Clearing my throat, I put the truck in park and spin in my seat to look into the back seat at Brantley and Tank before shifting my gaze to the passenger seat looking at Wyatt. “Okay, guys. Listen. I know we’re all pissed off by everything going on but Kayden needs this trip today to try and forget about all this Zak crap. So let’s all drop the Zak talk for now and focus on what’s important: Help Kayden let loose, forget about all the crazy shit going on and catch some big ass fish to fry up!”
Clapping my heads together, I shout, “Woot! Okay, boys. Let’s go drag his ass outta that house so we can get our asses out on the boat!”
Jumping out of the truck, we all sprint up the large stairs leading up to Kayden’s house and burst through the front door entering the foyer. “Knox! Get your ass down here. The fish ain’t gonna catch themselves!” Tank shouts throughout the house, cupping his mouth with his hands. Man! Does that boy’s voice carry! I think the neighbors probably heard his loud ass.
I hear footsteps coming down the stairs, but they’re not heavy enough to be Kayden. My heart stops and restarts again when Brooklyn comes into view. She’s wearing leggings, an off the shoulder shirt that allows me to get a peek at her smooth skin, and flip flops. Her long brown hair is up in a high ponytail on top of her head with large bouncing curls going down her back. It’s been easy to ignore the cravings I’ve had for her with us being apart, but seeing her now...being this close...it’s almost too much.
Wyatt lets out a low whistle, making me ball my fists and clench my jaw. “Well, you look as hot as ever, Miss. Brooklyn.” He says, making his drawl thicker.
“Aww. Thank you, Wyatt.” She has the biggest smile on her face until her eyes land on me standing behind everyone with my hands now shoved into my front pockets. Her eyes slowly roam over me, and I notice a spark of desire flicker in them.
I’ve seen the look enough times to know when she likes what she sees. This girl is definitely liking what I have to give. I’ll let her want all her little heart desires, but there’s not a chance in hell I’ll be giving in and doing anything with her ever again.
Removing my hands from my pockets, I start rolling the sleeves up on my flannel shirt to distract myself. “So is Knox ready?” I ask nonchalantly trying my best to avoid eye contact.
Brooklyn saunters across the foyer towards me with all eyes landing on her and following her every move—especially her swaying ass as she approaches me. She gives me a small smirk, crossing her arms, making her tits pop out more before tilting her head towards the staircase. “He’s been locked up in his room for quite some time now with Savannah. I think an intervention may be needed in order to get his ass out of this house.”
I blow a loud puff of air out and move around Brooklyn, causing our shoulders to gently graze one another’s and instantly sending that magnetic charge between us that’s there every time we’re together. But I successfully brush it off and keep my head on straight. I don’t know how much longer I can keep brushing it off so I need to get out of here AS-A-freakin-P.
Walking up the stairs halfway, I stop. Gripping the railing, I shout up the stairs, “Knox! I swear to God! Put your dick in your fuckin’ pants and drag your ass down here, or I will not be held accountable for my actions.”
I hear a few bangs, then the sound of a door opening and slamming shut, followed by the sound of heavy boots stomping their way towards me. The second Kayden appears, his face breaks into a shit eating grin, “Hey, cuz. Sorry to keep ya waitin’ but Savannah needed some tending to before we left for the day.”
Shaking my head, I spin around and stomp back down the stairs. “I don’t need to know the details asshole. Just get your shit and let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“What the hell has your girly panties in a twist today?” Kayden joke’s clapping me on the back as he comes around me at the bottom of the staircase.
My body tenses and jaw clenches as I try to reign in emotions. After a few deep breaths through my nose, I feel better, “Nothing. Jackass. I just want to get out on the lake, chill the fuck out and drink some beer. Not stand around your house all day.”
The doorbell rings as Kayden is disappearing into the garage that’s attached to the kitchen to grab his fishing gear and load it into his truck. Brooklyn bounces over to the door, bursting with excitement, as Mya and Braxton enter the house. Spotting us, Braxton raises his hand in the air at all of us, “What’s up assholes! Ready to do some fishing?”
We all take turns ‘bro hugging’ Braxton and saying hello before heading outside where Kayden is pulling his truck out of the garage and into the driveway.
“I didn’t know you were coming. I thought you had plans with your parents’ this weekend?” I ask Braxton as we stand on the stairs watching Kayden load the bed of his truck up.
“I did, but with everything going on they understood Mya’s reasons for wanting to reschedule dinner for another night. I still can’t believe they haven’t caught the piece of shit. Then to know he has the balls to send threats. He is going to have one big ass whoopin’ coming once he’s caught if Kayden has his way.”
My head is reeling as I take in what Braxton is saying. I’ve been busy all week with getting our new construction site set up, and all of our trailers moved to the lot we’ll be building on. I’ve rarely had time to catch up with him on everything going on. I turn towards Braxton to try and speak lower and with a confused expression I ask, “What are you talking about? What threats?”
Braxton has a look of shock on his face as my question flies out at him. “You don’t know? I assumed you’d be one of the first to know...considering.”
“Considering what?!?” I blurt out a little louder this time.
He nervously runs his hand over his shaved head before leaning in closer to me and lowering his voice, “Kayden wants it kept on the down low right now because of everything Savannah’s dealing with. But Brooklyn got a text from Zak the night Savannah was released making threats at her. The police tried to trace it but came up with nothing but dead ends.”
I don’t say another word to Braxton. I beeline it straight back into the house and find Brooklyn and Mya in the family room watching as three women set up massage tables and set out nail supplies.
“Brooklyn!” I bark out causing her to jump.
Spinning around to face me, she presses her hand to her chest and blinks a few times as I watch her inhale and exhale deeply, causing her perfect tits to rise and fall. “Jesus, Dixon! You scared the crap out of me.”
I cock my head to the side. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I guess with getting threats and all you must be a little on edge, huh?”
Her eyes grow large as she searches the room making sure Savannah isn’t around.
“Don’t worry. Savannah’s upstairs still. You. Follow. Me. Now!” My words are short and clipped as I grab her arm and drag her into Kayden’s kitchen.
Yanking her arm away from me, she furrows her brows, “Settle down on the man handling, asshole. Where the hell do you get off bossing me around?”
I take a step towards her, backing her against the kitchen island, and I rest a hand on each side of her body gripping the island. “I’ll boss you around all I want when you decide to keep me in the dark about shit like some crazy assed lunatic sending you death threats.”
Brooklyn’s body sags against the counter, and she drops her eyes to my chest, “I figured you couldn’t care less so why bother telling you. Anyways, Jax has been amazing making sure I’m safe. So there’s nothing to worry about.”
Hearing her say Jax’s name and knowing she turned to him instead of me should make me feel relieved since I did say I wanted to wash my hands of her, but instead makes my blood boil. “I don’t care if Jax, Kayden, or anyone else is handling it. That piece of shit hacked my goddamn company and tried to blackmail money out of my cousin. I take this shit he’s pulling very serious. I don’t take death threats lightly, especially when his boyfriend is lying cold in a morgue. People do desperate things in the name of revenge on a daily fucking basis, Brooklyn.”
She slowly lifts her head back up, locking her big amber colored eyes with mine, “I admit I’m pretty freaked out, it sucks keeping this from Savannah, but I understand why. Jax has been great plus I take self-defense classes. If he ever tried anything, I can easily take his ass down.”
Women. They always think a few self-defense classes will make them fucking superwomen. “Brooklyn, knowing how to beat someone up because of a class won’t help you if the psycho has a gun and is hiding where ya can’t see them. You can’t let your guard down. Not for a single second.”
Her fingers slowly lift from her sides and roam up the front of my shirt where they stop at my chest and fist the cotton of my undershirt. My breathing increases as she gently tugs on it. “Why do you care so much? Last I knew we weren’t on speaking terms and nowhere near being friends. We’ve been nothing but a convenient fuck for one another.”
Fuck.
She’s definitely a girl who calls it like she sees it. What the fuck have I gotten myself into with her?