Page 20 of Brazen Defiance (Brazen Boys #4)

Jansen

M y phone rings before noon, and I consider ignoring it. I only fell asleep a few hours ago.

But maybe trying to get on a more normal schedule would keep the itch under my skin from turning into a smoldering fire.

Who knows?

Seeing it’s Evie, I answer, “Hey.”

“Hi, Monster. Are you home?”

“Yeah. You already on the road?”

“I have sound check and want to get settled in. But I have a problem.”

“That I can help with?”

There’s a rustling on the other end. “Hopefully. Are any of your roommates allergic to cats?”

“Not that I know of. Did you find a stray or something?”

She chuckles. “Worse. You know how Mom’s new cat Prince Fluffington likes to curl up in bags?”

“Did you steal one of Mom’s cats?”

“Not on purpose! I closed the bag, but apparently not all the way and he made himself at home in there. He didn’t even announce his presence until ten minutes ago, and it’ll take too long to go home and drop him off. And James is allergic, so I can’t bring him to his place.”

“You sound like me, right now, Evie.”

“Don’t insult me, little brother. I know all your secrets. I can embarrass you in front of your new girl without breaking a sweat.”

“You know I can’t keep secrets. She already knows the best stuff.”

She laughs. “You’re ruining my games, Monster. Can you take his royal highness or not?”

“Why not? When are you heading back?”

“I’m here for the week.” I note that she’ll be here on the day of Emma’s concert tickets, and I’m excited to share that with Clara when she gets back.

“I’ll get a litter box and food then. Do you know what kind, or should I ask Mom?”

“Ask Mom. I’ll see you in an hour and a half.”

She hangs up, and I’m left in the dim light of my room with a legitimate task.

I know the guys have been making up stuff to keep me occupied, and while I appreciate it, I need more. This isn’t more, but at least it isn’t life busy-work.

Dialing my mom, I fill her in on Fluffington’s escape, and she finds the whole thing hilarious. “You know, I saw him with you over break, Jansen. That cat loves you more than me. So, if this works out, don’t feel bad about keeping him.”

“Mom, I’m not taking one of your cats.”

“I have four. And you know as well as I do, cats pick their people, not the other way around.”

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll see. Just text me what I need to buy for the next week.”

“Love you, Sweetling.”

“Love you, Mom.”

That awkwardness done, I throw on some clothes and set out to find someone to go cat shopping with me.

Walker’s in the kitchen, a bottle of kombucha in front of him, a regular notebook open with some notes scratched across the pages.

“You branching out from art?” I ask.

“Huh?” he looks up, not having heard me come in. “No, just running through all the scams I’ve ever heard of to see if anything would work to get us out of this.”

“Any luck?”

“No. None.”

“Want something else to do?” I ask, turning to start the kettle and pull out a bagel from the fridge. Smearing on the cream cheese, I wait for Walker to answer.

Suspicion is coming off the guy in waves. “What?”

“Are you allergic to cats?”

“No. Why?”

“Good. Want to go buy some cat stuff?”

“Why are you buying cat stuff, Jansen? Did you just buy a cat without talking to the rest of us?”

I feel a little hurt at the accusation, but honestly, it sounds like something I’d do. “No, nothing like that. We’re just going to have a feline visitor this week while Evie’s in town.”

“Evie travels with a cat? And then leaves it with you?”

“She stole our mom’s cat. On accident, but the friend she’s staying with is allergic, so I said I’d take him. His royal highness is really sweet, so it’ll be fine.”

Walker laughs loud and long, and I’m not sure what to say. “So, you’re saying it runs in the family?” he chokes out.

“What?”

He waves his arms around, gesturing at me in general.

Taking a bite of the bagel, I glare. “I think I’m supposed to be offended, dude.”

He chuckles, then closes the notebook. “Nah. We love you, man. I just wasn’t expecting the sister who got you on track to also end up with unplanned cats. I’ll go get ready.”

He leaves after burning his notes in the sink, the kettle whistling and letting me make some tea. A purpose helps the tiniest bit, but I’ve got to do more to survive this temporary ban on theft. And it had better be temporary. Maybe I should take up martial arts or something? Boxing?

No. I don’t want to spend that much time with Trips right now.

I’m still pissed, but less upset than I was a week ago.

He’s so angry with himself that it’s impossible to spend time with the asshole without getting madder than I was when I started.

It’s like his guilt makes me want to kick him.

It makes no sense, but it is what it is.

When I’m away from him, though, I almost feel sorry for the asshole.

Almost.

Checking the clock, I wonder when Clara will be back. The house was quiet last night, all of us staying in our own rooms for the first time in what feels like months. Lonely. I was lonely.

The timer chirps, so I pull out the spent tea and hop up on the counter to enjoy it with the last few bites of bagel.

Shopping with Walker feels routine, which isn’t helping my buzzy skin, but I don’t know what else to do other than plow forward.

Luckily, it turns out that shopping for a cat is weirdly fun.

We get a cheap-ass litter box and the litter my mom has, as well as the food she said he likes.

But then, we end up buying way too many toys—fluffy feathers on sticks and tiny catnip mice.

And a few different varieties of cat treats, because I remember he can be picky about which ones he likes.

His royal highness is going to be spoiled during his week with us.

Walker gets into it and spends way too long deciding which catnip mice we should get, and eventually, unable to decide, tosses them both in the cart.

The woman at the checkout is ecstatic when she rings us up. “You guys are such a cute couple! Your cat is going to be so lucky to have you two.”

I wrap my arm around Walker as he gets tense, ready for a little trouble. “And don’t you know, this sweet thing here has a list of thirty-two possible names? So excited!” I smack my lips against the side of his head, and with a sigh, he melts, playing the role with me.

“As if you can talk. How many different treats can a single cat eat? You’re going to give the poor kitty a tummy ache.”

I chuckle and scoop up the bags of treats and toys into the litter box, leaving the tub of litter for Walker to haul out. “Thanks, love,” I call to the clerk, leading us out of the shop.

Walker curses me the whole way to the car. “We might get naked together, Jansen, but I’m not into you.”

Laughing, I toss the stuff into the back of his SUV. “Dude, I know that. But that was fun. And don’t you like to play roles? If I can’t steal shit, this has got to be enough, right?”

He shakes his head, but he’s smiling. “Okay, fine. Yeah. That was fun. But what did you take?” He slides into the driver’s seat, and I bounce into the passenger side.

“Who says I stole anything?”

“Your name is Jansen Pierce. If there isn’t something in your pockets, I owe you dinner.”

“Wining and dining me? Hoping to get lucky, then?”

He shoves me, then waits for me to pull out some jingle balls from the sleeve of my coat. “I guess nobody’s getting wined and dined, then,” I say.

“Dude, those jingle. I don’t... Never mind. And just because I’m not taking you out doesn’t mean we’re not getting lucky.”

I sigh, wishing Clara were with us. “Very lucky.”

We head back home, both of us in our own heads.

“How serious do you think Trips’ dad was about her not being with all of us?” he asks after a while.

“No idea.”

“How would he even enforce that? We’re all in our house together—what goes on in there is our business, not anyone else’s.”

Something that feels an awful lot like dread hits me straight in the gut. “Don’t say shit like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re tempting fate. Like we’re safe when we’re anything but. Shit, man. What if you just jinxed us?”

“Jinxing is something kids worry about. It’s not real, Jay.”

“Do you know that for sure? Because I sure as shit don’t.”

He doesn’t say anything else until we’re pulling up to the house, Trips’ car missing.

Clara will be home soon. Thank goodness.

Walker turns to me. “I won’t let him have her.”

“Trips?”

“His dad. And maybe that means Trips too. I don’t know right now.”

“I feel that. I’m not giving her up either.”

“If it comes down to running, could you do that? Leave Evie and your mom and disappear?”

My stomach drops, but I know the answer the second he finishes asking. “It’s the last thing I’d want to do, but yeah. If I had to, I would.”

“Start your goodbyes. Quietly.”

“Are you doing that?”

His face falls. “I’m hoping we make it to Lunar New Year. I can say my goodbyes then and it won’t raise any flags.”

“Do you have papers for us?”

“I’m working on them. Passports are fiddly assholes. Especially when you have to learn more than one country’s designs. But I’m getting closer. Close enough for RJ to find supplies, at least.”

“More than one country’s designs?”

“How do you feel about being Canadian? RJ got good identities for us both from there.”

Swallowing down my fear, I shrug. Canadian? At least I look the part. Then I force a grin on my face, not liking how heavy everything has been lately. “I’ll get you a handsome mug of me. I don’t want my new identity to be saddled with a photo where I look like I’m a serial killer.”

A smirk creases his face, and we both hop out of the car. “Challenge accepted. Serial killer photo for Jansen.”

I shove him, and he stumbles, laughing.

“Jerk.”

Carrying the stuff to the house, I’m a little lighter. Not better, not by a long shot, but maybe today will be a good day. We’re owed one at this point.

The universe can give us that, at least.