Page 36 of Filthy Rich Brother’s Best Friends (Filthy Rich Harems #5)

Miles

I hear the front door slam shut.

I glance up from the stove. The water’s just started boiling and I’m about to throw some pasta in for dinner.

Jude isn’t one to slam doors, so something must have pissed Reid off again. I move across the kitchen and glance toward the entryway.When I see them, I stop.

Lola is wrapped in Jude’s arms in the foyer. She’s not crying, but she’s close. I’ve never seen her look so outwardly disheveled. It throws me for a moment.

Her ponytail is lopsided and half of it has fallen out of the band. There’s also mascara smudged under her eyes.

I can tell by Jude’s posture that he’s angry. I’ve rarely seen him truly angry. That’s an emotion usually reserved for Reid in this house. But Jude’s jaw is set in a way that makes it very clear that if anyone even breathes wrong in Lola’s direction, he’s prepared to launch.

I feel like I’m intruding on something. Jude is rubbing his hand up and down Lola’s back, and her fingers are balled tightly in his shirt. I’m so used to being on the outside that it takes me a moment to remember I have every right to be here.

“What happened?” I step closer to them.

Lola doesn’t answer.

Jude changes his stance to hold her tighter. “Roommates crossed a line,” he says. “She’s not staying there another night.”

Footsteps sound from behind us. Reid rounds the corner, already mid-sentence. “Hey, did either of you?—”

He stops.

His attention moves between Lola’s face, the way her hands are still clenched in Jude’s shirt, and the protectiveness in Jude’s stance.

“What’s going on?” Reid asks.

“More bullshit from her roommates,” Jude answers.

I watch Reid unravel as something raw flickers in his expression—shock, guilt, fury.

After a moment, he crosses the room in three fast strides.

“I didn’t touch her. I swear to you, Lola—I didn’t do anything. I wouldn’t.”

When she doesn’t answer right away, he continues.“I fucked up,” he says, voice rough. “But I didn’t touch her. I swear, baby. Please .”

“I know.” She reaches out and touches his arm. “I don’t even think it’s really about you.”

Her voice cracks halfway through it, and she looks so damn sad. Jude’s arms tighten around her even more.

“She’s moving in,” Jude says. His tone leaves no room for pushback. “Starting tonight.”

“I was just starting dinner,” I say. “We can figure the rest out while we eat.”

We eat spaghetti and talk through how to get her out of there as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“Let’s go as soon as we’re done,” I say. “I’m worried about them doing something to your stuff. Fucking up your clothes or stealing things. I don’t know. What are they capable of?”

“I’m not sure but I just want to sleep,” Lola says.

Jude nods and starts leading her toward his room. I stop her before she can walk away.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say. “If we leave your things there, you may not get them back.”

“I just can’t tonight, Miles.”

“Then we’ll take care of it for you.”

“I’ve got a key, Miles,” Jude offers.

“What do you want packed?” Reid asks.

“Essentials only,” I tell him. “Things they’d target first. Electronics. Paperwork. Anything personal. If it’s replaceable, we’ll get it later.”

He nods and slips a pair of sneakers on.

“I’ll get her settled in my room,” Jude says. He steps past Reid and pulls his keys from his pocket. He hands them to me without hesitation.

I take them and glance at Lola. “We’ve got it under control.”

She gives me a huge hug and my heart melts.

“My laptop is in my black bag sitting on my bed—the charger is in there too. I have a small safe under my bed where I keep things like my passport. If you can, please grab my cosmetics bag on the counter in my bathroom. And then if you’d throw some leggings and tanks in one of the bags on my closet floor, I think that will be enough. ”

We let ourselves in with the key and, thank god, it appears her roommates aren’t there anymore.

We don’t waste any time. We both head upstairs to her room and grab the few things she mentioned and anything else we can carry.

We bring it all back to the house and I begin to work on the next action item.

I dial Frankie. She picks up halfway through the second ring.

“What’s up, boss?” she says.

“I need a moving crew first thing in the morning.”

“Are you moving out of that place already? I thought you liked it.”

“The movers are for Lola. We’re moving her into our place. I think it’ll just be her bedroom furniture and clothes. I’ll have to ask her if anything else in the house belongs to her.”

She makes a garbled sound. “You want a crew at a private residence tomorrow morning, with no prep time and no clear inventory?”

“Yes.”

“Love that for me.”

I hear a clatter in the background. Probably her cat knocking something over again.

“You paying in blood, favors, or a ridiculous amount of money?”

“Whatever gets them there first thing in the morning.”

She whistles. “Obscene money it is. And I’m writing ‘urgent act of love’ in the job notes.”

“Take that out.”

“Oh, it’s in all caps.”

I exhale through my nose. “She’s not safe there, Frankie. This isn’t a game. I want everything packed and in my house first thing in the morning.”

“You’re going to owe me a bottle of something aged and expensive. On top of my usual fee, of course.”

“I assumed as much.”

“I’ll text you the details when I have them.” She hangs up before I can thank her.

The next morning four movers arrive at six thirty. I meet them to open the door and show them where Lola’s room is.

As they pack everything up I sit on the floor outside her door and answer emails. I know if her roommates wake up and find out there are movers inside the house they’re going to lose their shit. As long as I’m here with them, I don’t think they can say a whole lot.

When Gigi finally appears to investigate, I make sure she doesn’t go into Lola’s room.

She’s standing above me in a frilly nightgown with a look of disgust on her face. “Miles, why are you on the floor? And what’s going on in Lola’s room?”

“It’s not Lola’s room anymore. She’s done with both of you. Moving in with us.”

“Are you kidding me? What is her problem?”

“ You were her problem, Gigi, but we just took care of it. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got some more work to do.” I focus again on my inbox while she stands there staring at me. She finally stomps off when she realizes I’ve got nothing else to say to her.

By the time the movers carry the last box across the lawn to our garage, the sun is shining brightly.

Another crew will arrive after lunch to prep Lola’s bedroom.

They’re going to paint and install a new closet system with lots of shelving and rods at different heights.

They’ll move everything up from the garage once it’s ready.

She won’t lift a finger. And she’ll never have to set foot in that house again.

I lock the garage and double-check the security panel before heading inside.

Lola’s laying on Jude’s bed, motionless beneath the blanket. She’s still in the same clothes from last night. Jude’s on one side, Reid on the other. Both are fully dressed and half-asleep.

I kick off my shoes and sit on the end of the mattress. Reid grumbles something under his breath. He moves closer to Lola, leaving a space between him and the edge of the bed.

“There’s room for you here, too, okay? Just don’t fucking spoon me.”

It’s not comfortable. The mattress dips unevenly beneath our weight, and the room is too warm.

Then she exhales softly between us.

I’ll sleep on a bed of rocks if it means being close to her like this.