Last Man Standing (Beautiful Betrayal #2)

1. Scarlett

SCARLETT

DON’T BE SUSPICIOUS

Rocks crackle beneath the tires of my rented two-thousand-twenty-three Hyundai SUV, each popping stone like a musical symphony that not-so-ironically matches the rhythm of my racing pulse.

I slow on the shoulder of a deserted road, a mere mile from the main street of a small town in the middle of absolutely freakin’ nowhere, but I look through the trees and study a pretty house set in the foreground of the mountains this town was named after.

Mount Gaines is a quaint town homing just a few thousand multi-generational residents, and the postcards I saw littering a turning shelf at the local gas station prove the place is pretty enough to boast to outsiders… assuming those outsiders were intent on seeing pretty things.

But not me.

Mostly, I’m intent on seeing my brother.

Drawing a deep breath, I check my blind spots to ensure the road remains clear, then I tap the gas pedal and roll into the driveway.

My pulse thrums wildly in my chest, and though I wrap my hands securely around the steering wheel, they still tremble.

Stupid friggin’ trembling.

Bringing the car to a stop, I cut the engine and snag the keys. Slipping my phone into my back pocket and breathing warm air into my palms—stop procrastinating!—I push my door open in silence and slide out until my feet touch gravel and crunching snow.

My breath feathers ahead of me in white puffs, announcing to anyone who cared to look how my heart sputters and my lungs quake.

Why so nervous, Scarlett? Why the anxiety?

You’ve never been scared to race home to your brother in the past.

Because you’re full of shit, that’s why.

But I’m not quite ready to think about that. Instead, I carefully close my door and look up at the house I know belongs to Nova Nichols.

Soon-to-be Nova Castro, if my brother gets his way.

I study the pretty porch. The picturesque windows and a single pair of worn boots sitting at the front door. I peek up at the chimney, with the soft clouds of smoke coming from the top, and try to find comfort in what a crackling fire implies.

“He’s not a very nice person.” A woman’s voice carries on the breeze, the sweet laughter in her words drawing my focus away from the front door and, instead, along the long driveway to where I assume leads to the back. “I know he saved our lives that time, and he took a bullet for me and whatnot…”

My brows shoot high in surprise, especially as she finishes her sentence with, “he’s just not very pleasant.”

He, who?

My brother? My whole freakin’ world?

“I can hear you assholes.”

A second voice joins the fray, a man’s deep, dark, not-very-friendly grumble.

Definitely not my brother.

Curiosity sparks in my blood, especially when a third voice, one I’d know anywhere on the planet, in any room, no matter who else we shared it with, joins in, so I swallow my nerves and start around the side of the house.

Nibbling on my poor, abused thumbnail, I edge toward the rear and peek around to find my brother’s broad frame wrapped around a woman I’ve seen only in pictures so far.

For just a moment, I hold my breath and knuckle fresh emotion from the corners of my eyes. Because he’s here. So close. Still so large and strong. So confident, even as he faces a man so much taller than his already impressive six-three frame.

Linc nuzzles Nova’s hair, chuckling and taunting the third member of whatever the hell this is.

“This is a private moment,” he rumbles playfully. “So if you could fuck off—”

“Lincoln?” My mouth moves in spite of my desire to remain hidden. My feet walk, despite wishing I could hide a little longer. Stumbling forward on jelly legs, I approach the bottom of the porch stairs and stare up at the only man on the planet I can’t live without.

Little sisters are supposed to be annoyed by overbearing older brothers.

Older brothers are supposed to ditch their younger siblings in favor of their cooler friends and cooler adventures.

But that’s not us. It never has been. So when Lincoln literally tosses Nova to the side and spins, I come to a stop, my heart in my throat, and a wild, wide grin stretching across my face.

This might be the first smile I’ve smiled in days.

“Scarlett?” He charges down the stairs and crashes against me with the fury of a storm, dragging me into a hug that steals my breath and crushes my cheek against his fiercely pounding heart.

“What are you doing here?” He yanks me back, manhandling me in ways that would scare me if it were anyone else… any other man. “What the fuck, Scar?”

You’ve practiced this, Scarlett Castro. Don’t mess up now.

“What?” I dial my grin even higher. “I missed you. Two months is a long time, Linc. And I knew where to find you.”

“Does Mills know you’re here?” Roughly, he cups my face in his hands. “He’s gonna be pissed when he finds out you skipped town. Especially since I already told him I was coming to you. Soon,” he adds for emphasis.

“Yes, he knows.” I playfully huff. That’s it, Scar.

Act right, or he’s gonna figure you out.

“And you know I’m not a very patient person.

” I drag his hands down and turn to face the woman whose stare warms my skin.

Nova Nichols boasts beautiful mousy brown hair that verges on blonde, bright hazel eyes, and once we stand side by side, maybe a two or three-inch advantage compared to my five-two.

Wringing my hands together, I wander up the stairs.

I used to be the center of my brother’s world. The beginning and end of every big decision he ever made.

Now… she is.

“You’re as pretty as he said you were.” I crest the top step and meet her nervous gaze. “Nova, right? I’m sorry for just turning up.”

“No, it’s…” She trembles. Just like I do. Terrified, kinda like I am. “I-I’m sorry. I must seem so rude.” She grabs my hand. “Nova Nichols. Lincoln has told me so much—”

“Move.” The third person, the massive, irritated, muscle-clad military-type, picks Nova up and tosses her aside. Taking my hand for himself, he flashes a wide, could-be-charming smile.

Except it’s not charming.

Not even a little.

“My name is Sebastion.” He draws my shaking hand higher and presses an arrogant kiss to my knuckles.

Nausea bounces furiously in my belly. Anxiety coils tight. Waves roar in my brain, just like they used to back when… back before…

“My friends call me Bas.”

“No!” Lincoln’s booming snarl shatters the wall of noise in my head.

He wrenches me back from the edge of insanity, metaphorically and, as he charges up the stairs and grabs on, literally, too.

He yanks me away from Sebastion and tucks me securely behind his back. “Absolutely not! No fucking chance.”

Both men remain oblivious to the tears scorching my eyes. To the wild thunder of my heart. They stand toe-to-toe, challenge-to-challenge. Just like always, Linc lends me his strength because mine has a nasty habit of washing away on those horrible waves.

But Nova… she’s not as unobservant as the other two. She peeks around Lincoln’s broad shoulders, her brows pinched tight and her eyes narrowed to slits. In just a single second, while Linc and Sebastion glower, she latches onto my wrist and tugs me away.

Alarmed, Linc spins to save me. Always to save me. “Nova, what—”

“We’re going inside.” She leads me across the porch, whips the back door open, and slingshots me in ahead of her, then she whirls back just in time to thrust her palm in Lincoln’s face.

“Girl time. Go do that peeing-on-people thing boys so enjoy. Outside.” With a blinding smile and dancing eyes, she swings the heavy wooden door shut, slamming it so hard the walls rattle and a teapot sitting high on a shelf shifts.

“I’m so sor—”

“No idea why you would be.” She comes back around and faces me, less pissing-the-menfolk-off, and more… well, soft. “We have about five minutes to ourselves before they climb onto the roof and crawl down the chimney.”

“Nova—”

“So we’re going to take that five minutes. You can wipe your face and take a deep breath.”

At movement through the kitchen window—Lincoln and Sebastion, fighting for prime positioning to peek inside—Nova’s friendly smile transforms again, but this time, her intolerance shines through.

She stomps past me, the scent of something flowery and pretty wafting from her hair, and leaning across the top of the sink, she fists the curtains and yanks them closed.

Too bad the curtains are sheer lace, and not… a metal shield.

“It’s not perfect, but it’ll do for now.” Turning and resting against the edge of the counter, she tilts her head to the side and studies me through compassionate eyes. “I’d like to say he’s harmless, but there’s a reason we know him as Tank.”

“T-Tank?” I shuffle on nervous feet and watch the duo scuffling on the back porch. “You call Sebastion, Tank?” I consider his massive stature, the ink covering his skin up to the underside of his chin, and down to the tips of his fingers. “He’s not harmless?”

“Well…” She ponders for a moment, long enough for me to bring my hands up and swipe my warming cheeks. Then she draws her shoulders higher into a shrug. “He’s on our side,” she decides. “Most of the time.”

Most of the time?

“It would be na?ve to say he’s harmless, but he saved my life a few months ago, so there’s that. When he could’ve hurt me, he protected me. When he could’ve killed Lincoln—”

Killed Lincoln? “What?”

“He didn’t. I’m led to believe he’s a highly trained, extremely dangerous person.

But he typically only aims that danger toward his foes.

Luckily for me, he’s decided I’m more valuable alive than I am dead.

” Pushing away from the sink, she takes my shaking hand between hers.

“I won’t stand here and act like I know nothing about your past… ”

“Y-you know?” I tremble. “Lincoln told you?”

“Not the details. Not really. I know you had trouble with a guy a while back, and that trouble was bad enough to lead to…” She chews on the inside of her cheek, hesitant to finish her thought.

“Worse stuff. I won’t pry, and Lincoln hasn’t spelled things out.

But none of that stopped me from seeing the panic in your eyes out on the porch.

It didn’t stop me from noticing the tears you wish so badly you could control. ”

I choke out a whimpering laugh. A snotty snicker that vibrates all the way to the base of my stomach. “Seems you’ve figured me out already.”

“I don’t pretend to know everything that passes through Tank’s mind either, but I don’t feel unsafe around him.

I like that he’s here, and I don’t mind when Linc has to leave, and it’s just the two of us here alone.

So, despite your past and your extremely valid reasons for not being thrilled about meeting that pushy, overgrown oaf, I do think I could vouch for him.

” She pauses for a beat, before adding, “Ish.”

“That’s…” I draw a long breath, filling my lungs and tugging my hand from hers while I have the chance, then I exhale and glance at the now-empty window. Both men are gone. Warily, I look at the ceiling. They wouldn’t, would they? “Your vouch-ish is comforting. Ish.”

She snorts.

“And I just made a total dick of myself. I’ve been here for thirty seconds, and already—”

“Eh.” She wanders toward the fridge and whips the door open to reveal soda cans and… not much else. “I doubt you have to worry about impressing Lincoln.” She snags a soda and spins, extending her hand in offering.

I shake my head.

Nodding, she keeps it for herself, closes the fridge, and releases the top with a noisy hisst. “He’s your brother, after all, and I bet you’ve both made dicks of yourselves in the past.”

“Yeah, but—”

“And you don’t have to worry about me, since I was totally jealous for a second there.”

“You…” Frowning, I drag my bottom lip between my teeth. “Huh?”

“When this beautiful brunette with a smokin’ hot body waltzed into my yard and snatched my boyfriend’s attention as if I didn’t even exist, I was jealous.

” She shrugs and sips her drink. “I heard him call you Scarlett, so it’s not like I didn’t know who you were.

Still, I was jealous. So there…” She lowers her hand.

“That’s my brain, weird and wired wrong.

My innermost thoughts laid out for you to pick apart.

So either we both made dicks of ourselves—”

“No, you d—”

“Or neither of us did. And then there’s Tank.

Honestly?” She snickers. “No one should ever worry about how they act in front of him. He’s not in a position to judge.

At all. So that brings us back to neutral ground.

” She shoots a look toward the opposite side of the house.

To the snick of opening locks, then the schwoop of the front door opening.

“Your breathing time is officially over. Are you ready? Because he’s missed the crap out of you, and now you’re here. ”

“Scarlett!” Lincoln’s voice echoes across the house. “I need answers, Little Girl.”

“Little Girl?” Nova scrunches her nose. “That’s an unfortunate thing to be called when you look like…” She gestures my way. “That.”

“Stopppp.” Finally, I exhale the nasty anxiety swirling in my belly and replace it with genuine happiness.

In just two minutes, I’ve met the woman my brother has sworn his life to…

and I like her. That’s a nice change. “Don’t act like your jeans aren’t…

” I cup my hands to show her what I mean.

“Even I looked, and I’m obnoxiously heterosexual. ”

“Scarlett!” Lincoln stomps through the doorway and tears me around to face him. “You’ve been here for three seconds, and you’re already talking boys with Nova?”