Page 1 of Toren

CHAPTER 1

Toren

Toren knew agreeing to meet his former brother-in-law at an art show would be far too much stimulation, but Riggs had been trying to make peace after the three years they’d spent apart from each other, so Toren considered it an olive branch. He’d come into town, socialized, he’d even been nice to Riggs’s new boyfriend, Smith. All in all, he’d had a big day of things, and he was ready to call it a night.

He leaned against the wall of the art gallery, cell phone in one hand and cigarette in another. His brother had been on him to quit for years, and Toren had tried, but after Ev died, Toren didn’t much see the point. Ev’s heart had gone bad, and he’d never smoked a day in his life. At least Toren had some control over things if he lit up, but even as he drew in a lungful of smoke, he told himself the justification was garbage.

He frowned down at the little car avatar on the screen of his phone. It was still four blocks away, and it hadn’t moved in the amount of time it had taken Toren to smoke half a cigarette. He wondered if frowning at the app could somehow cause the car to arrive faster, and he had no issues putting in the effort to try. A loud burst of noise from the door to the gallery drew his attention, and he glanced over to find none other than Smith Covington in the doorway. He held the door open for someone Toren believed was one of Smith’s many brothers, but he’d met so many people that night he couldn’t be sure.

He watched as the two men exchanged goodbyes, and then the sidewalk was mostly quiet again and the stranger shifted his focus to the glowing screen of his own cell phone. Toren glanced at his to find the car still hadn’t moved. He debated the merits of canceling the ride and ordering a new one, but the air was warm and as long as no one bothered him, he didn’t really mind the wait.

“Hey,” the man said, and Toren decided he did think ordering a new ride was the best course of action. “Aren’t you Riggs’s brother?”

“Brother-in-law,” Toren corrected. “Former.”

“Oh.”

Toren sucked a drag of his cigarette. “And you’re one of the numerous Covingtons I met tonight?”

The possible Covington chuckled, smile shining under the streetlamps. “In blood, not name. I’m a Calavert. Andrew Calavert.”

Toren puffed out the smoke, angling it upward and not directly into Andrew Calavert’s face. “Toren Ember.”

“What a name.”

He hummed. Andrew wasn’t the first person to tell him that, but he was the most recent and also the most handsome. Andrew closed some of the space between them, leaned against the wall, and Toren could see the similarities between this man and his Covington kin. A strong build, pretty hair, dangerous eyes. Toren flicked the screen of his phone, willing the car to start moving.

“Everything good?” Andrew asked.

“Just waiting for this rideshare to move so I can share it.”

“I’m waiting too.” Andrew held up his phone. “Where are you heading back to?”

“The Roosevelt.”

Andrew made a surprised sound in the back of his throat, face splitting into a smile that did something indecipherable to Toren’s chest.

“What are the odds,” he murmured. “Mind if I cancel my ride and we share one?”

“Mine hasn’t moved in almost ten minutes,” Toren answered. “You might be better off sticking with yours.”

Andrew showed Toren his phone. The car was right around the corner and moving fast. “Want a ride?”

Toren took one last drag of his cigarette and stomped out the butt before kicking it into the gutter. He pressed the cancel button on his ride and slid his phone into his pocket. “Thanks.”

No sooner had he accepted the offer than the car arrived. Andrew opened the back door and waited for Toren to slide in first. The back seat was too small for two grown men, their knees brushing against each other as the car pulled away from the curb. Toren couldn’t even pull away as there was nowhere for him to go in the confines of the compact back seat. There was nothing for him to do besides sit with that feeling that had already dug into his chest.

“How long are you in town for? Did you come up just for the show?” Andrew asked him.

“I’m heading home tomorrow afternoon, and yes, just for the show. I mean, things are not great with me and Riggs so I’m trying to be supportive of him and all that.”

“Not a fan of Smith?”

Toren arched a brow, glancing over at Smith’s brother. “Do you think I would tell you if I wasn’t?”

“I didn’t even know he existed a year ago,” Andrew answered. “Don’t get me wrong, I like him, love him…but family is hard. I get that.”

Toren found himself curious about the relationship between the four Covington brothers plus one. When he first met Smith, he’d said he had four brothers but maybe more. Was it possible there were other Covingtons running around? What a nightmare that would be for anyone else, he thought.