“Yeah, and we might end up with a bunny boiler who just wants to ride the Triple Threat cock train,” I reply cynically.
“Won’t be the first time we’ve shared a woman,” Theo grins.
“Speak for yourselves,” Noah glares.
“You’ve had ample opportunity. Not our fault you’re saving yourself for the real deal,” Theo replies, although I know he secretly admires Noah’s principles.
Theo and I didn’t have that option, thanks to the social worker who decided she wanted to jump our bones when we were fourteen. A roof over our heads in exchange for sex, or she’d tell the authorities we tried to force her. Maybe we should’ve known better, but we’d already been tossed around several foster homes by that point, a couple of kids discarded by their biological parents and left at the mercy of a system that had already failed them numerous times.
I rub a hand over my face, my stubble scratching my palm. I could use a shave. “Fine, put out an advert, and we’ll—"
A commotion at the front door cuts me off. The three of us look at each other before heading for the foyer. I throw open the door to find two of the building’s security guys wrestling with someone. I get a glimpse of dark blue eyes and golden blonde hair as the woman struggles against them.
“I’m sorry for the intrusion, Mr. Lang,” one of the security guys says. “She followed another resident in and was in the elevator before we knew it.”
Jesus! So much for the high level of protection around here!
“Take your fucking hands off me! I’m not some crazy psycho stalker!’ she hisses, wriggling futilely. “I just want to talk to them for five minutes! I have important information for them!”
“Yeah, yeah, you and the rest of the female population,” the security guy says in a bored tone. “Come on, sweet cheeks, time to go home before we call the cops.”
As the security guy goes to grab her, he stumbles and loses his footing. His arm flails out as he tries to regain his balance, and he smacks the woman straight in the face. She lets out a yelp as her head snaps back and her hands fly to her face. I move quickly, catching her before she tumbles forward through the door and eats the floor.
“What the fuck, Brent?” I growl at the security guy.
“I’m sorry!’ he says, looking horrified. “I slipped, I swear. I didn’t mean—”
“Thanks, Brent. We’ll handle it from here,” I cut across him.
We can’t exactly toss the woman out since she was just assaulted by one of our security men. Accident or not, I don’t want the lawsuit.
Brent glowers at me. “Mr. Lang—"
“Like he said, we’ll handle it,” Theo says, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“Are you okay?” I ask belatedly.
She looks at me with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen, and my chest tightens. It makes me want to massage the area over my heart. Weird.
“I’m fine,” she mumbles, cupping a hand over her cheek.
“Looks like you got your five minutes,” I say with a wry smile, leading her through to the living area.
I guide her to the sofa, and she sinks down on the edge, her body tense. Theo plops down next to her as Noah reappears with some ice wrapped in a towel which he hands to her.
“So, what’s so important that you’d risk getting your ass thrown in jail?” I ask bluntly.
She presses the ice-filled towel to her already swollen cheek, wincing slightly. She licks her plump lips nervously. “You, uh, you owe me money.”
My eyes narrow on her, and disappointment settles in my gut. Seems she’s just like every other woman. “I see. And why is that?”
She blows out a shaky breath. “I’m the one who wrote ‘Better Than Me.’”