Page 24

24

brITT

I SHOULD TELL YOU…

W alking into my kitchen, I smile when I find X sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and an ugly scowl. “Morning Brat, I missed you last night.”

He missed me, because I got in late, like usual, and snuck up to my room, like usual. I was with Jack, like usual, at his sister’s house while we ate shit, talked shit, and picked on each other.

I walk up behind X’s chair and press a kiss to the top of his shaggy brown hair. “Morning, cranky.”

We have a pop quiz coming up in class today, and with the manners of a baboon, Evie basically demanded I help her study. She doesn’t do well with weakness, and this particular math problem is her weakness; thus, the baboon manners.

Some may consider my help favoritism, and well, it kind of is. It’s not like I give one-on-one tutoring to all my students, but then again, I don’t particularly care.

I like the kid, and she works hard. She wants to learn. I won’t ever tell her no when she asks for clarification on something we learn in class.

Jack and I have been seeing each other for a while now. It’s been a month since we danced in the rain.

He’s talking about moving back into his own house, but he has a fight coming up in a few weeks that keeps derailing his plans. If he wins this fight, the guys said it’s time to go back to training camp in preparation to take back his belt .

No big deal or anything.

“Brat?”

My eyes snap to Alex’s. “Huh?”

“You were out late last night.”

“Oh, yeah. Busy.”

Despite the fact he’s sitting and I’m standing, he still manages to frown and look down his nose.

Big brother Alex has come to play.

“Are you seeing someone?”

The heat races to my cheeks as I turn to the fridge. I know the history between my brothers and Jack and his family. It hasn’t come up at the house. I’m not even sure the rest of the Kincaids know who I am or who I’m related to, but Jack knows, and he thinks it’s funny as hell.

“Yeah.” Gathering my bravery, I turn around. “I am, actually. I’m seeing a guy.”

“Who is he? Is he a criminal?”

“No.” Laughing, I take a carton of milk from the fridge. “He’s not a criminal. At least, I don’t think he is.”

“You don’t think so? What the hell is the matter with you? You didn’t even ask?”

“Well, if people really are criminals, then they’ll probably just lie when I ask, right?”

“Right.”

“So what’s the point of asking?”

“People who tell the truth are the kind of people you wanna know.”

“So if they answer yes, they are criminals…?”

“Then at least they told the truth.”

I laugh at my brother’s stupid man logic. “So I’ll keep my eyes peeled for criminals that tell the truth.”

He rolls his eyes. “Funny. So who is he?”

“Actually, I was thinking of bringing him over for dinner or something.”

His brows shoot up so high, his scruffy hair almost covers them. “You want to bring him home?”

Taking down a mug, I set it under the coffee machine spout and hit the button. “Yeah, I do.”

“That’s serious, Britt.”

I nod and inhale the scent of caffeine and maybe a little love. “Yeah, he’s a serious kinda guy. ”

“Is it that guy from school?”

I shudder even before his name fully registers in my head. “Brad? God no. I think if you’re looking for a guy who would lie when asked if he’s a criminal, it might be him.”

“Is he giving you trouble?” Alex sets his coffee cup down with a sharp snap. “I can drop by the school, let him know who he’s fucking with.”

Rolling my eyes, I collect my coffee and bring the aromatic mug to my nose. “No, he’s fine. He’s not giving me trouble.”

In fact, I haven’t seen him in ages. He stopped dropping by my classroom after he claimed he was training and going pro.

To be honest, I haven’t given him a second thought.

He can stay on his side of the school and pretend to be a badass, and I’ll stay on mine, and perv on Jack on the days he picks me up.

“Alright,” Alex sighs. “Tell that fucker I’m watching him. Other than that, you organize what you want, dinner or whatever, tell me what day. I’ll make sure I’m here to meet your boyfriend .” He brings a hand down to rest on his holstered gun. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Stop it, X.” I slap his shoulder. “This is why I didn’t tell you yet.”

“You just assaulted an officer, Brat.”

“Why don’t you put me in lockup then, huh? It’d be quieter there than it is here half the time.”

“I wouldn’t lock you up. I save the tank for trouble makers. And Kincaids.”

I snort and escape back upstairs to finish getting ready for school before I tell him I’m dating a sort-of-Kincaid. I can’t decide if I should worry, or if it’ll be funny as hell.

Later that afternoon, after class, after the dreaded pop quiz, after I already marked Evie’s paper during my lunch break simply because I wanted to know how she did, I pack up my desk, swing my bag over my shoulder, and head into the hallway.

Kids sprint in every direction, and the screeching and slamming of locker doors drown out the sounds my heels make on the tile floor.

I love my job. Even if I have to dress way down… and by down, I mean up.

I don’t mind wearing my school teacher getup, because every time a kid learns something new, every time they pay attention in class, or when they raise their hand without prompting, every time I write up end of term reports and compare to the one before to find they’ve improved, it makes my job worthwhile.

It makes my job the best in the world.

“Hey, B!”

I turn toward Laine’s calling voice and smile. Slowing my steps, I wait for her to run in three-inch heels and catch up. “Anyone would think you’re avoiding me,” she grumbles. “What the eff, Turner?”

“I’m not avoiding you. I’ve just been busy. What’s happening?”

She falls into step beside me. “Jesus, you guys find a man, and I’m out in the cold. Twenty years of friendship, and I’m lonely and sad while you’re busy hooking up.”

I laugh. “Who else is hooking up? You can’t be that lonely. You have a twin. Aren’t you still connected by osmosis?”

She rolls her eyes. “Thank god we’re not. She’s been hooking up, too. I don’t want to osmose her love life.”

“What about Kari?”

She shrugs. “I think she’s hooking up. She’s being all shady, but my super sleuth ways haven’t figured out who her man is yet. She’s not sharing. Then there’s you with the guy with the ass. Everyone’s getting married.”

I snort. “I’m not getting married, so you can cool your damn jets.”

“Don’t say damn at school, Miss Brittany. That’s naughty.”

Pushing her aside with a laugh, I turn the corner and slam face first into a broad chest. Large hands grab my arms to steady me before I fall on my ass.

At first, I smile, because I think Jack’s here and my jealous friend will just have to deal. The man holding me up has big, sexy arms like Jack. The tendons stand out and the muscles bulge. He wears a leather jacket like Jack’s, with the sleeves rolled up.

But then common sense catches up when I realize it’s not him.

Without looking at his face, I know it’s not him. The tendons, bare of ink, stand out. Jack’s arms are covered in ink. The leather jacket looks like Jack’s, but it doesn’t smell even close to how it should.

Looking up, I come eye to eye with a man that’s definitely not Jack.

“Well, hey, Britt. Fancy running into you here.”

I watch his chiseled jaw move, his light stubble coating his chin in a legitimately sexy way. His lips move into a smirk… and my blood runs cold .

Brad still looks like Brad, but bigger.

And a little scary.

I swear he’s gained thirty pounds at least, but not fat. Muscle.

Arms.

Chest.

Even his thighs take up more room in his jeans.

“Brad.”

“Hey. You look pretty today.”

Narrowing my eyes, I step out of his hold and move back until my shoulder touches Laine’s. When we went out on a date, he was nice. He was boring , but he was nice. When he had his hands on me, they were simply… there.

Now they give me the creeps.

I don’t know if it’s simply because I’m seeing Jack, and I know Brad’s hands on me would bother him, or if Brad legitimately gives me the creeps.

Either way, I step far enough back that his hands can’t accidentally touch me.

“How’ve you been, Britt?”

“Good.” The same way Evie and Bean clasp hands for comfort, I take Laine’s in mine and hide them behind our bodies. “I’ve been good. You look different.”

Brad stands tall and proudly shows off his broader-than-usual chest. “Yeah, I’ve been training over at the Devil’s Muay Thai gym.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh-huh. I tried out a few gyms in town, but they were all incompetent fools that didn’t quite know how to train someone of my… caliber. Then I found the Devil’s, and Maurice, my trainer; he really knows what he’s doing.”

Laine’s bright blue eyes sparkle with something on the very opposite spectrum of impressed . “That’s cool.” She doesn’t think it’s cool at all. “Anyway, we gotta go, right Britt? You have that date tonight.”

I close my eyes in defeat when Laine’s shot hits it’s mark and Brad draws in a sharp breath. “You have a date?”

“Um, yeah. I’ve been seeing someone for a while.”

Watching us suspiciously, he nods. “Are you exclusive, or just having fun? Because I thought maybe we could–”

“We’re exclusive.” No, I will not spend my spare time with you while Jack isn’t looking .

“Oh, well.” Seemingly unaffected, he shrugs. “When you’re done with him, call me.”

I glare at his callous dismissal, but taking the goodbye as a chance to escape, I pull Laine along and tug her off balance when she watches him through narrowed slits.

“Later, Brad. Laine, move your butt.”

“Bye, Britt.” Smiling angelically, Brad has goosebumps skittering along my spine until I shiver.

Taking out my cell and refusing to release Laine’s hand, I open it to Jack’s name and shoot off a text. I need a palette cleanser. I need to get Brad’s weird scent out of my system.

Me: Can we hang out tonight?

I slide the phone back into my purse and look up to find Lucy and Evie standing by the lockers. I smile, because they feel like home, but then I register Lucy’s sullen face and frown.

Squatting in front of the girls, I look up into chocolate brown eyes. “Hey. What’s the matter? What happened?”

“I don’t know what’s the matter, Miss T. Bean won’t tell me.”

Studying Lucy’s pale face, I take her hand in mine and stroke a thumb along her wrist.

I’ve spent so much time with them, I already feel like we’re family.

“What’s the matter, Luce? Do you wanna talk about it?”

Shaking her head, she turns her eyes away. “Nothing’s wrong. But can you drive me home, Miss T? I don’t wanna wait anymore.”

“Yeah, of course. Where’s your mom?”

“Aunt Tina’s getting us today, but she’s gonna be a little late.”

“She already got the littles,” Evie explains. “Bry has to go to the dentist. Mom asked if we wanted to come, or if we wanted to wait for her to come back.”

“Okay.” Taking out my phone a second time, I open a text for Tina and let her know I’ll take the girls home so she doesn’t have to worry about coming back to the school. “So your mom has everyone else? It’s just you two here?”

“Yeah, just us. Mom got everyone else early.”

“Alright.” Standing, I keep Lucy’s hand clutched in mine and turn back to Laine. “Do you wanna come play at the Kincaids’ estate?”

“No.” Smiling, she steps back. “I have work to do. But I’ll text you, okay?”

“Okay. I have to talk to you about something, anyway. I’ll call you later.” Leading the girls out through the front entrance, we cross the grass and head toward the parking lot. “Do you girls want a milkshake? We can stop at a drive-thru… My treat.”

Evie’s eyes light up, but Lucy’s stay downcast. “I’m alright, thanks Miss T.”

I frown at her sullen face. I wonder if that boy has been picking on her again? Or maybe someone else. I know I told Evie she wasn’t allowed to retaliate again, but I wouldn’t be opposed to turning the other way if she did.

If she could wipe this sadness from Lucy’s eyes, it’d be worth it to me.

As we walk, my phone dings twice in succession. Tina replies that it’s cool I drive the girls home, and Jack replies with a winky face and a kiss.

That boy must’ve just found the emoji keyboard, because he uses those stupid little faces for just about everything now.

Smiling, I wait for the girls to climb into my car, and once they’re belted in, I start the engine and head toward their house.

With every yard we move away from the school, Lucy’s doom seems to lessen. “Do you wanna talk about today?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing happened, Miss T. I just wanna go home.”

Watching her in the mirror – her long hair curtaining her face, her dark eyes staring at the floor – I begin to wonder.

“Do you know what time your dads are gonna be home?”

The girls shrug their shoulders, but I smile, anyway. I’ve just had a cool idea, but I need the guys’ help.

Specifically, Jimmy’s.

We go through the drive-thru as we cross town, and though Lucy said no, I still get her a jumbo milkshake and pass them into the back. Heading through the gates that secure their home only minutes later, I pull up in Jack’s driveway and smile like a damn idiot at the sight of Jim’s truck parked in his driveway.

Jackpot .

“I’ll be back in a sec, okay?”

Moving across the street and stopping on the porch, I pause just before knocking and think, if Jim’s home, then maybe Iz is, too. And if Iz wasn’t picking the girls up, then maybe Jim and Iz are busy inside.

Alone.

Together.

I consider walking away. I consider texting Iz to see what’s up. In the end, I smile wide and knock anyway, because Jim might be the biggest pain in the ass I know – besides my brothers – and he deserves to be twat-blocked.

It takes minutes for him to answer the door. Long minutes, and when he swings the door wide with an angry flourish, messy hair, shirt half on, I smile toothily and purr, “Hey Jim.”

“You’re an asshole.”

I laugh. “Why you mad, bro?”

“You know damn well why I’m mad!” He glares and pushes messy hair back out of his eyes. “You’re a grown ass woman, and one day you’ll have kids, too. Then you’ll know what it’s like to be home alone for five minutes with your wife. Asshole.”

I laugh in his face. Shit happens. At least he isn’t trying to sneak quickies in his partner’s childhood bedroom while his mouth is being smothered shut to not wake children.

“Why are you here, Bambie? I mean, I love ya, you’re good for my boy, but what. The. Fuck. Are you doing here?”

“I need your help.”

“And you couldn’t wait five more minutes?” He raises a hand and holds his fingers an inch apart. “I was this close. This close!”

I probably could have. I’m starting to feel mildly guilty. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were busy.”

“My ass,” he grumbles. “What do you need help with?”

I point over my shoulder, at the girls who’ve disappeared inside Evie’s house. “Bean’s having a shitty day.”

Instantly, his attitude shifts as he steps onto the porch. “Someone’s picking on my baby?”

“I don’t know, she didn’t say. But she’s sad. I wanted to do something for her. For all the kids, actually.”

“Alright…?”

“But I need some power tools. And maybe your help.”

His eyes narrow to slits. “I’ll use the power tools. You can supervise.”

I slam my hands onto my hips. “I am a capable woman, James! I know how to use tools.”

“And I’m a man. Power tools are my responsibility. You girls get to make sweet tea and fawn over the strong men.”

I hear the slap of a hand on Jim’s ass, then Iz slides under his arm with a playful grin. “Don’t ever say such a dumb thing again, Jim. You know who rules the world. You have a healthy respect for women. Don’t undo it now because you’re mad she interrupted you when you were this close. ”

Smiling, his eyes turn to molten lava. “I’m sorry, Bubs. I love you.” He presses a gentle kiss to her temple. “Did you hear Bambie? Our baby had a bad day.”

“Come on.” I grab Iz, because wherever she goes, he’ll follow. “We have work to do, and not much time.”