Room for Three (Taboo Streets #1)

Chapter One

Savvy

I ’ve escaped those people I was forced to live with.

Finally, I’m free.

Anxiety crawls through me, making my skin itch and stomach roil. If I were truly free, I’d be moving into a place of my own right now.

“Everything okay?” Enzo asks from the driver’s side, casting a worried look my way.

I force a smile, nodding. “Yep. Excited to see my dad’s friends.”

“I’m glad you’re staying with them until you can get on your feet. It sucks they weren’t able to let you come live with them sooner. We really tried, Savvy.”

Gnawing on my lip, I attempt not to cry. After my parents’ death in a car accident last year, Cole and Travis immediately offered to take me in, knowing Dad would’ve wanted that. Growing up, they were like my unofficial uncles. Unfortunately, the judge didn’t rule in their favor because they weren’t my relatives. Apparently, since the home they share is only two bedrooms, it wasn’t appropriate to bring a girl into. She ordered me to live with a foster family instead.

“You still have my number,” Enzo says, as though reading my thoughts. “You’re no longer a ward of the state, so I won’t be your social worker anymore, but I will be someone you can trust. A friend.”

I know he means well. If I would have told him about the way my foster family treated me, he’d have gotten me out of the Monahan’s massive prison mansion. But I didn’t want to rock the boat, and I knew turning eighteen was rapidly coming. I just had to hold out a little while longer.

“Thank you,” I say and mean it. “I’m happy to finally be moving there. Dad adored Cole and Travis. He would’ve wanted it this way.”

As we make our way down Wicked Hollow Street, I can’t help but feel unnerved. Will the guys still want me there? And for how long am I welcome? I’m still in high school, despite turning eighteen, so I can’t exactly work full time right now.

I need them.

I hate that I do.

God, I miss you Mom and Dad. I took you both for granted.

Moonlit Gables, the townhouse complex Travis and Cole live at, comes into view. It’s a lot different than the foster home I just left. The cars parked there aren’t BMWs or Porches. Travis has a motorcycle that barely runs and a rusty pickup truck he uses for work. Cole drives a Ford Explorer police vehicle. Other cars in the lot are nicer than the truck, but not by much.

It reminds me of home.

My real home.

“Want me to help you bring your stuff inside?” Enzo offers as he pulls off Wicked Hollow and into a parking spot next to the police car. “I’ll do whatever you need.”

I shake my head as I grab my backpack from the floorboard. “I can do this on my own. Thank you for everything.”

Because Enzo is a good guy, he smiles and honors my wishes. I climb out of his vehicle and pull my backpack on. Once I’ve grabbed the trash bag full of my clothes from the backseat, I wave goodbye to him.

Now what?

I wait for him to drive away before turning and heading for unit four on the corner. As I pass unit three, I notice an elderly woman with wiry gray hair watching me from her window. She doesn’t wave or smile. I hurry past her to the door of my new home.

Do I knock?

Do I walk in?

I hate feeling out of place in this world. It’s been that way since the death of my parents. All I want is to belong again. I’m not sure if this situation with Dad’s friends will be lasting or another step before I get to my final place I’ll call home. The uncertainty rushing through me makes me dizzy.

Breathe, girl.

Instead of breathing, I hum a jingle from an insurance company commercial. It’s a stupid habit, but it calms me. With my heart in my throat, I knock on the door. Male voices can be heard inside, and then the door swings open.

“Savannah.”

My cheeks burn hot with embarrassment. Cole Hayes, a local cop, fully dressed in his blue uniform, scowls at me as if I’ve done something wrong.

“Hey.”

“This is your home now,” he chides, eyebrows furling together. “No need to knock.”

Someone chuckles from behind him. “Way to scare her on the first day, dumbass. Come in, Savvy.”

Cole flinches slightly and then softens, offering me a quick smile. “Yes. Come in. We’ve been waiting on you. I was going to pick you up, but you never texted back.”

Another flash of warmth heats my skin. “Leah took my phone this morning. I was on her plan. I’ll, uh, have to get a new one now.”

Travis Brooks, the playful one, pushes past Cole to greet me with a cheesy grin. “Come here, kid. I know you’re not too cool to hug me.”

He wraps his muscular arms around me, pulling me tight to his chest. It’s the safest I’ve felt in a long time. I relax in his hold, fighting off more tears. This has been an emotional day.

“You smell like barbecue sauce,” I say when he finally releases me. “Did you bathe in it?”

Travis pulls his T-shirt away from his chest to look down at it. Sure enough, there’s a splatter of sauce on the material. Cole grunts in his usual disproval. It’s always amazed me these two were roommates because they’re incredibly different.

“While he changes his shirt, I’ll show you to your room,” Cole says, all business as he takes the trash bag from me. “Travis. Do it in the bathroom.”

Travis grumbles something under his breath, but I don’t hear what he says. I follow Cole as he leads me through the living room. There’s a stack of folded blankets on one end of the sofa and a pillow resting on top. Guilt sluices through me. I’m invading their home and taking up one of their rooms.

Cole takes the stairs two at a time. I hurry to keep up with him. Then, he walks into the room on the left. It’s a decently sized room with a queen bed butted against a wall. On the other side of the room is a cluttered desk and chair. The dresser between them has been cleaned off and each drawer slightly opened to reveal their empty insides.

“Excuse Travis’s desk,” Cole says, gesturing at the stacks of papers, pens, and other random crap that’s been piled up there. “I told him to clean up in here.”

“It is clean,” Travis mutters from behind us. “I got rid of all my Dr. Pepper cans.”

He shoves past his friend as he pulls on a clean T-shirt. I get a glimpse of his tanned, sculpted back only briefly. Another flash of embarrassment shoots through me.

Living with two grown men is going to be awkward.

“I help Jerry with the books,” Travis states, pulling out the desk chair and sitting. “So, I’ll need to pop in here from time to time to invoice and do payroll.”

“Which is why I’ve established some rules,” Cole says in a gruff tone. “If the door is closed, there will be no entry. If it’s open, it means you’re dressed, and he can enter your space.”

“It’s your room,” I chime in, gesturing at Travis. “You can come in whenever you want.”

Cole shakes his head sharply. “No. Only if the door is open.”

“Then I’ll just leave it open all the time,” I say, shrugging. “I don’t want to put you guys out or anything. I feel bad you have to take me in.”

“We don’t have to,” Travis says as he swivels in the chair. “We want to. You’re our buddy’s kid, Savvy.”

“Close it when you dress and sleep, please,” Cole says as he thumps the door. “Do it for me.”

I nod because this is their house. Their rules.

“Does the bus to the fancy school come on this side of town?” Travis asks. “Want me to give you a ride in the morning?”

“Not on the motorcycle.” Cole strides into the room so he can give Travis his fiercest glare. “Ever.”

I catch Travis rolling his eyes and I fight a grin. Cole has more rules than Dad ever did. The smile falls as pain stabs me in the chest.

“I’m transferring to Brown High School. Enzo said he’d call the principal there to get things ready. I’ll have to go to the office first thing in the morning.”

I don’t point out the obvious that I can’t afford tuition at the prep school, hence my moving to the local public school.

“Reid’s kid, Brayden, goes there,” Cole says. “I bet he’d give you a ride. It might be nice to make a friend who lives three units down and goes to your school.”

Admittedly, it would be nice to have a friend. Addison, the Monahan’s youngest daughter, was my only friend at the prep school. If it weren’t for sharing a room for her at their house, things could have been much worse. Though a year younger, she was protective of me.

Without my phone, I don’t even have her number anymore.

“I looked online while at school today. There’s a job posting at Smoke & Sugar for a hostess. I’d like to apply if that’s okay with you guys.” I try not to fidget under their intense stares. “I need to get another phone and would like to contribute to rent.”

Travis laughs. “You’re not paying us to stay here. We’re taking care of you. We got you, little S.”

“A job could be good for you,” Cole agrees, “as long as it doesn’t interfere with your schoolwork.”

Another eye roll from Travis. Unamused, I bristle at the comment.

“I’m capable of doing more than one thing at once,” I utter, not meeting Cole’s penetrating stare. “Plus, I won’t live here forever. I need to start saving for when that time comes.”

Cole approaches and gently grasps my shoulder. “Stay here as long as you need. Ignore my bossiness. I’ve had a long day. I’m sorry.”

“He got shot at,” Travis says, flinging a rubber band at Cole’s head. “But the crackhead missed.”

I gape at Cole. “You got shot at? Are you okay?”

“Still pretty as ever,” Travis teases. “His ass is clenched tight because of it. Why don’t you go down and talk to Reid? Have a beer. Ask Brayden about tomorrow.”

Cole’s shoulders slouch. “Yeah. Good idea. I won’t be long.”

He leaves Travis’s room and then his own bedroom door closes. Travis motions to my garbage bag. “Need help unpacking?”

“I got it.” My cheeks heat again. I’m already exhausted from feeling like this and I’ve been here barely five minutes. “Are you sure you guys are okay with me being here? Cole seems…” Pissed? Stressed? Freaked out?

“Cole is used to his routine. Whenever it gets fucked up, he goes off the deep end. Don’t worry,” Travis assures me, “after he loosens up with Reid, he’ll be better.”

I feel Travis’s curious gaze on me as I pull clothes from the trash bag and stuff them into the empty drawers. There’s no hiding my bras and underwear, so my skin blazes hot again. Thankfully, my back is to him, so he can’t see this time.

“Kind of an asshole move for that woman to confiscate your phone,” Travis says, chair squeaking as he swivels back and forth. “Who does that anyway?”

Evil witches like Leah Monahan, that’s who.

“I’m not her daughter,” I say, shrugging, “so I guess she was done treating me like one.”

They offered to let me stay through graduation, but I couldn’t stand another second in that house. While Addison was great, the rest were not. Leah was cold. And then men in that family?

I shudder, blocking those thoughts out immediately.

“Are you humming that damn car insurance song?” Travis asks before cracking up laughing. “I am so happy you’re moving in. We’ll finally have some entertainment around here.”

Discretely, I flip him off, continuing to hum the stupid song, as I empty the trash bag. This sends him into another fit of laughter. I can’t help but join him, giggling for the first time in what’s felt like weeks.

When the final article of clothing is stuffed in the drawer, I wad up the bag and put it in his outstretched, waiting hand. His fingers brush over my small hand, sending shivers racing down my spine.

The difference between Travis and Leah’s husband, Owen, is that Travis doesn’t terrify the crap out of me. I’m not afraid to be alone with Travis.

“Come on,” he says after stuffing the bag in the metal bin under the desk. “Let’s get a couple of Dr. Peppers and we can sit on the back porch. I’m working on a stacked can wall so that cougar next door can’t stare at my ass.”

I remember the elderly woman watching me as I passed by her window. The thought of Travis building a wall so she can’t watch him too makes me laugh.

Maybe living here won’t be so bad.

Dare I say, it could even be fun?