Cocked: A Stepbrother Romance (29 page)

He shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you, Bren. Still oblivious as always, I guess.”

I made a face. “Don’t start with that already.”

He laughed. “Okay, I’ll be nice.”

“Seriously, what are you doing here?”

“How about I get dressed first. Then I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Yeah, fine, whatever.”

I looked away from his cocky grin and began heading toward the staircase.

“It’s good to see you, Bren,” he called after me.

I paused and looked back. He was standing in the middle of the hall, one hand holding up his towel, water gathering around his defined chest muscles, smooth skin and cut jaw and full lips and piercing blue eyes all gathering me in. I blinked.

“Yeah, you too, Colin.”

I turned away and headed down the stairs as fast as I could without seeming like a total idiot.

Colin Blake. My father’s protégé and essentially his adopted son, though not legally at least. Growing up, there had been a lot of men hanging around my dad, but Colin was the youngest, and he was the only one who actually lived with us for a while.

I didn’t know much about him, in all honesty. One day he had simply appeared out of nowhere, and began to spend time around the house, running errands for my dad and me. It wasn’t until much later that I realized he was being initiated into the Mob, but back then I didn’t really know much about that stuff. I’d never really seen him as a brother, though dad probably wanted me to. He was a year older than me, and we went to different schools, so we rarely saw each other. He grew up in an orphanage in the city, and when he turned eighteen, he was forced to find another place to live. I guessed my dad liked him a lot, because Colin came to stay with us for my last year of high school, and was still there up until the day that I left for college.

The very day I had been trying not to think about for years. I hadn’t heard much about him after that, though, but my dad had wanted me to think of him as my older sibling, and had always been going on about how much promise Colin had and how proud of him he was.

Little did he realize. If Daddy dearest found out the truth of what happened between Colin and me, I’m pretty sure Colin’s life would be a lot more difficult.

The weird thing was, there was no way Colin still lived in my dad’s house. That would be way too weird. And plus, wasn’t he at least twenty-four? He should have his own place. So then what the heck was he doing showering in my bathroom and walking around half naked?

I made my way into the kitchen and smiled at the familiar space. Dad hadn’t done a thing to the kitchen in years, and I was glad he hadn’t. Some of my best memories took place in there, from cooking with my mom when I was really little to joking around with my dad’s guys as I got older. Like a lot of homes, our kitchen was the heart of our family, and I spent many hours in there as I grew up.

I pulled open the stainless steel refrigerator door and made a face at how empty it was. Typical of my dad, unable to take care of the house in any way. He paid people to cook and clean, but trying to get him to stock the refrigerator like a normal person was like pulling teeth. I settled on a yogurt that was on the edge of its expiration date, and settled down at the island.

Being back felt crazy. I could remember the fight I'd had with dad on the day I left almost as if it had happened yesterday.
You spoiled brat, you don’t know a fucking thing about what I do,
he'd said to me, his face red with anger. He had never talked to me that way before, and hadn’t since.

In a lot of ways, I deserved it.
You’re a violent thug, dad, and all of this stuff is bought with blood money,
I had screamed at him
.
I had been a naïve kid and didn’t understand the way things worked back then. From his perspective, I had been ungrateful for what he had given me, and willing to turn my back on my family. Disloyalty was the ultimate insult, especially to people in the Mob.

But I had grown up a lot since then.

I finished the yogurt and heard a creak on the back staircase, announcing Colin’s entrance. I looked up as he turned the sharp corner wearing comfortable but still tailored grey sweats, the sort of thing you saw a fighter wearing, and a tight black T-shirt that accentuated every curve of his muscular frame. I had to will myself not to stare.

“Sorry about the food situation,” he said.

“Dad never was good at keeping the house stocked.”

“He’s a busy man.” Colin leaned up against the counter across from me and crossed his arms.

“How’s he doing?” I asked tentatively.

He laughed. “Really good, actually. He got a pretty big promotion recently.”

I held up my hands. “Do I want to hear about this?”

“Still hate the family business?”

“More like I’d rather not have to lie to a jury one day.”

He laughed with his whole body and I smiled. I remembered that laugh. I had tried to forget it, didn’t want to forget it, but everything came flooding back the second I had seen him.

“Yeah, well, that’s a fair point. Anyway, he’s doing good.”

“I’m glad to hear it. What about you?”

He shrugged and grinned. “You know me. Same as I’ve always been.”

“Still working for him?”

He nodded but didn’t say anything. I let out a breath and looked around.

“It’s weird how empty it is in here,” I said.

“Yeah. That probably won’t last, though, so enjoy it.”

“When’s Dad getting home?”

He shrugged again. “Who knows? Some people are stopping by later to see you, so probably around then.”

I nodded. That was good; it would give me time to get used to being in the house again before I had to face him. I’d been dreading seeing him again, but I knew there was nothing that I could do about it if I wanted to stay in his house. I wasn’t exactly in the mood for a party, but maybe it was better this way. It would provide a nice social setting to cushion the blow of being reunited.

“It’s really good to see you home, Bren,” Colin said, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Yeah, thanks.”

He grinned again then pulled open the refrigerator and grabbed a green sports drink from the door. He twisted it open and took a deep drink while I watched him. I noticed that his hair was still wet from the shower.

“So, you mentioned telling me everything?” I prompted.

He stopped drinking and nodded, expression serious. “Yeah, but you’re not going to like what I have to say.”

I sighed. My reason for coming home wasn’t exactly happy, and I expected a lecture from dad, not from one of his lackeys. Even if Colin was like a brother to me in my father’s eyes, that didn’t give him the right to talk to me about who I should date and who I shouldn’t.

“Fine, let’s get it overwith, then.”

He resumed his position of leaning against the counter, bottle resting next to him.

“Well, I guess I should tell you that I’ll be staying in the house with you for a while.”

I stared at him. “Seriously? Don’t you have, like, your own apartment?”

“Yeah, I do. But this comes from the big man himself.”

“So Daddy ordered you to watch over me?”

He frowned. “It’s not like that.”

I clenched my jaw. It was exactly like that, and we both knew it.

“What’s it like, then?”

“Bren, can you blame him? I mean, you call out of the blue, start talking about some cheating ex-boyfriend that smacked you around, and beg him to let you come home. Of course he’s freaked out.”

There it was, the reason I had come home. Vince Fabrizio, my asshole ex-boyfriend. I kept remembering the dumb slut’s head sliding up and down his dick, and the happy expression on his face as she blew him. And how angry he was later, when I said that I was leaving, and the pain of his slap stinging through more than just my skin.

“I get it, he doesn’t trust me. Still thinks I’m the spoiled brat that can’t take care of herself.”

He pushed off the counter and leaned over the island, looking at me seriously.

“It’s not like that. I’m here for protection, not as a babysitter.”

I snorted. “I don’t see the difference.”

“We looked into this guy Vince Fabrizio. We know who he is.”

My heart almost stopped at that. I hadn’t told Dad the truth, or at least I had neglected to tell him one important aspect. Vince was a Made Man in the Italian Mafia, and was part of one of the most powerful families in all of New York. That was what probably drew me to him in the first place: money, power, and excitement. He was so fucking sweet to me when we were dating, but it all turned to shit after. So typical—I had worked to get away from men like Vince, but in the end I couldn’t stay out of his bed. Things had moved so fast between us, and I had made so many mistakes.

I looked away. “It’s fine. He’s not going to follow me.”

“This guy is dangerous. We’re not taking any chances with you.”

I nodded once, still annoyed. But he was right about one thing: Vince was dangerous, incredibly dangerous. And I wasn’t sure at all if he would follow me or not. That was the reason I had left so quickly, abandoning most of my possessions. My dad’s place was the only house in the entire world that I thought I would be safe and where Vince wouldn’t come after me.

But who knew with Vince. He was capable of anything. Especially when he felt like something he owned was being taken away from him, and he definitely thought he owned me, though for a good reason. Another one of the many mistakes of Brenna O’Brian. I hated having regrets, but they seemed to pile up no matter what I did.

After a second, Colin moved away, expression turning back into his grin.

“So, a Mafia guy, huh?”

I gave him a look. “Don’t say a word.”

He looked fake-innocent. “What? Just making conversation.”

“I know what you’re doing.”

“If I were doing anything, I would innocently point out how strange it is that you ripped your father a new one and didn’t speak to him for years, and then ended up with a man just like him.”

I sighed, annoyed. “Yeah, Colin, that thought occurred to me.”

His grin got wider. “Sorry. Just giving you shit.”

“Is this what I have to look forward to?”

“Yeah, probably.”

“Not like you have any room to talk.”

“You’re not wrong about that.”

“So, how does this work, anyway? You’re—what? My private bodyguard?”

He laughed and leaned back on the counter again.

“No, not at all. I’m just keeping an eye on you, make sure that asshole doesn’t show up here. Unless you want me to guard your body. I’d be more than happy to.”

I made a face. “You’re not funny.”

He grinned. “I’m not joking. I’d love to get close to your body.”

I shook my head and wished he were within arm’s reach. I would have loved to smack that grin off his face, if only to get to feel his firm jaw.

“Anyway, I’m going out for a grocery run. Write down what you want and I’ll get it.” He nodded at a pen attached to a notepad stuck to the refrigerator door.

“What, am I not allowed to leave?”

He shook his head. “You’re not a prisoner. But maybe it’s a good idea to lay low for a few days.”

I hated that he was the one watching over me. I hated that my dad thought I needed a guardian, and I hated that he was right. Because the truth was, I did need a guardian. That was the whole reason I had ran home to my daddy, as much as I didn’t want it to be true. I needed protection and I needed it badly if I was going to get away from Vince. Still, Dad could have chosen someone other than Colin. Really, anybody but Colin. I didn’t need another distraction in my life, and yet there he was, leaning against the counter, looking incredible, and smiling like he owned the place.

“Fine, I can do that.”

“Great. We’ll have a good old time together.”

“Yeah, I’m sure we will.”

“Cheer up. This’ll all blow over soon enough, and you and your dad will mend fences. This’ll be good for you.”

I nodded. I had a knot in my stomach the size of a Redwood tree. I really hoped he was right. I looked at his grinning face and the memory of that night flooded through me again. I could practically feel his hot breath close against my lips all over again, and I found myself blushing again.

Colin as my personal bodyguard. I couldn’t imagine anything more dangerous than that.

––––––––

A
few hours earlier

Boss O’Brian sat sipping whiskey from a cut crystal glass behind his huge, red mahogany desk. Although he had become one of the most powerful men in the city in the last few months, not much had changed for him. He had always rubbed elbows with power, and he knew how to flaunt it. Expensive furniture and ornate gilding filled the room, plus pictures of him shaking hands with mayors, governors, police chiefs, and senators. It was mostly for show, he had explained to me once. If you looked like you have strength and wealth then people believed that you did.

And it was more important for people to believe than for it to be true. Fortunately for O’Brian, he had the best of both worlds.

“When was the last time you saw her?” he asked me.

“Same as you, the day she left for school.”

He grunted and nodded. I looked down at my shoes and frowned, not sure what I felt or if I even cared about that. She had been gone for years, and I’d barely heard anything about her during that time. Suddenly, though, out of the blue, she called Davin and asked if he could talk to the boss, get him to agree to let her come back home. A few hours later, and she was on a train, racing back into my life.

Fuck my father and his business. I don’t care who you were.
I kept hearing those words, over and over. One of the last things she'd said to me before she left.

“Well, she’ll be back soon.”

I looked up and for a second, I didn’t see the head boss of the Irish Mob. Instead, I saw an awkward father waiting for a reunion with his estranged daughter.

“Yeah, she will be. Are you sure this is a good idea?”

He glared at me. “You think sheltering my own daughter is a bad idea?”