I nod.
He breaks into a smile. “Holy shit. Holy fucking shit. I never thought you’d be the type to settle down.” He stands and offers me his arm.
I take it and squeeze his forearm.
“Congratulations.” He’s still beaming.
For a little brother, Reeve is an even bigger pain in the ass than most. But he’s got a good heart.
I relent, the itch for violence I was feeling when he was looking toward my door ebbing away. Now that he knows she’s mine, I don’t have to worry. Still, I’d rather keep her all to myself.
“How’d you meet her? In that little town where you’ve been holed up?” He sinks back onto the couch.
I take the loveseat so I can keep an eye on my bedroom door. If Orchid tries to step out of there without being fully dressed, I’ll be able to dash to her before Reeve can get a good look.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“What?”
“You’re making a weird growl sound.” He cocks his head to the side.
“Nothing.”
“Sure.” He doesn’t sound convinced. “Anyway, what’s her name? What’s her story?”
“Orchid. She’s my neighbor. She’s got some skeletons in her closet–”
He snorts. “Join the motherfucking club.”
“But hers are still alive and kicking. She was raised in a hardcore religious commune, the kind where the men play God and the women suffer.”
His expression darkens. “Bastards. I’m glad she got out. Is she okay?”
“She is. She started a whole new life, worked at a diner, had a little garden–”
“I know where that came from. Though I can guess you’ve been showing her more than just your green thumb?” He winks.
“None of your business.”
“Fair. Go on.”
“Anyway, things were fine until her father and some douchebag who thought he could marry her showed up.”
“I see. So you brought her to the safe house, got her nice and protected, then ate her pussy on the kitchen island?”
“Reeve.” I’m on my feet, my hands balled into fists.
“Whoa.” He holds his hands out, palms toward me. “I was only kidding. I mean–I was literally stating the facts–but I’m not … Look, I didn’t see anything. Just an educated guess.”
He always does this to me. Knows exactly what buttons to press to get a reaction. He’s the only one who ever has–besides Orchid. They seem to know me better than I do.
“So what’s your story? Why are you here?”
“Like I said. I saw the bat signal and wanted to make sure you were okay.”
I sit back down. I’ve never hurt Reeve, never so much as raised my hand to him, but when it comes to Orchid, I’m like a damn beast. I want to pummel him for even thinking about her.
“I’m fine. I wanted her to be safe until I can get a handle on her father and the guy with him.”
“You think they know where she is?”
“No.” I roll my shoulders. “But you know how places like that are. They have connections in all sorts of places.”
He nods. “Places where we’re known. I guess we can’t escape our family name.”
“No.” I sigh. “The poppy fields and the opium are long gone, but people remember what we did, what our family did. Our roots are still here out in the woods and the hollows. The land doesn’t forget, and neither do the people.”
“They remember what we’ll still do if anyone thinks about betraying us.” He meets my gaze, his eyes sober. “They know who we are.”
I can’t argue with that. When our parents were betrayed by their closest ally, they ended up killing our mother. Reeve and I exacted revenge for it, burning down two rival families in the process. After that, we decided to live clean. I’ve been off the grid ever since–until I realized maybe I could use a little civilization. Now I think maybe it was just destiny leading me to Orchid. It sounds sappy, but it’s the only way to explain our instant connection.
The door to my bedroom opens, and Orchid steps out. She’s wearing clothes now–well, at least enough that I don’t slap my hand over Reeve’s eyes.
“Hi.” She hurries to my side, and I pull her into my lap.
“Orchid, this is Reeve. My little brother.”
“Oh, a brother?” She smiles brightly. “So nice to meet you!”
I feel her start to reach out her hand, but I keep my palm on her arm, holding her against me.
Reeve seems to notice and stifles a laugh. “Wonderful to meet you, too. I was just dropping by to say hello to my long-lost brother. I should probably be going.”
“What? No!” She wriggles in my lap, which pleases my erection to no end. “You should stay.”
Reeve slides his gaze to me, then with a shit-eating grin that he’s always used to push my buttons, he says, “You’re right. I might as well hang around for at least a few days. Catch up, you know? Right, Sully?”