Page 11 of CurVy Forever

No smiles or embraces.

“I’ve got bail.” Dexter measures his brother’s appearance. “The retrial has been scheduled for next week. Should give me enough time to get…” He looks unimpressed. “Well, the right people to sort this misunderstanding out.” He nods at the hallway. “Go get your shit. You’re coming home with me.”

“No.” Tyler strolls into the kitchen and opens the fridge, a statement that he is home, maybe. “I’m staying here.”

“She is not on the trial anymore, Ty. We don’t need her. You don’t need to be here anymore. Don’t be a dumb arse and come home so I can keep an eye on you.”

“I’m glad you’re out, Dex. But I’m with Vallie.” Tyler rests his back on the counter and drinks from the milk carton like a damn caveman. He stares at Dexter standing in the middle of the living room. “I’m looking after her.”

A contemptuous chuckle spits from Dexter. I scowl at him. “So, you think you’re in some kind of relationship with this girl? The girl you have been extorting. You’re not thinking straight. Again. Come home.”

Fury builds in my stomach. “He is welcome here,” I ground, remembering that simply because he is Tyler’s brother doesn’t erase the fact that he’s a paedophile and a monster. “You are not. I don’t like that I’m somehow messed up in all this, but I am now. So, Tyler can stay with me for as long as he wants to. I want him to.”

Dexter’s eyes shift to me. Slowly, a provocative curve greets his lips, turning a stunning grin into a lusty threat.

I shuffle, the intent catching my breath. “Let the men talk, Baby Girl.”

“Condescending prick,” I punch out, and Tyler laughs. “This is my house, and we are very comfortable so go sort your own mess out. Get the right people on this, and leave. The police have been here twice a day for days now. Unless you want to bump into them so they can ask questions about Donnie, then you best leave.”

“Twice a day, huh? Don’t you think it’s better for Tyler to be home then? So they don’t question him. He isn’t a great liar. Don’t you think it makes more sense that he is home? Or they might guess he was the one to drown your boyfriend—”

“Ex!” Tyler growls.

“He is clearly fond of you. He can’t hide that.”

I walk over to Tyler. “I covered it up. I told them that I’ve known Donnie and Tyler for years. I just forgot your name. It won’t be a huge shock if they see me with you or him. I did that so I didn’t have to hide Tyler forever.”

He looks at Tyler. “Donnie is on the run, and that’s their focus, but they’ll see through you, Ty. You’ve already fucked this up for Donnie. Don’t fuck it up for me. Come home so I can keep an eye on you until this trial is over.”

“You fucked this up for Donnie!” I bark.

Tyler slides his hand across my stomach, pulling me to him and holds me there. “No. I’m staying here. And I don’t like the way you’re looking at Vallie. She’s mine, Dexter. And Donnie’s. Stop eye fucking her.”

Jesus Christ.

Mental note: Tyler’s meds.

Dexter only smirks, and I want to punch that leer right from his gorgeous face.

“Interesting.” His deep blue gaze targets me, and every cell inside me is set ablaze with warning. As he stares, his tongue darts out and lathers his lower lip; the message is clear and unsettling.

Fuck…

Then he snaps the tension by walking to the door, opening it, and stopping. “I’ll see you both very soon. Ty, I’m here.” He looks back at his brother. “I’m here now. I’m sober. I won’t leave you again. Think about it.”

The door shuts, and I exhale hard, but his words make sense, and I hate that: “Twice a day, huh? Don’t you think it’s better for Tyler to be home then? So they don’t question him. He isn’t a great liar. Don’t you think it makes more sense that he is home?”

CHAPTER 5

DEXTER

Horns blast to my right.

“Have you heard from my brother?” I call through the phone, crossing the busy street and filtering through a wave of pedestrians moving around the city.

“Not a peep,” Quinn replies, sounding unimpressed by my impromptu call. I get it. He doesn’t like me. Like most of our men, they are loyal to Donnie.

Donnie, who has been organising our family’s empire since he turned twenty-five and the keys to the kingdom were handed over. I’ve done nothing but run its reputation into the dirt. I fucking know this.

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