CHAPTER THREE
Reid
I slam a pallet of boxes down on the workbench before wiping the sweat from my forehead with the bottom of my T-shirt.
I glare at my older brother Wyatt as he sits behind his desk and scrutinises me. I get it—I’m the fuck up, the one who constantly disappoints them. That said, there was a time these fuckers messed up the exact same way. Now they’re in a relationship, they want to kill the joy for everyone else.
I’m pissed at them.
I’m pissed at the other two in this triplet trio who are meant to have my back but instead fucked off.
What I won’t do is admit I’m pissed at myself.
“Could you do your punishment with less hostility please?” Wyatt calls out, his sickly-sweet voice grating on my nerves.
Evie glances up from her laptop, biting her lower lip. “I’m going to head out, if that’s okay with you? Rebecca is waiting for me.”
There’s an excuse if I ever heard one. A group of women in bikinis, and I’m missing out on all the fucking fun.
“I’ll see you in a bit, love,” Wyatt promises.
I inwardly gag. Love-sick fools the lot of them.
The heavy door clicks shut behind her. I tense when I hear the distinct squeaking of Wyatt’s chair.
He throws his pen down on the pile of papers in front of him. “Reid, what is really up with you? We’re alone now, so talk.”
I force a grin. “Nothing. I like doing the extra work.”
He scoffs, his eyebrows pulling together in annoyance. “This isn’t extra fucking work, Reid. This is us making you pick up the slack you missed after taking half the day to hook up with a neighbour from the house we were clearing.”
I slam the next box down with a heavy thud. “Fuck off, Wyatt. You and I both know we were basically standing around for the next hour waiting for the truck to get back. I was back before you left.”
“By the skin of your teeth. You don’t know any of these women, and I don’t need to point out it’s our name you wear on your uniform.
As it is, we’re already dealing with the consequences of that review left on the site.
You fucking your way through clients and now neighbours, doesn’t make us look good. ”
“You told me not to fuck the clients. The neighbours were never mentioned.”
He slams his fists down on the table, his face red as he roars, “Stop being a dick, Reid. We are under a microscope right now. The police are sniffing around, asking questions about Black’s whereabouts. We don’t need to deal with them thinking you are a gigolo on top of that.”
“Shut the fuck up with your double standards. Not too long ago, before you guys shacked up with your women, you were doing the same thing. What is it really about? Their pussies not magic enough for you now so you’re pissed at the rest of us?”
He bursts out laughing, making the anger within me grow.
“You have no fucking clue. You can happily keep fucking your way through women, hopefully dodging one STD from the next, but do it in your own time. You don’t want a relationship?
Fine. Don’t have one. But for Heaven’s sake, grow the fuck up. ”
He picks up his phone, glancing at it quickly. “Don’t tell me, it’s Evie asking where you are?” I snidely remark.
He gets up, making the chair slam into the brick wall behind him. “Say that again!”
I walk to meet him halfway, only for the door to fly open, the bang echoing off the factory walls. “Step the fuck away from each other,” Jaxon warns.
“No. This little fuck needs to be taught a lesson.”
I grin, puckering my lips at Wyatt. “Ooh, are you going to spank me?”
“Reid, cut the fucking shit,” Jaxon yells, grabbing me by my T-shirt and bringing me close, only to shove me away.
My side hits the desk behind me, and I grimace as I straighten myself.
“Now, before I get into why I’m here, you’re going to fucking tell me what is up your arse and you aren’t leaving here until you do.
You got your act together and then suddenly you’re back to your old ways.
I’m getting fucking sick of this now. I’m your brother, not your dad.
And, brother, as much as you drive me mad, I love you and I’m worried.
Now fucking talk because we have enough shit to deal with.
I can’t... I can’t keep doing this. I’ll fight for this family, but I can’t do that if I’m fighting you all the goddamn time. ”
I drop my head, my anger dissipating from his words.
I blow out a breath, sitting on the edge of the desk as I prepare to tell them the truth.
Keeping it from them has done nothing but grow tension between us.
Jaxon is right; we can’t be fighting each other right now.
“The review—it’s because of me. Someone has filed a sexual harassment claim against me.
” I let out a bitter laugh. “Fucking anonymously. It’s on my file but no charges have been pressed.
I thought... I thought...” I lower my head, wishing the ground would swallow me up.
“You thought you had something to prove by fucking every pussy who begged you for it.”
“I’m not a predator,” I growl. “I think of Mina and what she went through... Fuck, even Charlotte Carter. I could never—”
Wyatt slams his hand down on my shoulder and I look up. “We know that. Even the women who have fucked you once, who pretend to hate you, will say the same thing.”
“Did you stop to think this is another one of Black’s plays?” Jaxon asks.
“He’s long gone,” I scoff. “It was my first thought, but then I realised out of everything he could do, he chooses to do that? Seems too petty.”
“Not if his daughter has taken over,” he replies heatedly.
“The Katherine bitch?” I ask.
He nods. “I’ve just been speaking to the new neighbours over at the party.
One of them, who I’m assuming is the cousin to the Addison sisters, works for Katherine.
Katherine has asked her to put together as much information as she can about the farm and details about the family, unaware that she lives there. ”
“And you’ve left her alone with Paisley and Evie?” Wyatt growls.
“Calm down. She hates her as much as we do. I’m going to call Liam because between us, the family of sisters have skeletons they'd kill to keep in the closet. My guess is, they know it’s good enough for the Blacks to use as leverage to take their farm. I’ve said we will help them.”
“What happened to the ‘we’ve got enough shit going on’ crap you were spouting five minutes ago?” I question.
“What do you think they’ll do with that land other than make it hell for us to keep using our own land?
And need I remind you how close the property line is to our burial ground.
Someone’s back garden could look out over it.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to visit Dad with a bunch of strangers gawking out their windows. ”
“Fuck!” I hiss.
“If Katherine is already making moves, we can safely confirm she’s behind the review and the false allegation,” he explains. “Is this why you’ve been in a shit mood? I thought it was after seeing what you did at Mina’s house, and seeing her hurt.”
“That was the day the police came to the house. It was the reason I was late for work,” I admit.
“It’s been going around in my head every day since.
It’s not a secret I sleep around, but I would never harass someone into it.
I’ve just been waiting for the day she finally decides to come forward and take it further. ”
“Which is probably what she wanted you to do,” Wyatt guesses. “Eli said she’s sick and twisted.”
Guilt eats at me when I look at him. “Look, I’m sorry for my behaviour. I’ll tone it down, especially at work.”
“Okay, well, you’re done for the day, but I’ll remind you, it’s going to be ten times worse if you do it again after this talk,” Jaxon warns.
“And if you ever speak about Evie in that way again, you’ll be shitting out teeth for a week,” Wyatt states, moving over to his desk.
I lower my gaze with shame. I should never have spoken about her like that. About any of them. They’re like sisters to me.
“Get to the party. I hear Paisley is looking for you,” Jaxon tells me.
I grin. “I bet it’s about the brownies.”
Jaxon glares my way. “Are you the fucker who ate them?”
I gulp, grabbing my jacket from the side. “Um, no. Landon did,” I lie. “I let down his tyres in retaliation.”
Truth is, I let them down because he ate the stew Paisley left in the bed and breakfast’s kitchen for me.
Before they can question me further or take back my leave, I hightail it out of there.
*** *** ***
I bring the cold glass bottle to my lips and take a sip of my beer as I glance around the garden. The sun set over an hour ago, but the lights Paisley strung up give the space enough light.
She’s done good. Really good. I couldn’t be any prouder.
As much as I wanted to be here earlier, I’m not feeling it now.
I don’t see the need to put on a show now the truth about the accusation is out.
There’s only ever been one thing that has gotten to me like this before, and that’s the death of our dad.
But even then, when kids would taunt me about my dad's death, I never felt anywhere near what I did when the police told me why they wanted to speak to me. I had never been so scared in my life. Not because there was a possibility of it being true, but because I knew if it went to court, I would lose. My track record when it comes to women isn’t clean, but I’ve never harassed, forced, or gas-lighted anyone into fucking me.
I’ve flirted, teased, and put on the charm, but I would never cross a line I couldn't come back from. As conceited as it makes me, I’ve never needed to.
Mum pulls me out of my pity party when she approaches me. “Did you get your food?”
I jerk my chin over to the corner where Max is. “You should know by now not to leave food unattended with him here.”
She lowers her glass of wine to one of the tall standing tables Paisley set up in preparation for tonight. “Reid, there is still food available. I expected you to arrive late after speaking to Jaxon and planned accordingly.”
I shrug. “It’s okay, Mum. I’ll grab something later—if there’s anything left—or just eat something at home.” I glance back over at Max, my jaw clenching. “Not sure why he’s glaring though. It’s not him going without food.”
“I think he may still be angry that Malia—the eldest of the women who moved into Bluebird Farm—laughed in his face when he offered to do a food contest with her.”
My grievances forgotten, I glance at my mum. “Food contest? Why on earth would he challenge someone he knows he will beat? Doesn’t seem like the Max we know.”
Her eyes light up with amusement. “Malia has won one of these contests in the past. According to Charlotte, the Addison sisters seem to love food as much as the Carters.”
My eyes widen. “Please tell me they aren’t related. I can’t deal with two families who steal food.”
She laughs. “No, that question has already been asked. Though I am concerned Malia will wake up one morning to discover Max has organised a food contest in her front garden.”
I snort. “I hate to give the guy credit, but she has no chance of beating him. I’ve seen him eat. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have a gut.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. So far, she has eaten six pulled pork baps, demolished an entire tray of pigs in blankets and a plate of cookies, and now seems to be snacking on the stew I made just in case the pork ran out.
And that’s only the things I’ve seen. I think Max knows she’s competition.
He hasn’t stopped glaring at her since he found out she has a trophy for it. ”
My lips pull up into a grin. “Is it bad that I actually want them to compete in the hope she beats him?”
“I’m pretty sure Hayden is making her rounds and taking bets,” she reveals, then leans into me. “Son, are you okay? You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”
I lower my head, finding interest in the ground. I can’t tell her about the review or the complaint. I can bear the look of disappointment from my brothers, but my mum? I can’t handle that.
“Never better, Mum,” I lie.
She sighs like she doesn’t believe me. “Have you had a chance to meet the new family?”
“Not yet. I’ve kind of been hiding away in case Jaxon changes his mind and sends me back to work.”
“Come on, I’ll introduce you,” she offers, taking my arm.
I go to argue, wanting to stay in my own little bubble, but nothing comes out of my mouth. All thoughts flee from my mind as my attention is drawn to one of the hot tubs.
Instantly, my dick gets hard—which is seriously fucking uncomfortable with my mum right next to me.
I can’t take my eyes off the woman climbing up the steps to get into the hot tub—slender frame, with curves in all the right places.
I can only see her from behind, but it’s all I need to see.
Her fucking arse—so plump and tanned, with no dimples in sight.
Something about how smooth it looks makes me want to take a bite out of it.
Sad and pathetic Reid has left the party.
Now the real Reid is here, and he wants to play.