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CHAPTER 1
CHASE
“Well, this sure is one way to piss off the new in-laws.” Tripp shakes his head but stays focussed on the task at hand. “You could have just hired a car. This seems unnecessarily confrontational.”
“That's the whole point.”
Ignoring his scowl, I scan our surroundings as we crest the rolling hills and mountains of Grey Ridge, swooping low above the trees as we search for somewhere to land. Reaching across him, I point to the flat expanse of grass at the rear of the lodge.
Tripp raises an eyebrow, giving me one last chance to change my mind, then reluctantly begins our descent with a weary sigh. He should know better than to think I’d go back on my plan now that I’m committed.
As the landing skids meet the ground, touching down impressively softly, Tripp grabs the sleeve of my shirt. Unable to stop himself from giving me one last piece of advice before I take off the headset and yank open the door; he points at the small group of people staring at us from the expansive patio.
“If they’re happy, leave them alone, Chase. You’ll drive them away if you push too hard.”
Tripp is like a brother to me, and he knows me too well. For the last year-and-a-half he’s had to listen to me bitching and moaning about the shit my sisters have been getting themselves into while I’ve been gone. It’s my fault he’s so invested in this. Except he thinks I should just leave them be.
Hell no.
Again, I say nothing. It’s easy to tell he has no sisters. And that he hasn’t been sitting in a foreign country, listening to the drip feed of information from his family about what has been going on at home, knowing it all lies but there’s nothing you can do about it when you’re so far from him.
But I’m back now. And I’m going to find out what the hell is going on.
When I give him a smile and a salute, he curses, muttering something about me being a stubborn asshole and watches silently as I jump down to the ground. Ducking low to avoid the rotor blade, I jog away from the helicopter. At a safe distance, I straighten, slowing to a walk as I approach the back of the large lodge. The patio is filled with a bunch of oddly good-looking strangers and two of my errant sisters.
They already look guilty.
Leah mouths” Oh, God” to Hayley, and I have to stifle a smile. Pulling off my shades to get a better look at this place, I’m loath to say I’m impressed. A three-storey log and stone lodge surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery? This is the kind of place I thought I’d end up living if I worked hard enough. It is not where I pictured high-flying corporate career girl Hayley or social media addicted Leah.
“Hello, sis.” Standing far too close to them for my liking are two extremely unhappy looking gentlemen. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
The men continue to glower at me, body language tense. Maybe it’s because my friend landed his helicopter on their lawn. Maybe it’s because they can already tell that whatever they’re up to here is over. That my sisters will be leaving with me.
“Guys, this is Chase. Our brother. And, Chase, this is my husband, Cooper; that’s Leah’s husband Rex.” I can’t believe I’m only being introduced when they’re already married. Gritting my teeth, I don’t smile; I stare even harder.
Hayley steps around the big guy shielding her, but takes his hand in hers. When I continue to say nothing, waiting to see how he’ll react, Cooper is the first one to cave, holding out a hand for me to shake.
Finally, the other brother, Rex, does the same. His grip is firm and his jaw is tense. He’s more willing to be uncomfortable than the rest, which is interesting when Leah is so bubbly. On first impressions, I’d have thought she’d drive him up the walls. Maybe opposites really do attract.
“So, you’re back,” Leah blurts out, fidgeting as she stares at me, wide-eyed, a nervous grin on her face. I can feel her begging me to be nice, but I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to find out why the hell my three sisters have lost their damn minds.
Babbling on, Leah tries to fill the awkward silence. “Lots of exciting news to catch up on, weddings, babies. How about I show you around, and then we’ll fill you in on all the gossip?”
Gossip. She makes it sound like I’ve come to talk trash about the neighbours - who’s having an affair and which soccer mom is hitting the wine a bit too hard. The reality is that Hayley has been engaged twice, married once, given up her career, run from a stalker, been almost murdered in her own home, had a whirlwind wedding, and popped out a kid. All since I last saw her.
And then there’s Leah.
She and Mom concocted some bullshit story about her nearly drowning in a swimming accident, but there’s no way.
Don’t get me started on the fire that nearly wiped-out Hayley’s hen party along with my entire family, including my mother, and, yet, remains conveniently unsolved.
Just thinking about it has my blood pressure rising and my temper bubbling, ready to erupt. My skin itches, and I feel the urge, as I always do when I’m angry like this, to run or to fight. I need to work off that burst of adrenaline before I rip somebody's head off.
“Lots of news alright,” I respond dryly. “Instead of waiting, how about you tell me right now what kind of cult you’ve gotten yourselves mixed up in? And why you were on the run, and why someone would torch your hen party.” I glare at Hayley, who grimaces. Then I point a finger at Leah, “And you almost drowned? How about you explain why, if these things were just bad luck, did you both hide all of this from me!”
Hayley opens her mouth then closes it again. Leah is about to speak, but I can’t keep it in any longer, the fire coursing through my veins is getting the better of me.
Fixing a tall blonde guy, who looks like he belongs in a modelling campaign, with a suspicious look, I gesture to his bruised face and neck, the raised red lines running down his still-mottled arm, “And, less important but still concerning to me, why the fuck this guy looks like he’s been hit by a train.”
