,” she said, before giving me a sweet kiss and heading upstairs to bed.
Millie
I woke up from a dead sleep, profusely sweating and feeling dehydrated. Desperately needing some water, I carefully extracted myself from Ethan’s arms and tip-toed to the bathroom.
Since I didn’t have a cup and didn’t want to slurp from the faucet like a wild animal, I decided to go downstairs for one. The more I thought about it, the more I thought orange juice was sounding like a better option to quench my thirst, and there was a brand-new cartoon in the fridge with my name on it.
Making sure not to wake anyone, as all of the bedrooms were full now that Logan had arrived, I crept quietly down the mezzanine hallway that led to the stairwell. Just as my foot fell on the first step, I heard someone talking in the living room.
“That’s what I said. Aren’t you listening?” The voice groused in a growly tone. “No. Not yet. Soon though. I’m working on it.”
