Page 39 of Living Hell

I glanced up at Olivia who had curled up in the chair and fallen asleep. She was snoring.

“Your company is going to protect Iona?”

She didn’t need my little brother’s rag-tag team to keep watch over her. I was more than capable of doing that myself.

“Yes. Looks like I’m coming home. Make sure you have a bed ready for me. I like my pillow extra fluffy.” I heard him laugh through the phone.

“No.”

I wouldn’t accept this. Iona’s agent had gone too far. What was the chance out of all the security companies in the country that she would pick the one my brother owned? The woman did this on purpose. Babette hated me and I must say, the feeling was mutual.

“Oh yes. I fly out tomorrow. Seriously though, I will need a place to sleep because it’s twenty-four-hour security she hired us for.”

I can’t believe this. My life was slowly—but with tremendous force—being destroyed by a Hollywood agent. She supposedly owned my home. She forced me to tell the world a lie, one even my little brother believed. And now he was coming to live with me.

“It’s a two-bedroom home. You can have the couch.”

“What? Why can’t I have the spare bedroom?”

“Because Iona is in—” I stopped myself before I let it out.

I had signed a confidentiality agreement about the fake engagement. If I told anyone, even my brother, I would be in breach of contract. And if that happened, she promised to take me to court and fight for that house. I had no money for a lawyer and knowing her, she’d drag out the battle.

“Don’t tell me she sleeps in there because you two are saving yourselves for marriage? Because I know you are as far from a virgin as anyone can get.”

I rolled my eyes. “And you’re the saint?”

“No, but I’m not making my fiancée sleep in a separate bed because I’m an uptight asshole.”

“I’m not an uptight asshole, asshole.”

“Please. You were the drill sergeant growing up. Always making me clean up and help you fix something if it broke.”

“That’s because our parents didn’t do anything.”

“That’s the truth. Speaking of which, there’s something I need to tell you . . .”

I heard the door open to the office and groaned. Some last-minute pet emergency. This was going to be a long day.

“Can it wait until you get here tomorrow? I promise you will have a bed.”

I guess I’ll be sleeping on the couch. I can’t have my brother thinking we aren’t really engaged. This house was everything to me. I didn’t like lying to my brother, but I hoped he’d understand why I did it. And when all this was over, I’d tell him the truth.

Maybe if I repeated that enough, I’d believe it.

“I guess it can wait.”

“Someone came in the office. I got to go. Have a safe flight.”

“Thanks. And, bro, you know I love you.”

“Yeah. Love you too, my little man,” I said in my best baby voice.

“You’ve got issues. Later.”

Jake always ended his calls reminding me that he loved me. I think he felt some obligation because our parents never said it to me. They loved Jake, but he was the baby. Me, I was their work horse. I was to be used, not loved.

The call ended, and I put the receiver back in place. Olivia was still asleep, so I gently closed my office door as I left and went toward the waiting room.

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