Page 5 of Feel Free to Scream

Octavia's struggled to open up outside of our immediate family. Half of her nannies just wanted a chance at my dad, or even me. We don't really know many kids her age—all my cousins are in their twenties, so most of us don't have children. She's starting school in a couple of weeks, and I know she’s struggling with the idea.

Octavia's brilliant, adorable, outspoken, downright rude at times, but she does not trust people easily. Especially women. So finding her clinging to a complete stranger was seriously unusual, until I spoke to Claire.

Oink, oink.

She's not only strikingly beautiful, but she's also warm, self-depreciative, and down-to-earth, not unlike Lisa. Claire must have sensed that the woman had no ulterior motives.

My instincts are rarely wrong, but I checked anyway. It was easy enough.

New in town. Twenty-ish. Blonde. Claire.

I had two folders in my inbox within an hour of asking my PI. Claire Fairmont, nineteen, arrived two days ago, currently residing at the Rothford dorm, recipient of an academic scholarship and a grant. I have all the basics: financials—she wasn't kidding about her wallet not stretching far enough to accommodate unnecessary stationery,Christ—academic record, her latest texts and messages, her search history.

Nothing suggests she knew who I was. She's the real deal. Aningenue. I smile to myself.

"You think she's be interested in babysitting? I'd like to go full-time after Vivi starts school, but she finishes at three, so I need someone from three to six. God knows the girls the agency usually send do not make my daughtergush."

"What makes you think I know what a complete stranger might like to do?" I ask.

"Please." Lisa sends methat look. The one that makes her look like our cunning mother. "My kid isn't the only one with a little crush. A present and a hundred-and-fifty-dollar gift card for chatting with Octavia for two minutes?"

If I'd seen the state of her finances before loading that gift card, I would have added all the bills in mymoney clip.

I shrug. No point denying I noticed her. "So what? I like a pretty damsel in distress. Who doesn't? Doesn't mean I can tell you whether she'd like to work for you."

"I suppose not. But whatever casual stalking you've been up to likely gives you an idea whether she'd be open to it."

I lower my beer, staring at my sister. She only looks back at me, an eyebrow raised.

I want to ask her how she knows. It's not like I'm in the habit of doing that type of thing with every girl I fuck. On the contrary.Most chick taking my cock are gone the next day. I don’t feel the need to learn anything about them.

But I do like to control my environment. I like to understand what makes people around me tick. It tells me what to expect of them.

I surprised even myself when I got a background check done on Claire, so how did Lisa know I would?

"She's broke," I say, finally. "And clearly, she liked Vivi. So I'm sure she'd like a job if you offered it. But she's at Rothford, so she might not be available when you need her."

My sister nods. "Did you ask for her phone number?"

"No." I wasn't about to come on to her with Octavia as a witness.

"Oh well. Do you know where we might run into her, then?"

"Library, bookstore, movie theater, yoga studio," I list. "But she'll likely join the school's, so you can't just drop by.Or I can mention it to her when I bump into her tomorrow."

My sister smirks. "Please do. I look forward to meeting whoever can thaw the two coldest Kellers in this house."

"Like I'm anywhere as cold as my father," I retort with a snort.

Though there's no arguing that, usually, Octavia's icy as fuck to young, pretty girls too busy batting their eyelashes at us to pay her any mind.

"Your dad's indifferent, notcold," Lisa retorts, leaning in eagerly. "So, what's the plan? You gonna ask her out?"

"I would," I assure her. "If it wasn't for one little problem."

"Oh?"

"She has a boyfriend."

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