Page 3 of Insta-Family (Forbidden Descendants 3)

and a season for every activity under the heavens ...

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance ...

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

-From Ecclesiastes 3

1

VAUGHN

The scuffle of shoes on a nearby sidewalk had me unclenching my jaw and opening my eyes. I lifted my head from the backrest of the driver’s seat and glanced out the passenger side window I had rolled down.

But it wasn’t Duke approaching.

Hissing out my frustration, I shifted my gaze to the building I’d been parked at the curb in front of for the last fifteen minutes, and after giving it an impatient scowl, my brother still did not emerge.

He was well aware that I was out here too. I’d texted to let him know.

Twice.

The annoying little shit was trying to force me to go in there and fetch him like some kind of disapproving father. But I wasn’t going to do it. Not this time. If he wanted to be late for his appointment, we’d be late for his damn appointment.

And then I’d be late getting back to work after my lunch break.

I drummed my fingers restlessly on the steering wheel.

A dog barked in the distance.

All the while, the main doors to Beriss International remained closed.

Seriously, if we missed this appointment, we might lose out on a golden opportunity to try a new medicine Duke’s doctor had been raving about. And I couldn’t allow us to do that, not when it might mean the difference between having an irritating, ungrateful, thoughtless younger brother in my life or having no one at all.

Depending on the outcome of his latest test results, his very existence could depend on this one appointment.

“Dammit,” I muttered, grinding my teeth.

I hated wondering about his life expectancy, though, so I shoved my mind back into irritation mode, which wasn’t too hard because I truly did detest how he always forced me to be the overbearing asshole in every situation.

But if he didn’t get his infuriating hide out here in the next two seconds, I was going in there and dragging him out by the scruff of the neck.

And... Time was up. I reached for the door handle just as the entrance to the building opened.

Oh, thank God. The pipsqueak was going to be responsible for once in his life.

Except, what do you know, it wasn’t Duke who exited. Because, of course, it wouldn’t be.

“Dickhead,” I hissed to the absent man as I scowled at the woman who strolled outside instead, casually swinging a sack lunch at her side.

He was honestly going to make me get out of this car and track him down.

I exhaled roughly, seeking patience, while the woman with the lunch veered off the sidewalk and stepped onto the grass.

Blinking, I watched her near a picnic table.

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