Theo
“I’ve been a little busy.” I pulled myself away from him, and grabbed the wine bottle from the table.
“Make yourselves at home. I think everyone is starting to gather in the backyard, but please—” I waved my hand around the foyer.
“Take a look around. Just avoid the third floor, and the last door on the left on the second floor.”
Archer understood what I was trying to say, and wrapped his arm around Sean’s shoulders, gently guiding him toward the formal living area. “Let’s look around, see what the hot-shot has in his house.”
“Keep an eye on them,” I said, gesturing toward the guys. Trent glanced at them, confused. “Make sure they don’t steal anything.”
His shoulders straightened, and he dipped his chin in a nod. “Don’t worry. I won’t let them take anything, and if they do, I’ll tell you.”
“Thanks, man.”
I clapped my palms together, smiling tightly at him. Without another word, he turned on his heel and followed Sean and Archer like a security guard. A long breath left me as I smoothed my hand over my hair.
Grabbing the bottle of wine from the table, I headed toward the kitchen. As soon as I stepped through the archway, heat enveloped me. Trinity and Willow turned toward me, their eyes wide.
“I don’t want to know.” I sighed, resting the bottle on the island. I braced my hands against the edge and bowed my head, forcing a breath into my lungs.
“Everything okay?” Trinity asked. I nodded, still not looking up.
“I didn’t realize Sean was coming,” I said quietly. Silence fell over the room, and I peeked at my sister.
“Do you want me to kick him out?” she asked, cracking her knuckles. “I can be the bouncer.”
I flashed her a grin. “I’ll let you know if it comes to that.” I looked around the kitchen, finding it empty except for Trinity and Willow.
“Where’s Brynne?” I asked, then cleared my throat. “And Scout. And…Ronan. And isn’t Mom supposed to be here already?”
Willow turned back toward the counter and continued doing whatever she was doing.
Trinity leaned against it, her elbows resting on it.
“Scout wanted to show her the theater room,” she said.
I nodded a few times as I moved toward the drink station.
I needed alcohol if I was going to get through the rest of the night.
“Mom stopped to pick up Gracie, and Ronan is…” She looked around.
“Probably checking to make sure this place is safe.”
“The inspector said it was.” I poured a generous helping of whiskey into a crystal glass.
“He’s checking the windows and doors, making sure they’re all locked,” Willow explained.
“Right. Right.” I let out another breath.
I couldn’t focus on what they were saying. All I could think about was Brynne being in my house.
“I’m going to find Scout,” I muttered as I left the kitchen. Trinity’s voice carried through the archway, but I didn’t hear what she said. I didn’t know if she was even talking to me . My focus was on getting through this stupidly big house and finding Brynne.
We needed to talk about last night. I knew we agreed to keep it on the app, but she had to be feeling the same thing I was.
I didn’t even know what I was feeling, all I knew was that it was…a lot.
Archer’s voice carried down the stairs as I passed them, heading for the theater room on the other side of the house. I quieted my steps until they were muffled by the rug in the formal living room.
Each step closer made my heart beat skyrocket. I felt it beating at every pulse point, thrumming, thrumming, thrumming.
I turned down the short hallway—and froze.
Her laugh hit me first. Light. Sweet. Calm.
And then her voice—muffled, but there .
I followed it as if it were a siren’s song and I was a sailor lost at sea.
It floated me down the hall, and when I got to the theater room, I froze.
Brynne was lounging on one of the sofas, her heels kicked off and legs tucked up under her.
She rested her elbow on the back, propping her head on her fist as she watched Scout show her something on her game.
It was on the big screen, taking up every inch of the massive TV. She spun her character around, showing off the vividly-colored outfit.
“This one is my favorite,” she murmured.
“I like Dark Mandy,” Brynne said. “She’s so cute.”
Scout’s blonde hair swayed as she shook her head. “Kodi is better. Her shoes aren’t weird like Mandy’s are.”
“They're not weird!” Brynne scoffed.
“They look like horse hooves.”
Brynne’s head fell back on her shoulders as she laughed. “ Fine . They do look like hooves, but the rest of her is cute.”
Scout’s shoulder lifted in a nonchalant shrug.
“Is that your new skin?” I asked, my voice shaky as I stepped forward. Brynne’s head shot my direction, her smile immediately falling. Her spine snapped straight as if she’d been electrocuted, her feet falling to the floor.
“We were just?—”
“Yeah. She’s cute, right?” Scout said distractedly.
I cleared my throat, my palm slick against the glass. “Yeah,” I rasped, eyes never leaving Brynne. “She’s really cute.”
Her eyes darted to Scout, then back to me as if to say, watch it, Playboy.
I grinned as I moved across the room and sank onto the other end of the sofa. She was just inches from me, so close I could reach over and touch her if I wanted.
“You need a new skin. Yours is so basic,” Scout said mindlessly. I split my attention between Brynne and the screen, watching Scout flip through her skins.
A redhead popped up, one with curvy hips, and a tattoo snaking down her arm. It looked exactly like the woman sitting next to me, and lifted my hand to point at the screen. “How about that one? She looks fun to play with.”
A blush settled over her face as she shook her head. “You’ll be in over your head,” Brynne murmured low enough that Scout couldn’t hear. I leaned back on the sofa as I brought the glass to my lips. The alcohol burned on its way down my throat, settling warmly in my belly.
“Don’t worry, I can find my way around.”
Scout’s phone vibrated against the couch, and she reached for it. “Demi’s here. I need to help her unload the”—her eyes darted to me—“stuff. She needs help with stuff.”
“Right…” I tilted my head to the side. “And what stuff would that be?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Party stuff.”
Tension thickened the room as Scout left. I stared at the back of Brynne’s head, still turned toward the doorway as if silently begging Scout to come back, or trying to calculate how many steps it would take for her to run out.
“You look nice,” I said. Her shoulders bunched before she turned toward me.
“You said that already.”
“And it’s true, so I thought I’d say it again.”
She licked her lips as she smoothed her hand down her dress. I followed the movements, watching as her fingers dragged along her thighs. What would she do if I rested my hand over hers and guided it to where I wanted to touch her?
I slid an inch closer, feeling the couch dip under my weight. “You’re acting like nothing happened,” I said softly—almost too softly. She looked at me from the corner of her eye.
“Because nothing happened.”
“It didn’t mean anything to you?”
Her throat bobbed as she pinched the small diamond necklace between her fingertips. “Theo,” she whispered, voice cracking. “We agreed.”
She grabbed her shoes and slipped her feet into them.
“I know.” I slid closer. “But maybe…maybe?—”
“Just the app,” she said softly, turning her face toward me.
She was so close. Close enough for her scent to wrap around me, tease me, promise me things it shouldn’t.
“Maybe just one time.” I slid closer, my knee resting against hers. She didn’t pull away, though, and that told me everything I needed to know.
She wanted me as badly as I did her.
“Just one time, Red. To get it out of our system.”
She shook her head as she stood. “Just the app, Theo. That was the agreement.”
I followed her, standing just a breath away. Her chest brushed against mine as she tipped her head back, peering into my eyes—into my soul.
“Usually, this is the other way around,” I said quietly, a sarcastic laugh leaving me. “I never chase women.”
“I guess there’s a first time for everything.”
She licked her lips again.
I flexed my hand.
“There is.” I dipped my chin, getting even closer to her, lips brushing against her ear. My voice dropped to a whisper. “One time, Red. That’s all I need.”
I pulled back, a cocky grin on my face. She was going to give in—I knew she was.
Redness bloomed across her chest and up her neck. “The app,” she repeated.
“We can still have the app.” Her breathing was shallow, almost too fast. “ And we can have one night together.”
Her eyes flicked between mine, so big and round. I wanted to reach for her, but I wouldn’t. Not yet. Not until she gave in.
Slowly, her red-painted lips parted, and I braced myself for what she was about to say. But with the way she was swaying into me, the way her body seemed to be on fire, I knew she was close to saying fuck it.
“Holy shit. Is this a theater?”
My head snapped toward the doorway as Archer strolled in, his eyes wide. Brynne leapt across the room, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know anyone—I’m Archer Hastings, and you are?” He held his hand out, and hers was trembling as she slid her palm against his.
“Oh, fuck. It’s you.”
My blood ran cold as I dragged my gaze toward Sean. He stood behind Archer, peering around his shoulder at Brynne.
“I thought I recognized you.”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Sean,” she said. “Hey.”
“I’ve been trying to get ahold of you for months.” He let out a tight laugh. “What are the odds of you being here?”
“I’m…um—” She gestured toward me. “I’m his friend’s sister—” She shook her head. “I mean, I’m his sister’s friend.”
Sean shot me a look I couldn’t quite understand as he stepped closer. “It’s fate,” he said, resting his hand on her waist. I locked in on the contact, my hand curling into a fist at my side.
He was touching her.
Before I could do something stupid, like strangle him, Archer stepped beside me, resting his hand on my upper back, as if to tell me to calm down.
“Let’s catch up. I’ll get you a drink.”
Brynne’s gaze met mine across the room. I shook my head slowly, silently telling her not to go with him.
Begging her not to.
But then she smiled again, that fake smile that was more of a grimace, and nodded. “Lead the way.”
I should’ve done something more than just watch as he took her out of the room. I should’ve followed them, ripped his hand off her, thrown him out of my fucking house.
But I was rooted to the spot. No matter how desperate I was to move, I couldn’t.
“How the fuck do they know each other?” My voice came out in a feral-sounding growl. I didn’t know who I was asking, but I needed an answer.
Trent cleared his throat. “They went out on a date right after you found out about Scout. Remember—” I slid my gaze to him. “Remember, he saw her on that app? And you basically challenged him.”
“Challenged him?” I repeated, shaking my head. “I didn't?—”
Then it all hit me. The stupid comments I made, the way he’d talked so badly about her.
“Oh, my god,” I said, pinching between my eyes. “He actually tried to fuck her? Please tell me he wasn’t successful.”
They glanced at each other and my stomach dropped.
“He claims he was,” Archer said hesitantly. “But I don’t really believe him, you know? He’s always talking shit, playing himself up. I doubt a pretty girl like her would give him a second look.”
But she did.
She left with him.
They were catching up , and I was standing here contemplating cold-blooded murder.