“Unhappy chickens too. The eggs don’t come from little hens that frolic happily in grassy fields. These ones are kept in cages with no room to spread their wings, their little eyes never having seen sunlight. The pigs? They—”
“Dude,” Cooper rasps as the door closes behind Jake with a soft click. “You gotta stop. My poor heart.” He rubs his chest. “I can’t take it.”
“Jared,” I snap, safe now that Jake finally cleared the room, having gone back to the bowels of Hell from where he’d sprung. “Enough. You’re scaring my friends.”
“Good.” His lips flatten. “They should be scared. That kind of garbage isn’t doing their body any favours.”
My eyes hit the ceiling. When I find calm, I introduce Jared to Cooper and Frog. Then I drag him away before he does any more damage.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as we do a quick tour of the apartment. It’s a pointless question. I know why. Jared is here on behalf of the entire Valentine clan to check up on me.
“I’m here to check up on you,” he confirms.
What I love about Jared, and all my brothers, is their inability to tell a lie. No matter what, they’re always honest with me, and if I never have anything else, at least I have that.
“Of course you are,” I say as we wrap up the tour. It took all of thirty seconds. I lead him to the kitchen. It’s crowded in there. Frog has the fridge door open. He’s half inside it, rummaging through the shelves. Cooper and Henry are standing at the counter fighting over the last slice of pepperoni pizza.
“Be thankful it’s me and not Travis or Mitch,” he tells me.
“I got it!” Frog yells over the top of everyone. He backs out of the fridge, waving a bottle of hot sauce in the air. I snatch the bottle.
“Oi!” Frog cries.
Cooper and Henry have drawn battle lines. I lean between them and snatch the last pizza slice. They halt mid-argument, watching open-mouthed as I waltz from the kitchen.
“Why should I be thankful?” I call to Jared as I make my way to the living area. I turn and brace. My three friends come out, murder in their eyes. My own narrow in response. I know how to fight for food. Especially pizza.
Cooper takes a step forward and hesitates at my intimidating stance. I almost laugh. Several hairs were ripped from his head the last time he stole something from my plate and he’s remembering the incident. He whined about his sore scalp for two whole days.
“Because I’m not as stupid as you seem to think I am,” Jared calls back, catching my attention. “If it had have been Mitch or Travis here, they would’ve just killed him. No questions asked.”
My mouth snaps shut with a clack.
Does he have eyes in the back of his head?
“Yes I do,” he tells me.
Did I say that out loud?
“I see everything, Mackenzie Valentine, and you have some explaining to do. But first,” he says, starting for the apartment door, “there’s something I need to attend to across the hall.”
I throw the pizza slice in the general vicinity of my pursuers and make a grab for Jared. He moves too fast. He’s already in the hallway before I catch up. “Will you just stop!” I shout, careful to shut the apartment door behind me.
“No.”
Raising a fist, he bangs on the door opposite ours.
I shove at him.
He doesn’t budge.
“Stop interfering in my life,” I hiss.
Jared faces me, hands fisted by his sides and fury burning bright in his green eyes. “We would stop interfering if you had your life under control, but clearly you don’t. So I’m here to do it for you.”
Rage builds so quickly I can’t breathe. When I exhale it comes out as a howl through clenched teeth. I’m going to throat punch my brother so hard he won’t be able to talk for a week.
Then a light dings on. “Wait a minute.” My nails bite into my palms. “How do you know Jake lives here?”
“Because we know everything.”
Oh. My. God. My asshole brothers! Snooping into my life. Snooping into my friends’ lives. I’m sure they even performed a background check on the stupid bird that squawks in the tree by my window every morning. The same one that squirts its crap all over the glass. I’m sick of cleaning it.
Jake is the whole reason Jared is here. Not me. My brothers already know he lives across the hall. Just like I’m sure they know he’s the drummer for Jamieson. They simply sent brother number three as a representative to deal with the issue.
Just to round out my shitty weekend, the apartment door opens. Jake stands there, shirtless as usual. I eyeball every inch of inked, tanned skin until I’m dazed. What is he doing? Growing muscles on his muscles? He looks ridiculous.
I scowl at him. “Put on a damn shirt.”
Jake huffs in a breath. His massive chest rises like the sun. He huffs it back out, his gaze moving from me to Jared. He gives my brother a chin lift and steps back, opening the door wide. “You may as well come in.”
Jared steps inside. When I follow behind, my brother turns and plants a hand in my chest. “Oh no, little Miss Sunshine. You’re not invited.”
“You can’t—”
That’s all I manage before the door slams in my face. The thunk of a lock clicks in place. The urge to kick the door is strong. I resist.
Picking up the phone and raging at Mitch and Travis will achieve nothing. Calling Mum and Dad to bitch them out will simply draw attention to a situation that I’d prefer remained under the carpet.
I stand in the hallway gnashing my teeth as I figure out my next move.
A slow smile pulls at the corners of my lips when I realise exactly what it is.
The plan of all plans to rid myself of my brothers for good.
It will take time.
But the best plans always do.
And I can be patient when required.
I’ll have them out of action without them even realising what’s happened.
JAKE
I’m surprised it’s taken one of Mac’s brothers this long to pay a visit. The Valentines are not only resourceful, they’re smart, and their contacts stretch to all four corners of the globe. I’m sure they’ve been keeping tabs on me since the fateful phone call I had with Mitch two years ago.
I click the lock in place and Jared turns.
I fold my arms. “I’ve been expecting you.”
Mac’s brother nods, absorbing that piece of information. That’s right, bud. I’m not stupid either. I know how you all operate.
“Then you’ll know why I’m here.”
I manage not to roll my eyes. “Yeah, I have a fair idea.”
“Good.” His eyes scan the apartment, taking in the cheap furniture and open textbooks strewn across every surface. We actually do try and study once in a while. The next words from his mouth have my brows soaring in surprise. “Got any beer?”
My phone buzzes as I’m reaching for two bottles from the fridge. I hand one to Jared and keep one for myself. Whatever he has to say will go down a damn sight easier with a beer in hand.
Collecting my phone from the breakfast table, I read the message as I tilt my head back and swallow the beer.
Princess: Tell Jared we’re having lunch with Evie and to get his ass over here Jake: Tell him urself