Monster
“And you know this how?” Drifter asked. His friend was right—he knew nothing about teen girls and how they would react to things. Especially long-lost brothers who were suddenly their guardians.
“Are you two coming, or are we doing this stupid tour on our own?” Josie said from the garage. She and Blitz were standing by the door, waiting for the two of them to show them around the big house, and they were cackling like a couple of hens.
“No, but she’s my sister,” Drifter said.
“See?” Drifter said, sweeping a hand toward the freshly painted walls and the new furniture. “Told you we’d set you up right. Not just a bed and four walls—this is yours. Safe. Comfortable.”
Josie’s eyes flicked around the room. The pale blue paint still smelled fresh. A quilt was folded neatly on the bed. A dresser, a nightstand, even a lamp that didn’t look like it had been taken out of the funeral home. Everything had been chosen carefully, and it showed.
But she only gave a half-shrug. “It’s, um—nice.”
Monster’s head snapped toward her, jaw tightening. “Nice? That’s all you’ve got to say to your brother?” His voice was sharp enough to make the air heavy.
Drifter’s grin faltered, his irritation flashing hot. “We busted our asses getting this room together, and we didn’t have much time to do it. You could at least appreciate our efforts, Josie.”
Josie crossed her arms, her chin lifting, walls already in place. “It’s a room, sure. But we both know that walls and furniture—even family aren’t permanent. None of this means that shit lasts.”
Drifter’s fists clenched, the muscle in his jaw ticking like he was holding back a growl.
Monster felt the same way. They had both worked hard to get the room ready for Josie, and she was treating it as though it wasn’t any big deal.
He swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair.
Before the storm broke, Blitz stepped in, laying a calming hand on Drifter’s arm.
“Hey. Be patient.” Her voice was firm, steady, the one thing that could cut through both their tempers.
She turned her gaze at them both. “She’s not ungrateful.
She just…” Blitz glanced at Josie, reading the weight in her eyes.
“She’s been through enough. Nothing’s felt permanent for her in a long time. ”
Drifter’s glare eased just a fraction, though his arms stayed crossed tight over his chest. “Doesn’t mean she gets to spit on what we give her.
” Yeah, his friend was going to need some time to get used to having his teenage sister around.
He hadn’t known many teenage girls himself, but from what he did know about them, they weren’t easy creatures to deal with.
“She’s not spitting on it,” Blitz said softly.
“She’s just scared to believe it’ll last. You know how your mother is, Drifter.
” Monster shot his friend a sympathetic look.
Drifter had told him about his shitty upbringing—his father disappearing when he was just a kid and his mother’s neglect.
Honestly, Monster used to envy what Drifter had since he had grown up in the system with no parents.
But finding out that Drifter’s mother just up and left his little sister, well, he was starting to get the bigger picture, and it sucked for both Josie and Drifter.
Drifter’s expression softened, though his tone stayed stubborn.
“I remember her, and I’m sorry that she just left, Josie, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going anywhere.
You have nowhere else to go, so why not let down your guard a bit and try to appreciate what Monster and I have done here?
” He looked past Josie, straight at Blitz.
“And since you seem to understand what my sister is going through, you’re staying here too.
You’re staying in one of my guest rooms tonight.
No arguments.” Blitz looked like she wanted to give him one hell of an argument, although Josie looked a bit relieved.
Maybe Drifter was onto something here. Maybe the kid needed to have Blitz stick around for a bit until she got settled in with Drifter.
But he had a feeling that there was more to the story about Drifter wanting Blitz to stay with him.
She’d be just down the hallway from him, and that thought pissed Monster off a bit—he just wasn’t sure why.
Blitz blinked, taken aback. “Drift—”
Monster cut in, voice almost a whisper. “Maybe she doesn’t want to stay here with you,” he said.
“I can offer you a room above the clubhouse. It might not be the nicest of the quietest, but it will give you some privacy.” Monster shot Drifter a look, letting him know that two could play at that game.
Maybe giving Blitz a choice of which one of them she wanted to stay with would help them both see who she liked.
Hell, maybe she didn’t want either of them, and that was going to sting a bit.
The three of them had just met, but there was something about the CPS worker that made Monster a little hot, but in a very good way—a way that he hadn’t felt in a damn long time.
Drifter didn’t seem too happy with Monster’s idea of having Blitz stay at the clubhouse. He squared his shoulders, stepping closer to Monster, heat sparking between the two men. “She needs space and a safe place. I’ve got it here. Plus, she can help Josie get adjusted. End of discussion.”
Monster moved in too, his scowl carved deep.
“Don’t tell me where Blitz stays. She makes that call, not you.
” He wasn’t sure why either of them was fighting over a woman who still hadn’t voiced her opinion about where she wanted to stay.
They both turned to Blitz, as though signaling that it was time for her to make a decision.
She was going to have to choose one of them, and the other was going to be left feeling dejected, but that was what they were asking her to do—reject one of them outright.
The room thickened with tension, Josie watching from the bed, Blitz caught between them—looking like a deer caught in the headlights. She sighed; the weight of both men’s stubbornness seemed heavy on her shoulders.
“Maybe you two should stop arguing about where I stay,” Blitz said dryly, “and start focusing on making this place feel like home for her.” She nodded toward Josie, who sat silent, hugging herself like she was bracing against more than just raised voices.
For once, neither Monster nor Drifter had a quick retort. All they could do was stand there and watch as Blitz comforted Josie, making them both feel like asses for the way that they had acted—without having to say another word.