Page 42 of Unchained

Inside the foyer stood a huge, hulking dude with stone-colored eyes. Dark hair waved away from his face.

“This is Nash. He’s my fiancé.” Lexi skipped between the two men like a toddler hopped up on sugar. She stopped beside Nash and gripped his arm. “Nash, this is Brooks.”

Nash stepped forward and extended his hand. “We’re so glad to have you home,” he said, shaking Brooks’s hand.

Brooks nodded. “Thanks. I’m sorry, I don’t remember you.”

“We saw each other around the Lionsgate house.”

Brooks drew back, alarm painting his face. He jerked his head from Lexi to Nash, and his muscles bunched. Nash’s face struck Brooks’s memory bank. “You’re Conrad’s son.”

Nash scrunched his face into a grimace. “Adopted son,” he corrected.

“What’s wrong?” Lexi leaped forward, but Brooks retreated a step.

“You two are involved with Conrad?”

Cam caught Brooks’s hand. He held fast to her, as if he were about to grab her and run. She trailed a palm down his forearm. “Brooks, you knew Conrad well, right? I think it’s safe to say Lexi did too.”

“You don’t remember?” Lexi’s wide blue eyes darted back and forth between Brooks and her.

He gave a sharp shake of his head.

Lexi stepped forward and, for a second, a river of unease trickled inside Cam. Brooks had little control when it came to his rage toward Conrad. No fear touched Lexi’s face as she wrapped her arm around Brooks’s waist, fitting herself into his side. Only concern. “Conrad is a mutual enemy, believe me. I devoted every day since your disappearance to exposing him—and I did it with your help.”

Confusion wilted Brooks’s formidable stare. “I helped?”

She chuckled. “I have a lot to explain. Let’s eat. Nash made us a huge dinner.” She gestured down the hall, where the kitchen opened into a living room.

“And him?” Brooks said, nodding toward his soon-to-be brother-in-law.

“I couldn’t have taken Conrad down without Nash’s and his brothers’ help. Please,” Lexi said, giving Brooks a gentle shake. “Hear us out.”

Cam squeezed his hand in reassurance. He glanced down at her and she smiled. His tension eased and he grunted. “Okay.”

Lexi stayed by Brooks’s side, so Cam drifted away, not wanting to crowd them.

“Nice to finally meet you.” Nash’s grin told her he’d seen her on the news.

She accepted his handshake and then followed him to the kitchen. Lexi and Brooks entered the room behind them. “Don’t believe everything you hear on TV,” she said, humor lacing her voice. She’d deliberately kept the radio off during the drive, so she didn’t have to hear about the heinous things the media was claiming she’d done.

She turned her attention to the spread of food covering the island. “Holy cow.” Her stomach grumbled in anticipation, even though they’d had fast food a few hours ago. Nothing compared to the smell of a homecooked meal.

Nash handed her a plate. “Sorry for the feast. Lexi insisted we make everything.”

Lexi elbowed him. “I haven’t seen my brother in almost a year. Least we could do is feed him.”

The laughter faded from Nash’s face. He looped his arm around her neck and kissed her forehead. “I know, honey.” Nash nodded at the food. “Dig in. I just carved the chicken.”

“Looks delicious,” Brooks said, taking a heaping forkful of juicy meat.

Cam immediately dug into the cheesy potatoes that would surely collect on her ass within hours and then reached for the tongs to snag some green beans. Next came carrots, a roll, and what appeared to be freshly pressed juice. “What’s in this?” Cam took a sip.

Lexi tapped her index finger to her chin. “Oh, this one’s delicious. It has orange peppers, pineapple, ginger, and lemon.”

The sweetness of peppers zinged her tongue, followed by the juicy flavor of pineapple. “Oh my gosh,” she murmured, chugging back another gulp. “That’s amazing.”

“It should be. That damn juicer cost an arm and a leg,” Nash said, over the mile-high pile of food on his plate. He made his way to the adjoining dining room.

---