SARAH What could they possibly be talking about for so long? I’m half hoping my dearest brother hasn’t murdered them and hidden their bodies in his closet. My fingers curl over the neckline of my t-shirt. Perhaps it’s too soon for the murder jokes. I feel like the daughter character in one of those weird web novels where she has mafia brothers and a mafia boyfriend. Only, in my case, I have boyfriends and a brother. It’s actually bizarre when I really think about it. I push the joystick forward with my right hand to move myself to the foot of my staircase, count to three, and take a deep breath. I’m ready to scream all their names when the door bell rings. My right brow raises in thought, and I make a 180 degree turn to face the door. Who could it be? Kevin is here, the brothers are here, and I wasn’t told anyone would be coming to see me today. Could it be Luke? My personal assistant, of course, not Luke HawkThorne—obviously. I should definitely ask Luke for a middle name, or another name I can call him by. His first name isn’t really going to work anymore, unless I want to constantly put myself through the horrors of PTSD. The shock and fear I feel when I see trucks, even on the TV, is more than enough for me. I’m not quite sure what or who to expect when I open the door, but nothing on this green earth prepares me for the bright blue eyes that shine with a smile. Clad in a plain white shirt, and lean long legs in blue tailored suit pants, Julian Cross leans forward, holding the bouquet of white lilies in his right hand. He runs his left hand down the length of his disheveled black hair, and… Wait. His hair is black now. “Hey stranger.” He says, winking at me. My throat tightens, making it impossible for me to swallow the lump lodged at the bottom of it. “Ju…Julian.” Great. Now I sound like something caught my tongue. He looks into the house, over my head, and his brows furrow. “I’m guessing you plan on making me stand here till…?” “Oh. Sorry,” I move away from the door to create a path for him. “Come in.” He’s already inside the house, shutting the door behind him. “Where would you like these?” He’s referring to the flowers, the ones I haven’t thanked him for. In my defense, there’s a lot going on right now. He definitely shouldn’t be here. The last time the brothers caught him with me, Mal almost smashed his face against the wall. “Why didn’t you…why didn’t you call?” I ask him as he makes his way into the kitchen. He passes the sliding doors, and I watch him pause. His gaze is in the direction of the flowers already in the kitchen. “These smell fresh.” His tone is dry. He not only knows they were brought in today, I have a strong feeling he knows who brought them. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming, Julian?” “Why?” He drops the bouquet on the kitchen island and turns to look at me. “You would have asked me not to come?” “I might have not been home. You’ll have come all the way here and not seen anyone.” He heaves a tired sigh. “I don’t understand you, Sarah. It’s like it’s one step forward and three hundred fucking steps backwards.” I scoff. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “I thought we were friends.” “We are. But that doesn’t give you a pass to come in and go out of my house whenever you please. I live here. This is my home.” His shoulders fall, leaving a resigned look on his face. “I’m sorry. But I called Kevin so many times and he wouldn’t respond. I thought something was wrong, so I hurried over here. I would have called you…” “But I haven’t gotten a phone yet.” “Exactly.” His calls must have come in not long ago, seeing as Kevin and the brothers have been upstairs for almost half an hour. I suck in a deep breath. “Listen, Julian. I really appreciate your concern, and I’m really flattered that you came here on first thought that something might have happened to me, but now is not really a great time, and…” As if on cue, the sounds of laughter echo through the walls of the staircase, accompanied by four sets of footsteps. “You’re insane, man. Shut the fuck up.” I hear Kevin sulk. I can’t look up, not while I’m stuck looking at Julian whose brows furrow as he glares at the empty staircase. When the brothers appear behind me, that glare intensifies. The lump in my throat finally finds a way to go through it. Great. Julian’s eyes drop to me, probing my face for what I assume is an explanation. I can’t say I blame him. The last time he saw me, I was ready to have a baby without them in my life. He must have known it wouldn’t last for so long. I was angry, people say all kinds of things when they are mad. It’s not like I used him or anything, he understands that we can definitely only ever be friends. I told him that. So why do I feel guilty? I shift in my seat. Jaxon stiffens behind me. I can tell from the tightness of his grip on my chair. Ronan, ever the man, lowers himself to press a kiss on my forehead. “Sorry we kept you waiting, baby. We had something we needed to discuss with Kevin,” he pauses to stroke my chin gently, loving strokes that put Julian in his place. Without a word, he makes his stance clear to Julian; he would never have the opportunity to stand this close to me, not while he’s alive. “Senator’s boy,” Mal calls out, wearing one of his signature taunting smiles. “I must say I’m surprised to see you here” he cocks his head to the left. “How’s your cheek? The last time I saw you, it was pretty bruised.” I take a closer look at Julian and realize what an awful person I am. His hair is in a mess, and I can’t tell if it's because he needs to cover the injury at the side of his face, really close to his head. Fuck me. Julian clears his throat, but Kevin cuts in before he can speak. “Would you like something to drink, Julian?” This is it. This has to be the point Julian drops the flowers, and makes some silly excuse to leave. This is the only outlet he can take without coming off as a coward. Please, Julian Cross, for once in your stubborn life, give up and take it. He tears his gaze off Malachi and offers Kevin a small grin. I hold my breath, waiting for the words. “I’ll like a coke, please. It’s quite hot in here.”My face contorts into a frown. He glances at me, and I catch the victory in his eyes. He thinks this is a fucking game. Man must have a death wish. I’m trying so hard to keep him away from trouble, but he’s hell bent on playing with fire. “Really?” Kevin asks, looking around. “Must be the air conditioners. I’ll have someone take a look at them. Would you like to sit? I’ll get you a bottle and a glass?” His lips twist into a lopsided grin. “I’ll be right here, Kevin,” he slips both hands into the pockets of his pants as his gaze drops to me. “I don’t intend to leave anytime soon.”