Page 11 of For the Promise (The Raider Brothers #2)

“Maybe having brothers isn’t such a bad thing after all.” ~ Jaxon

Jaxon

I drag my feet as I make my way from my car to Eli’s mansion. Today is the monthly Raider poker night, and I’m required to attend.

I’ve tried everything I can think of to get out of attending.

I’ve feigned being sick. Miles hauled me out of bed, Zane handed me a bucket to ‘barf’ in, and Kai dragged me to the poker table.

I’ve claimed to be too busy with work. But Eli shut off all the power to the distillery – including my back-up generator I didn’t think he knew about.

I was certain when I ‘lost’ my good luck charm, I’d finally figured out a way to skip poker night. Since we’re required to bring a good luck charm to each poker night. I didn’t expect Rhett to comb through my house until he found the Green King – my Chia Pet that resembles Elvis.

The door flies open, and Miles, Kai, and Zane pour outside.

“I win! Pay up, suckers!” Miles shouts .

Kai glares at me. “You let me down.”

“You’re always trying to get out of poker night, but now you come?” Zane complains before slapping a ten-dollar bill in Miles’s hand.

I ignore them and enter the house. They follow me and we gather in Eli’s living room with Rhett and Eli, who are standing near the bar.

“Didn’t think you could make it,” Rhett says.

I hug my Chia Pet close to my chest. “I didn’t want to give you an excuse to kidnap the Green King again.”

“It doesn’t resemble Elvis in the least,” Miles grumbles.

I glare at him. “I won the science fair.”

Zane snorts. “Because you had a fifty-page PowerPoint presentation on how to grow plants. The judges gave you the prize to shut you up.”

“It was fifty-five pages,” I correct.

“Dude.” Miles chuckles. “You’re not making this any better.”

“Says the man holding what he claims is a rabbit’s foot but is not the size of a rabbit.”

Miles pets the furry foot. “Don’t make fun of Hopper. He’s sensitive.”

“He’s a freak, is what he is,” Rhett mumbles.

Kai points at him. “You’re holding a bowling shoe. You’re not one to talk.”

Eli rolls his eyes. “As if you’re one to talk with your pickle in a jar.”

“Do not make fun of Mr. Crisp. He can out poker all of you. ”

Zane sighs. “Me and Nugget don’t need this negativity.”

“Nugget?” Miles snorts. “It’s a taxidermized squirrel in a cowboy hat.”

“Can’t we get rid of this requirement to bring a good luck charm?” I ask.

Zane narrows his eyes on me. “We’ll get rid of the good luck charms when you stop insisting on the ‘Jaxon’ rule of poker.”

I clear my throat and push my glasses up my nose. “The bluff shot rule is everyone’s favorite.”

The bluff shot rule works as follows. If someone catches you bluffing and calls it out, they get to invent a one-time rule for the next hand. The one-time rule can be anything. Each of my brothers has a favorite outrageous rule.

Miles invented the Mermaid’s Mercy Rule. If a player draws three hearts in a row, he has to sing a sea shanty before the next round begins. If he doesn’t, he folds.

Eli came up with the Smuggler’s Bluff. Each player has to call out a card in their hand. If they get caught lying, they have to reveal a secret.

Kai’s favorite is the Talk Like a Pirate. Everyone has to talk like a pirate and if they don’t, they forfeit the round.

Zane’s rule is the Siren’s Curse. If anyone draws the Queen of Hearts, they’re cursed and have to end every sentence with “arrr” until someone else draws a queen.

Only Rhett doesn’t have an outrageous rule. My brothers think I’m the boring one, but Rhett can be a stick in the mud when it comes to cards and money. He’s very serious about money. It’s probably why he’s the CFO of the distillery .

“Can we please stop talking about poker?” Zane asks.

I frown. “It’s poker night. What else would we discuss besides poker?”

He rolls his eyes. “How about why you’re attending a wedding as Blossom’s plus one this weekend.”

My brow wrinkles. “How do you know?”

Eli clears his throat. “The event coordinator at Hideaway Haven Resort phoned me to ask what your name is.”

“Why does she need to know my name?”

He raises an eyebrow. “Because you’re attending Alan and Stacey’s wedding this weekend and she needs your name for the place cards.”

“Place cards?”

“Are you serious?” Zane asks. “Even I know place cards are placed at your assigned seat at a wedding.”

“He’s stalling,” Kai says.

“What am I stalling about?”

Miles taps his chin. “I don’t think he’s stalling. I think he’s genuinely confused.”

“What am I supposed to be confused about? What am I missing?” I hate when I don’t understand what’s happening. But I should be used to it. My brothers love to speak in riddles.

Eli shoves a glass of whiskey in my hand. “We want to know what’s going on with you and Blossom.”

“Nothing’s going on.”

Rhett crosses his arms over his chest. “You’re accompanying her to a wedding and nothing’s going on?”

My nose wrinkles. “Why do you appear mad? ”

“Because Blossom is Dakota’s best friend.”

“I’m aware.”

Zane throws an arm around my shoulders. “Rhett loves Dakota. Dakota loves Blossom. Therefore, if you hurt Blossom, you hurt Dakota and Rhett gets mad.”

“I understand the logic.” I clear my throat. “But I am not hurting Blossom. I’m helping her.”

Miles chuckles. “This ought to be good.”

I frown at him. “There’s nothing funny about this.”

Zane squeezes my shoulder. “He doesn’t mean the current situation. He means the fallout.”

“The fallout?”

“You’ll see,” he mutters before dropping his arm and strolling to the bar and pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

“How are you helping Blossom?” Rhett asks.

“I believe Blossom wishes to keep the situation private.”

He steps closer. “You’re not helping her show her ex that she leveled up with you?”

“Why are you asking all of these questions if you already know the answers?”

“Hold on. What did Blossom’s ex do to her?” Eli asks.

I shrug since I don’t know what Alan did. I know it’s bad. He hurt her in some way. I just don’t know how. I intend to find out this weekend, though. And afterwards, I’ll get revenge for her.

“I don’t like this.”

“Because Paisley and Blossom are friends?” I guess .

“Because Blossom is one of us. A smuggler,” he says and my brothers nod in agreement.

Huh. I didn’t expect my brothers to want to help Blossom. I know they like her. It’s impossible not to like her. She’s smart and fun. She practically radiates happiness when she smiles. She’s everything I’m not.

But she’s also a newcomer to the island. Usually, the only people referred to as smugglers are those who grew up on the island. For good reason, mainlanders can’t be trusted to stay.

Just ask my dad. Except you can’t, since he left when I was fourteen and hasn’t been heard from since.

“Should we stay at the resort this weekend?” Miles asks. “We can act as moral support.”

“Good idea,” Zane says. “We can give Jaxon moral support since someone hates crowds, and a wedding is a crowd.”

I frown. I don’t hate crowds. I don’t enjoy them either. But I can handle a crowd. Assuming I don’t have to make small talk to dozens of people.

Rhett groans. “You just want to crash the wedding.”

Miles shrugs. “What can I say? Desperate bridesmaids is a thing.”

“I can’t make it this weekend,” Kai says and everyone switches his attention to him.

“Why not?” Zane asks before slapping his thigh. “I nearly forgot. You have a date with Harper. Oh, wait. No, you don’t, since she won’t give you the time of day.”

“Harper? The owner of the Rumrunner? ” I ask. “Isn’t she ten years older than you? ”

Miles clutches his chest. “Age is merely a number when love is involved.”

Kai shoves him. “It’s not love. And she’s seven years older than me. Not ten.”

“Dude, if you’re merely horny, come to the wedding with me. We’ll score a couple of chicks. I promise you’ll have a good time.” Miles waggles his eyebrows.

“The wedding? You’re not coming to the wedding.”

I don’t understand what’s happening between Blossom and her ex, but I’m certain she doesn’t want everyone to know. Especially not my brothers, who think gossiping is a sport they’re determined to win.

Eli sidles up to me. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep them away from the wedding.”

“Unless you need us,” Rhett adds. “If you do, all you need to do is call.”

“We’ve got your back, brother,” Eli says.

“Always,” Rhett agrees.

I lift my chin in thanks. I shouldn’t be surprised. Rhett and Eli have always been there for me.

After Dad abandoned us for the mainland, Eli worked side jobs to ensure we had money for the ‘extra’ stuff. A chemistry set for me. Sports stuff for my younger brothers.

And Rhett took over as parent of the family since Mom was working two jobs to make ends meet. He made sure I had quiet to study. Not an easy task when your younger brothers are Miles, Zane, and Kai .

Their words are a good reminder. I don’t have a dad. But I have my brothers – who have always been there for me.