Page 23 of Love Me

His eyes turn icy, and a part of me revolts, but I beat that to a pulp to become the new me.

“You’re right.”

“I wish you could stay at our college house,” Mia says wistfully.

“She can’t.”

“I can’t.” We both say at the same time. As an heir my place is here along with the others.

“Blake will crack,” Mia adds, surprising us both.

I offer a nod. He’s unstable, always dropping hints, brandishing an invisible plea for help.

“You want to work on him, sis?”

“It’s not a matter of want now, is it, brother? Don’t underestimate me. I may not show my strength through violence and scheming like you two. You’re both gorillas. I’m more like a snake. Only one of us will get in unseen.”

“No one is underestimating you,” I say. I try to tell her it’s not about that, but she’s staring at Hunter.

“Give me the keys.”

He throws them at her, and she catches them mid-air.

“Are you going to leave me here?” he asks.

At the door, she says over her shoulder, “It’s not the first time you two have slept in the same bed.”

We look at each other, not understanding what her outburst was about.

“She wants normalcy,” I say when she leaves the room.

“We’re normal.”

I take a seat on the bed, crossing my legs.

“You know we’re messed up.”

“Do you think I don’t know that? We have been professionally trained to sabotage, to conquer, to even kill.”

“For family.”

“For family.” I repeat with agreement.

A heavy silence follows, and he curls and uncurls his hands at his sides. “I need to let off some steam.”

“There’s an indoor pool and a boxing ring.”

His eyes sparkle, and I ask, “What are we betting this time?”

“I’ll tell you when I win.”

The cocky bastard. He’s bigger and has more physical strength, but I have other strengths to counterbalance that.

“Are you sure?”

“Let them see I am not that weak girl.”

“Yes, but we shouldn’t flash them what you can do either.”

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