Page 24 of Every Sunset

ANNA

Max left for work as soon as we were all finished eating. He said a friend was picking him up, and I was both pleased and surprised when I peeked out of the window to see the ‘friend’ who picked him up was a young girl, though she was obviously older than Max if she was driving.

“Is that his girlfriend?” Maddox asked, startling me. When I dropped the slat of the blind I’d been spying through and turned, I found him right behind me, so close I almost smashed into him.

“Max has a girlfriend?” I asked as I instantly took a step back, and then walked around Madd to get away from him. I couldn’t be that close. It was too much. He was too much - but in all of the best and most sinful ways.

“Don’t know,” Maddox shrugged as he started following me back to the kitchen. “He talks a lot about some girl he works with. I don’t remember her name.”

“Jade. She works as a lifeguard too. Max told me they’re just friends, but he definitely has a major crush on her,” Logan added, obviously having heard our conversation.

“I didn’t know,” I admitted. Max had barely spoken to me other than to tell me how worried he was about me since we moved there.

Part of me was relieved he had been talking to the guys at least, but a part of me was wracked with guilt that he had felt he couldn’t come to me with the things going on in his new life.

He had always told me everything, and now he felt he couldn’t. That had to change.

“It’s not a big deal, Anna. She’s just a friend,” Maddox told me, his eyes, filled with sympathy, locked on mine.

“I’ve been a useless mom to him lately. He used to tell me everything,” I sighed, sinking down into a stool at the island counter that filled the center of the huge open space.

“He’s a fifteen, almost sixteen, year old kid. I really doubt he told you everything,” Logan chuckled as he closed the dishwasher.

“Max is fine, Anna. You need to stop dragging yourself through that guilt trip over and over again,” Maddox told me as he took the seat kitty corner to me and placed his much bigger hand over mine. His olive skin tone contrasted so deeply against my own pale coloring.

“He’s not fine. He’s just doing much better at hiding what he’s been through than I am.”

“Maybe if we knew exactly what happened, we could help him through it. Help both of you through it,” Madd pushed.

“No,” I said flatly, ripping my hand out from beneath his and crossing my arms over my chest. “That’s not going to happen, so if that’s what you want, you’re gonna be shit out of luck,” I told him snarkily, turning a glare to Logan for good measure too.

“You know that’s not what we want, sweetheart,” Logan sighed as he approached and took the stool beside me, leaning in to me as close as he could without touching me. “We just want to be here for you, and for Max. We don’t have any ulterior motives here.”

“I need to know you’re safe,” Maddox added, and when I turned to him his face looked filled with concern.

“But why?” I demanded. “I don’t even get this. You don’t know me, yet you rent that beautiful place to me for a fraction of what it’s worth, look out for my son and me from the day you met us, and now all of this. Why?”

“We both care about you, Anna,” Logan answered, his hand finding mine on the counter and intertwining our fingers. “You know that, don’t you?”

“She knows,” Maddox cut in before I could utter a word.

“You…you mean you want to get in my pants? Is that it?” I asked with irritation.

That had to be it, right? They were obviously wealthy, and very clearly panty-meltingly hot and handsome.

They could get pretty much any girl they turned those spectacular smiles on.

Why would they want me, except for the fact that it was convenient?

Maybe they made a bet or something. It wouldn’t be the first time for me.

In high school I was the butt of many a joke, and several idiotic bets, as the trailer trash kid with scruffy clothes and a bad attitude.

Guys seemed to think it would be quite the conquest to get me into bed.

Thankfully, life with my father had made me smart and street wise enough to never fall for it.

“No!” Logan cried at the exact same time his brother smirked my way. Logan looked horrified when he saw his brothers face. He grabbed my hand and pulled it closer to his body, snagging my attention. “No, Anna. Maddox doesn’t want that either, he’s just being an ass.”

“The fuck I don’t,” Maddox bit back. “Of course I want to get my hands on your body, Anna. What red blooded man wouldn’t? You’re gorgeous.” I turned to him with an exaggerated roll of my eyes.

“Madd!” Logan snapped.

“What? You don’t think she’s perfection, brother?”

“No! I mean….yes, of course. But what I was trying to say is that’s not why we care about you, Anna. Of course you’re beautiful and sexy, and what Madd said is true, we’re both into you, but that’s not why we’re trying to help. Not the only reason, anyway.” Logan floundered.

“Yeah, what he said,” Maddox agreed, with another smirk that had heat rushing through me.

“You’re into me?” I uttered with complete confusion. “Both of you?” I had to have taken what Logan said the wrong way.

“Shit. I probably shouldn’t have worded it like that. I know it’s sounds odd, but Madd and I, we have had relationships like that in the past. It feels kinda normal to us I guess?” Logan shrugged as he watched me like he feared I’d flee.

Was I going to? The jury was still out. Both of them and me? In one relationship?

“How would that…do you…I mean, you’re brothers?” I stuttered as I tried to take it all in.

“It was a while ago now, but the couple of short relationships we had together involved us being with the same woman, but never at the same time….not when it comes to sex. Does that make sense?” Logan asked, seeming a little flustered himself.

“Yeah, I guess,” I nodded. “I just…this is crazy, you know? I’ve been here two weeks. Is that what you want…with me? Both of you? Is that why…”

“Jesus Anna, just breathe. We’re not asking you to join our sex cult or anything.

We’re not asking for anything but the chance to get to know you, and for you to know us.

We’re just being upfront with you because you asked,” Maddox told me, and I realized I was freaking out slightly.

And maybe overreacting a little too. But seriously?

Did they just say they wanted to be in some kind of ménage relationship with me?

“I shouldn’t have asked,” I uttered more to myself, but it came out loud enough for them both to hear, and Logan just chuckled.

“How about for now we just table those questions and answers?” Madd offered and I eagerly nodded. Anything to change the subject before my head exploded.

“Let’s talk about last night,” he went on, and I looked up to him with resignation.

“I’m so sorry,” I told them both with some shame. “I honestly don’t know what happened. I swear I’ve never done that before.”

“Like I told you last night, you have nothing to apologize for, so please don’t. We’re just worried about you. I know you don’t want to talk to us about the past, but maybe you should talk to someone.”

“There’s no need. I really am all good. It was just a rough day yesterday,” I lied. What else could I do? I was a long way from ‘all good’ and I knew it, but I wasn’t going to tell that to two men I barely knew. And even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.

“We already told you we won’t make you tell us anything, beautiful, but please don’t lie to us. We both saw you last night, so we know you’re far from ‘all good,’” Maddox sighed tiredly.

“You barely know me. You have no idea what I am and am not!” I snapped defensively. It was easier than breaking down and telling them how right they were.

“I know what happened to you last night though, Anna. I’ve been through what happened to you more than once after the attack,” Maddox admitted and I felt Logan’s whole body tense at my side.

“The attack?” Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed when I refused to give them anything of my past, but I needed to know. I needed to understand the pain I saw in Maddox’s face sometimes when he looked at me. I needed to understand his fear that seemed to mirror my own almost exactly.

Logan had told me, during the night I found Maddox drunk in the garden, that there had been an incident that ended Maddox’s career. I suspected this was that incident.

“Yeah. I lived in Los Angeles before this. I was S.W.A.T with the LAPD,” Maddox started, but it felt like it pained him to speak every word and I found myself seeking out his hand, which sat in his lap, and sliding my own into it, just needing him to know I was with him.

“I’d always wanted to be a cop, which was ironic considering how we grew up,” he laughed and looked to Logan. I did too and Logan explained,

“Our parents were criminals. White collar criminals.

Our dad ran a con basically that duped people out of money with promises of investments in these elaborate hotel developments.

He was convincing, especially with our mom on his arm, selling the tale right along with him.

They moved from town to town, mixing with high society and carefully getting wealthy clients invested in their schemes, all of which were nothing more than the paper they were printed on.

“It was easy for them, since they both came from wealthy families. This place belonged to our grandfather on our mom’s side. Our Dad’s family were pretty wealthy too.”

“But why? I mean, if they were wealthy…?”