Page 48

I push Sawyer’s untouched glass of whiskey in his direction. He looks at it before raising his eyebrows. “Fuck, really?”

“Drink up, big brother. You haven’t thawed out enough since Ivy returned or Grace was born. Down the hatch.”

Sawyer takes a long pull from his drink, setting it back down on the table.

“I’m not returning home drunk to my wife and newborn daughter. That’s all you’re getting from me.”

“It’s Griffin Nash.”

Dallas whistles as Liam flops back into his seat, eyes huge. Kinsey looks back and forth between all of us, clearly confused. But it’s Sawyer’s reaction I’m waiting for.

“You’re fucking Griffin Nash? The dickhead writer at the Northwest Explorer? The same asshole who has made your life hell for months?”

I can’t help but wince. Thank fuck they don’t know the raw, dirty details of how Finn and I have manipulated and blackmailed each other and all the grit in between.

“The one and only.”

“Just over that weekend? That quick?”

Fuck. These bastards weren’t gonna let me off the hook easily, but I was really hoping to skip this shit.

“Uhh,” I start, pausing and scratching my nails against the back of my neck. “Started a bit before that. We hooked up once, and I didn’t know who he was. As soon as I did, I panicked and went into cleanup mode. I fought it as long as I could but he’s a persistent fucker.”

“Sounds exactly like what you need, you stubborn asshole,” Liam says.

I chuckle, thinking about how stubborn and stupid I’ve been and how Finn has taken every punch I’ve thrown. He never gave up on me, always so goddamn confident in us. Thank fuck.

“Yeah, he is,” I say with a smile. “I’m in love with him.”

“Daaaamn. I never thought I’d see the day. When do we get to meet him?” Dallas asks.

“I’ll set something up, but you fuckers need to chill out.

He’s an only child, not used to this big family shit.

His family is really rough around the edges.

I don’t want to air their issues, but he just ended his relationship with them, and all he’s got is me.

The dynamic of our sibling shit is gonna be new for him and I don’t want you to scare him off. ”

“We’ll be on our best behavior. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Like fuck I don’t.

We spend the next few hours sitting in the old distillery just us five, talking about life—Sawyer transitioning into being a dad, his plans for getting Ivy pregnant with baby number two, Dallas’ ideas for proposing to Blaire and give her the wedding of her dreams, and how Liam and Hannah are settling into wedded bliss, as if they weren’t already living it before they even got married.

“I’m going to take Reid up on his offer to rent the studio apartment above Rogue,” Kinsey announces, four sets of eyes narrowing in on her.

It’s silent for a moment, and I wait for Sawyer and Dallas to jump down her throat.

But I don’t want them to shatter her hopes.

She’s a big girl and can make smart decisions.

“I’m for it.”

Sawyer’s head spins in my direction so fast I almost suggest he see a chiropractor after we leave here.

“You what?”

“I think it’s a good idea. She’s not moving to Timbuktu.

She’s moving across town, into a loft apartment above, what I would argue, is one of the safer places for her to be.

It’s Aspen Ridge, you Neanderthal. What’s going to happen to her?

With Reid downstairs and me right down the street?

She needs freedom, and she’s not getting that at Dad and Mom’s house.

You do remember we’ve all trained her to defend herself, right?

She could probably kick all our asses if she needed to.

” I told her I’d have her back, and I’m pulling through on that now.

Kinsey beams at me, and it makes me relax slightly, even if I’m bracing myself for Sawyer’s wrath.

“Are you fucking insane?” Sawyer stands abruptly, and reflexively, so do I. He’s in my face a moment later.

“I’m thinking pretty clear, brother, and I’m choosing Kinsey right now. She’s got this.”

“Like fuck she does. She’s barely twenty-two. We’re supposed to be a united front to keep her safe. After everything we’ve been through with Ivy and Blaire. No.”

“She will be! She’ll be safe!”

I see the flash of one of Sawyer’s brain-rattling punches pull back a moment too late, his fist connecting with my face in a hit that I’m thankful missed my nose.

The impact rings out in my head, forcing me flat onto my back on the couch.

I barely register Kinsey’s scream as she scoots away from me, Dallas and Liam shooting to their feet.

“Are you insane, Sawyer?” Kinsey yells at him. “What is wrong with you?”

“I want to keep you safe, Kins! I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.

Almost losing Ivy twice nearly killed me.

It nearly broke Dallas after what happened to Blaire .

. . she’s still recovering! You were there watching it!

Next to her while she suffered! We wouldn’t survive it if it were you. ”

“And I love you for it, Sawyer. I love you all so much. But you’re suffocating me.

Do you know how hard it is to make friends?

Real girlfriends? My entire life so many of them only wanted to be my friend because they had crushes on you four dumbasses.

And guys won’t come near me. How many twenty-two-year-old virgins do you idiots know?

Even at college, I wasn’t given freedom.

Do you have any idea how lonely it’s been?

I love you all so much, but if you don’t let me breathe, I’m going to leave Aspen Ridge.

It will literally break me, but I can’t live in your shadows anymore. ”

The room falls into silence as we watch our baby sister break down and cry. The realization of our behavior hovering over all of us, and how in our efforts to protect her, we’ve made her life that much harder.

All four of us are moving before she registers it, Sawyer scooping into her side, Liam on the other, with Dallas and I at her feet.

Together, we hug our little sister, who’s definitely not so little anymore, and needs to live her life for herself.

After everything Finn has been through, I know now how important it is to just give support.

We can’t protect her out of fear of the unknown.

“She’s moving out of Mom and Dad’s and into Reid’s loft. And we’re all going to back off,” I say as I stand up and look down at them all.

“Since when does Casanova make decisions?” Dallas asks.

“Since I’m watching our baby sister cry, and I know what it feels like to not be comfortable with your situation and have no idea how to fix it.”

Kinsey bats the tears off her cheeks before walking up to me and wrapping her arms around my waist. I return the hug and glare at each one of my idiot brothers. Liam is the first to move. Wrapping Kinsey’s other side in a hug.

“I support you. You’re right. I’m sorry, Kins. I love you.”

Dallas is next, joining in on what is turning into a huge-ass family hug that I didn’t realize I needed as much as she probably does.

“I’ve got you, little sis. I’m sorry for being such an overbearing ass. Blaire calls me out on it, too.”

Kins chuckles against my shirt. “Yeah, but she likes it. I don’t.”

“That’s true,” Dallas agrees.

With a huff, Sawyer joins in, wrapping his tree limb arms around all of us.

“We’ll get through whatever happens. It’s hard to be sorry when I’m just trying to protect you, but I understand you need to live, and I’ll work on being more supportive. I just love you so much. And I really will kill anyone who hurts you.”

“Oh, gladly. With a smile,” Dallas adds.

Liam nods his head in agreement. “Facts.”

“Yep,” I agree, because it’s true .

“I love you too,” she laughs. “But let this be your lesson so that you aren’t this way with Grace, Sawyer. She’ll run hard and fast, and I know you don’t want that.”

“We good?” Sawyer asks, and we all agree.

I may have spent the last twenty-five years not really knowing my place, but I know at the end of the day, my family and I are a team and that we’ve got each other’s backs no matter what.

While we’ll all be able to cash in when we need each other, it’s time we all focus on our own families that we’re creating, and mine is at home waiting for me. A place I can’t wait to move him into.

The drive back into town passes in a blur. For the first time in my life, I’m hopeful about what’s to come. I’m eager to get it started and fight for what I want. And that’s life with Finn.

As I enter my house, he’s not exactly how I pictured—in my bed naked with his glasses on—he’s pacing in the small living room, hair disheveled, barefoot, wearing a pair of plaid PJ pants that hang low on his hips, and a plain white T-shirt.

He freezes as he sees me, the blood draining from his face as he looks me over.

I took a brief glance at my face in the sun visor when I hopped in my car, but I know the swelling has gotten worse as the minutes go by, especially because I can barely see out of it, my eye practically swollen shut.

“Holy shit, are you okay?”

“Looks way worse than it is, I promise.”

“For fuck’s sake, Carter, it went that bad? You said I didn’t have anything to worry about! Go sit your ass down, let me get some ice!”

“It’s fine! I’m fine.”

“You’re not fucking fine! Look at your eye! It’s already bruising! What the hell happened?”

I have to laugh at Finn’s over-the-top reaction. He’s going to have one hell of a time acclimating to how physical my brothers and I are if he’s going to fit in. Maybe I should take him to Dom’s with me, get him some lessons. Probably a smart idea.

A tub of Tillamook ice cream gets tossed into my lap with a hand towel, and I look at him with my good eye, confused.

“That’s all you have that’s frozen, so put it against your damn face and talk. It went that bad? Shit, I should have been there with you. Which one had the issue? I’m so damn sorry, Carter.”

“It didn’t go bad. Will you calm the hell down and let me talk?”

“I’m sorry, you’re right. Coming home with an eye that’s swollen shut should give me the warm fuzzies; it clearly went great. I’m going to head to bed now,” Finn deadpans.

“They don’t care that I’m bi or in a relationship with a man. They were actually relieved when I said I was bisexual because every single one of those fuckers thought I was about to drop a bomb that I knocked some random chick up.”

“For real? So you got in a fight with what? A door?”

I laugh under my breath, which causes me to wince. “No, this definitely came from one of Sawyer’s haymakers.”

“What the fuck, Carter, it’s not funny.”

“Listen, everything went great. They’re happy for me, and they can’t wait to meet you.

We all started talking and Kinsey said she wanted to move out of our parents’ house, something I told her I would back her up on if she decided to.

So, I followed through on my word to her and Sawyer didn’t like it. ”

“So, he hit you?”

“There was a scuffle,” I lie so I don’t sound like a pussy. Then again, he should probably know that when Sawyer wants to swing on you, your ass is going down hard. “But this is normal, I promise. If Sawyer doesn’t come at you with his fists at some point, he doesn’t love you.”

“Man, I thought my family was fucked.”

“Ha! Just wait. Hope you know what you signed up for, baby. Should probably get you some boxing lessons.”

“I’ll take whatever they have to offer if it means I get to keep you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Now, go strip and lie down in bed. I wanna play doctor and patient.”

My ass moves fast, my cock already hardening. Everything’s going to be okay.