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Ryan’s a pretty boy with a magnanimous grin, but I don’t trust him, and from the way Emryn’s acting, he’s created some nasty problems for her.

That ugly feeling in the pit of my stomach is warning me that trouble is brewing.

I don’t like him, but, for Emryn’s benefit, I plaster on a smile and pretend that I do.

“Good to meet you,” I say.

“I didn’t know my sister had hooked up with a dangerous MC dude,” Ryan jokes as he looks down at the insignia on my black leather jacket.

“We’re only dangerous if you cross us. You don’t plan to do that, do you?” I kid him back, but I’m also giving him a warning.

“No way, man. I’m a lover, not a fighter.

” Ryan clasps a hand to his heart, looking wounded that I would even suggest such a thing.

I’m sure he’s not stupid enough to go up against the Pride, or any other club, for that matter, but what he doesn’t understand is that Emryn and I are together, and what hurts her, hurts me.

“Ryan’s joining us for dinner,” Emryn says, changing the subject. “I made steak fajitas.” She looks from me to her brother. “Um, we’ll eat, then I’ll make up the spare bed.” Emmy sounds tense, and her hand is fisted into my jacket.

“Great, babe.” I look down into her eyes and drop a kiss on her lips. “Let’s get that on the table. I’ll give you a hand.”

“I’ll just wash up. Be right back.” Ryan excuses himself. I lead Emryn to the kitchen.

“Give me the quick version, Emmy,” I demand.

“He’s my brother, and I love him…” She trails off and avoids my eyes.

“Babe.” I call her attention back to me. “This is no time to hide shit. What are we in for?”

“He’s lost, okay?” she replies in a sharp whisper. “He’s older, and there are younger men to grace the pages of the glossy magazines. Ryan isn’t adjusting well to the changes that are happening. He refuses to accept it.”

I can understand that, but there’s more, I know it. “Okay, and…?”

Emryn shrugs. “Ryan spends more money than he’s making. He just figured the pot would always be full.”

“More, babe.”

“Ryan’s a charmer, and he’s got the ability to charm women, and most men. He shows up, they fawn all over him, and give him stuff. And then he leaves like the wind,” she says.

“He takes their money.” I say it like it is, crossing my arms over my chest.

“They give it to him.” Emryn tries to defend her brother. I want to get pissed, but if roles were reversed, I would be defending my sister too.

Yet, I lay it on the line. “Babe, he cons them out of their money. Including you. The reason you do it is out of love. That’s the only difference. That’s why you left the last place you lived. You didn’t want to live with the reputation he left behind,” I tell her, putting it all together.

Emryn looks up at me with huge, glossy eyes, trembling lips, and quivering chin. I’m fucking right! She doesn’t need to confirm it with words; her face tells the whole story. The little sister keeps pulling her big brother out of the fire and, in return, has had to start over.

“How many times have you moved?” I ask.

“Pardon?”

“You know what I’m asking, babe.”

“Five.” She tucks her lower lip between her teeth.

Her brother has gotten into a nasty habit of turning to Emryn every time he gets himself in trouble.

The question is, what brand of trouble is he in?

What’s worse, Emryn doesn’t live the high life and doesn’t have the kind of money he’s looking for, but he takes advantage of anyone she gets close to.

I suck in a breath, calming myself from going down the hall to throttle her brother with my bare hands. “That stops now. We’re building something, and he doesn’t factor into us. Are you with me?”

She nods. “I want that. More than anything,” she says quietly. I put my arms around her and kiss the top of her head.

“We’ll talk more later,” I reply with a grin.

Ryan returns as I carry the platter of fajitas over to the table.

He saunters in with an air of sophistication, and I see how his presence would turn heads.

His mask never slips, not through dinner, or afterward.

He casually talks up a storm about anything and everything.

The thing is, he says so much that means so little.

A master con artist also knows when he’s got his prey in hand, and Ryan is well aware that I’m not buying what he’s selling.

So, it stands to reason that his next line of offense will be to get rid of me. Ryan’s going to find out that won’t be an option. He keeps glancing at his watch. A gesture that seems innocent enough, but I think it’s his way of telling me to leave.

Instead, I get up, taking Emryn with me.

“It’s late, baby. Why don’t you get ready for bed, and I’ll clear away this stuff, then lock up, and I’ll be right in,” I say.

Emryn blinks, obviously not expecting me to stay when her brother is visiting, but there’s no way Ryan’s going to get her alone to sing his sad sob story to.

“Are you sure? I can do it,” she mumbles.

“You’ve had a long day. I got this.” I then turn to Ryan. “Maybe you can give me a hand?”

Direct hit! Finally, a chink in his armor.

The mask slips, just for a millisecond, but I see his annoyance, and I take it as a personal triumph.

Ryan recovers quickly. “Glad to help.” He goes through the motions of picking up the coffee cups and setting them in the dishwasher as Emryn says good night and goes to the bedroom.

As soon as Emryn disappears, Ryan also retires for the night, giving me the opportunity to make some calls. I step out onto the front porch and call Guard.

Guard answers the phone. “Yo, man, you okay?”

“That storm, it’s here,” I reply.

“Damn,” he swears, then I hear him shuffling around and telling Ava he’ll be right back. “Give it to me.”

“Her brother blew into town. He’s trouble, and he brings trouble to Emmy.

I need to know what sort of shit he’s mixed up in,” I tell him.

I go on to explain what Emmy relayed and the gut feeling I have about not leaving her alone with him.

“I don’t think he’d dirty his hands by physically assaulting her, but he fucks with her head, pouring on the guilt.

And he’s smooth, brother, like a crocodile wading in the swamp, ready to strike. ”

“Orion and Wildcard will get on that in the morning. If there’s something to find, they’d be the ones to uncover it. In the meantime, we’ll think of a way to keep Emryn busy, putting some distance between her and her brother,” Guard returns.

Together, we formulate a plan, and the first one up is Ava.

She’ll be by tomorrow morning and will need desperate help that only Emryn can provide.

Emmy’s already shared that she’s meeting a couple tomorrow evening for work, so by the time she’s on her way home, I’ll be here.

I feel better knowing that we have the day worked out.

The bedside lamp is on, and Emryn’s sitting up in bed. “You’re waiting for me,” I say.

Her expression is pensive and sad. “I didn’t tell him I moved.

My own brother, and I didn’t tell him where I live.

What kind of sister am I?” She goes on, answering her own question.

“I’m selfish. Family sticks together, like yours does.

But mine’s a mess, and as much as I love Ryan, I don’t like him very much right now.

” Emryn stares at me. “He’s right, you know.

I never said, ‘Hey, big brother, I miss you.’ But how do I do that knowing he’s going to mess up my life all over again? ”

Emeryn covers her face with her hands and begins to weep. I go to her, take her into my arms, and let her get it all out, at the same time silently vowing that Ryan won’t take advantage of his sister this time.