Page 54

Right after the first storm, I updated my brother on where I ended up. I didn’t want to tell him too much, so I settled on the basics, letting him know that I’m in Bay Pines and working at Maxwell’s.

I didn’t want him to worry, and I thought it was important that someone know where I was.

He mentioned that Tommy called him, which wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but I was expecting it. At the point my ex reached out, Austin had no idea where I was, so he couldn’t tell him.

I still asked him not to tell Tommy anything if he called again. Austin didn’t say I told you so, but I could tell he wasn’t surprised that things went south between us.

If my brother could see me now, he’d develop an ulcer.

I really have put a lot of faith in Bryant, Lawson, and Luka, but it’s not like I had a ton of options.

The first bad choice I made was trusting Tommy enough to move states away after only knowing him in person for two weeks. I was nervous then, but I ignored my instincts.

My gut tells me I’m safe with these guys, and I can only hope that I can trust my intuition not to lead me astray.

The fact the house is practically a mansion adds a whole different kind of stress to the situation.

If I pursue them, will they think I’m a gold digger?

Yeah, I knew they owned two businesses, but I guess I didn’t realize they had the kind of money that it would take to live in a place like this. Hell, I couldn’t even pay the electricity bill for this house.

Echo bolts past us as we stand in the living room, and Shadow runs by a few seconds later. Their nails clack on the wood flooring, and I can only pray they don’t get too rough and cause damage.

The interior of the house is just as fancy as the exterior. When we first came in through the hallway that connects the garage to the house, we stepped into a combination laundry room, mudroom, and storage area.

Luka pointed out the gym that’s on the same hallway as we passed through, and then we ended up here.

The living room is on the back side of the house, and it has two large windows that look over a spacious porch at the rear of the home.

“You can’t see it with how dark it is, but the backyard is fenced in,” Bryant says, nodding to the windows. “Past that and down the hill, you’ll find the lake. During the day, you can see the water right from here.”

“Wow, I bet it’s beautiful.”

“It is,” Lawson agrees, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Are you warm enough? We can bump up the heat or turn on the fireplace.” He nods to the other side of the room, and I naturally follow his line of sight.

The ceiling is crazy high, making the already large room feel even more spacious. The majority of the wall on the right is taken up by a massive sectional with loungers on either end. There are two large club chairs, a coffee table, and a television. The far wall has a brick fireplace that would be picture-perfect when decorated for Christmas.

“I’m good,” I say, smiling. “A little nervous about where Echo ran off to.”

Lawson shrugs. “There’s nothing she can destroy that we can’t replace.”

“When Shadow was younger, he ate every pair of boots I owned for like a year straight,” Bryant chimes in. “Come on, let us show you the rest of the house.”

Luka’s hand comes to rest on my back as we follow Bryant and Lawson. “If you take a right here, that hallway leads to the back stairs.”

I nod, trying not to let how out of place I feel show on my face.

I’m definitely going to get lost a time or two.

Just past the living room is a formal dining room, and beyond that is the kitchen. It has an open, airy design with an island in the middle.

The cabinets extend out on the side we enter from, and a circular booth breakfast nook edges up to the counter. I’m not really sure how else to describe it, but it’s like the kind you would find in a restaurant. It looks like it would be an easy place to enjoy a meal on the go. Carrying dishes over to it would be much easier than taking them over to the formal dining room. Not to mention, it would give everyone a place to hang out while someone was cooking.

The cabinets are white, and the fixtures are black. Even if I tried to describe everything, I wouldn’t do it justice.

I’ve never seen such a lavish kitchen in my life, and it’s spotless. I’d be afraid to cook in it and ruin the aesthetic.

They lead the way down another hallway, and we end up in another living room.