Page 25 of The Bad Brother

“No,” she bites back, completely unafraid because sheknows that no matter what, I won’t put my hands on her. “Not until you tell me why you’re freaking out.”

I’m freaking out because you invited a creeker to be my next-door neighbor, less than a week after my asshole brother decided to kick off his latest round ofFuck with Jensen.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I nail her in place with another hard glare. “Who is she?” I ask, instead of answering her. “How do you know her?”

“I already told you,” River says, her jaw set at a stubborn angle. “Her name is Sloane. I met her at the coffee shop by the hospital. I stopped in to grab a coffee and a doughnut before the meeting because you know the coffee there sucks and?—”

“Wait—” I unlock one of my arms to swipe a rough hand over my face. “You just met her.Today? Are you fucking serious?”

That’s not a coincidence. It can’t be.

“Yes.” River gives me a look like I’m completely overreacting. “I overheard her talking to some fancy realtor lady about looking for a place to live?—”

Definitely not a coincidence.

“—and she said she couldn’t afford anything they’d looked at and she seemed desperate.”

“Yeah, I bet…” Muttering it under my breath, I shake my head. “What else do you know about her, Riv? Where is she from? Does she have a job?Fuck—does she have a last name?”

“Merrick.”

When we hear her, River and I both turn to see the woman we’re fighting about standing at the top of the stairs, watching us.

“Merrick?” I repeat the name she just threw at me on a bitter,of course it islaugh. “Your name is SloaneMerrick?” I’ve never heard of her in my life. None of the families I remember from Clearwater are named Merrick but that doesn’t mean anything. I’ve been on this side of the river for a long time. Things change.

“Yes.” She looks shaken—like she wants to run away, but she doesn’t. Instead, she moves toward us, walking the length of the hallway on a quick, angry stride. Stopping in front of me, she gives me the kind of look that, even though she’s a solid eight inches shorter than me, manages to make me feel like she’s looking down at me. “My name is Sloane Merrick—as for the rest of it, that’s none of your business.” Holding up a piece of paper between us, she shoves it against my chest. “Your copy of the lease—I paid three months in advance,in cash, and it’s been signed by your legal representative.” She cocks her head at me, a smirk playing against the corners of her full mouth. “Unless River was lying anddidn’thave your permission to rent out your loft, in which case I’d be forced to call my attorney and?—”

“No.” I push the word through clenched teeth because I know what she’s going to say next. What she’s getting at. If I say River didn’t have permission to rent her the loft, I’d be able to get rid of her, but at River’s expense. What she did would be considered fraud and River would be arrested. The signed lease would be all the proof this woman would need to get River thrown in jail on a felony. “She had my permission to rent the loft.”

As soon as I say it, Sloane smiles. “Excellent.” Letting go of the paper she’s holding to my chest, she turns toward theopen doorway River’s planted herself in. Moving out of her way, River stands beside me while Sloane takes her place. “Then Idolive here—for the next three months.”

Before I can think of something to say, my new tenant slams the door in my face.

HOLY SHIT.

I did that.

I actually did that.

Leaning against the door I just slammed in River’s asshole boss’s face, I close my eyes and drag a deep, shaky breath in through my nose before releasing it out my mouth.

You did excellent, Sloane. You stood up for yourself. That shows real progress.

Opening my eyes, I turn around. Standing on my tip toes, I press my eye to the peephole in the door. River and her boss are still standing in the hallway, in front of my front door. They’re talking—or rather he’s talking while she listens quietly, shooting quick, worried looks at the door I’m hiding behind.

Shit.

Dropping myself back onto flat feet, I turn again.Reaching into my pocket for the coffee shop receipt I jammed in there earlier, I pull it out. Spitting the hollowed-out shell of my spent Atomic Warhead into it, I wad it up and carry it into the kitchen. Taking a guess, I open the cabinet under the sink, looking for a place to throw it away. Sure enough, next to a caddy full of cleaning supplies, is a trash can. Tossing it in, I close the cabinet and turn. Leaning my hip against the counter, I look around my new home.

Temporary home.

But that’s okay. Three months will give me plenty of time to save some money and find a new place. Give me time to regroup. Replant my feet and start?—

Someone knocks on the front door, the sound of it quick and light—like whoever it is, doesn’t want to be heard. Hurrying to the door, and after a quick check of the peephole, I open it to find a worried looking River standing in front of me. Before I can say anything, she pushes her way past me, gesturing me to close the door behind her.

“I know what I said,” I tell her, sure I know why she’s here and what she must think about the way I just behaved. “But I knew he’d never force me to call my attorney about this.” Jensen Barrett is an asshole but he cares about River—that much is obvious. I’m just glad he didn’t call my bluff.

Stopping somewhere between the front door and the living room, River turns to look at me. “What?” When she gets the gist of what I’m saying, she waves an impatient hand in the air between us. “Oh, that? No, that was awesome. I’ve never seen anyone stand up to Jen like that. The only ones who even come close are Cade and Colt—but that’s just because Cade is an asshole and Colt is… well, he’s Colt.” Chewing on her lower lip for a moment like she’s not sure she wants to say what’s next, she sighs. “You lied to me. You said you didn’t have any money.” Gaining speed and confidence, she frowns at me. “You said there was no way you could afford?—”

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