“Jackie…” The low warning hums between us, landing exactly where I don’t want it to.
“Fine. I’ll be a proper lady.”
His answering snort would offend me if I weren’t more worried about my body’s reaction to every fucking little thing he does.
“And no more lobbying for your brother to send me packing.”
Eyebrows up to my hairline, I open my mouth to defend myself, but nothing comes out.
“Don’t look so surprised,” he drawls, more smug than strictly necessary. “There are no secrets in this house. Including the fact that you still dance around in your underwear when you think you’re alone.”
I press my fingers to my brow, eyes squeezed shut. “This truce isn’t off to a great start.”
Another day, another death threat.Bodily harm, destruction of the company, some drivel about my bloodline, my inevitable downfall.They’re starting to sound repetitive. At this point, I might have to take Logan up on his offer to filter my emails. This nonsense is getting old.
Pacing Carter’s living room, I feel shackled by inaction, suspended in uncertainty, pissed off beyond measure. He’s vanished to God knows where, and I’m left twiddling my thumbs, staring out at the lake like an extremely dull version of Rapunzel.
An engine revs outside, and a small boat slips out of the waterside shed. It’s quite far away, but I’d recognize Adam’s broad shoulders and windswept hair anywhere.
I step closer to the window before I realize what I’m doing.
Years have turned the cute, athletic, fresh graduate into something far more dangerous: confident and devastatingly handsome. I’ve done my best to ignore the electric current that runs along my skin whenever he looks at me. One more touch and I might forget everything I hate about him.
Good thing we have rules now.
Noise at the front door jolts me out of the Adam-induced haze. A bright spot that instantly lifts my spirits clicks her heels on the hardwood entranceway.
“Where’s my darling princess?”
I turn toward the voice, rushed steps carrying me to my mom, and I wrap my arms around her, holding on longer than usual. She senses I need it and doesn’t let go until I pull away, smiling at her. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“You know our mother likes to make an entrance,” Carter says, fighting to keep a straight face. “I was threatened with bodily harm.”
Mom arches an elegant brow and looks Carter up and down. “Don’t forget I birthed you, and it shows. You have a flair for the dramatic too, with all that nearly-dying business.”
My brother caves, reverts to his teenage years and shoots Mom an annoyed look, grabbing her luggage. “It’s not like I did it on purpose. Come on, you can change in Jackie’s room before we drive to Uncle Kenneth’s.” He motions her up the stairs and, with a more serious tone, wipes away my grin. “Wait for me in the office. We need to talk.”
“Why does it sound like I’m in trouble?” I grumble, heading to the office, where he now spends his time instead of at our headquarters. Last year, when he stepped down, I bet hewouldn’t last more than a month. Yet here he is, running his own business hub, meddling in town affairs. It’s unreal.
His perennially pristine and empty desk now holds a few photo frames in the corner, no doubt Eliza’s suggestions, because my brother hasn’t got an aesthetic bone in his body. The largest one is a selfie she took last summer when they went kayaking. She’s a bit sunburnt and laughing while my brother looks at her like she’s magic. The next photo makes me smile: it’s the two of us with Mom at the housewarming party. I’d never seen him that happy before.
My heart squeezes painfully when I pick up the last picture. In a light blue frame, an old photo of me sandwiched between Adam and Carter brings back so many bittersweet memories. I’d been deliriously in love that year, planning to tell my brother after graduating in a few months, hoping he’d help me deal with Dad’s strategic marriage schemes.
In the end, I didn’t have to.
“That was a fun trip.”
I jump, fumbling to keep hold of the frame.
“Yeah, good times.” I have no intention of going down memory lane. “What’s happened?”
He studies me, his stare turning razor-sharp, but doesn’t push it. “Let’s sit.”
My pulse spikes and my fingers curl into fists. “Oh God. It’s bad, isn’t it?”
As usual, my brother’s unruffled. He settles into one of the two armchairs by the large window, so I mirror him, the sense of dread pressing on my eardrums.
“I had an emergency meeting with the FBI and Logan at their offices. That’s why I left last night.”
