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At this, I finally gather my wits and turn to look at my brother.
He’s charging at us, rage flickering over his features.
Like Reed, my brother is tall, not quite as tall as Reed, and is muscled and strong. He’s slightly wider in the shoulders and chest than Reed, and with the way he’s glaring at Reed, I feel like he’s going to use his size to his advantage.
But I really wish that this was it.
That the threat of Ledger practically bulldozing Reed, who believe it or not still does not look worried about it at all, was the only threat to contend with.
It’s not, though.
Because I have not one but four brothers, and somehow, they’re all here.
All of them.
How are they here? How did they know where to find me?
Even the two who’re supposed to be away at college, Stellan and Shepard, the twins.
They’re identical to each other and are also tall – again, not as tall as Reed – and built like Ledger, slightly wider in the chest and shoulders.
The biggest one though is my oldest brother, Conrad.
He’s the tallest – definitely as tall as Reed – and the broadest too.
He isn’t charging the scene like the other three but walking with authority, with a purpose that’s even scarier than the pure rage radiating out of the others.
That’s what makes me break into action and step in front of Reed.
“Ledger, stop,” I say, raising my arms.
He’s still a few feet away from us and at my voice, he finally focuses on me. “What the fuck are you doing? Get away from him, Callie.”
“Ledge, I –”
“Did he do something to you?” he spits out before glancing back at the object of his hatred, standing behind me. “Why the fuck were you wrapped around him? Tell me he didn’t touch you.”
I shake my head. “No, he didn’t –”
“Or what?” Reed says from behind me, his voice a mixture of amused and provoking.
“Or we can turn this into one of the more fun nights than we’ve had in a while.” That’s Shepard, who stops right beside Ledger and shrugs casually.
“Fun for us. Just FYI. Not sure if it would be fun for you but still.” This comes from Stellan — he’s the more serious twin — who comes to stand right beside Shepard.
I can’t believe they’re here, Stellan and Shep.
They’re supposed to be in New York. In college. Nobody told me that they were coming home this weekend.
God, what are they doing here?
Even though they’re all standing right in front of me, I still can’t believe that my four overprotective older brothers somehow figured out that I’m here.
Instead of where I told them I’d be.
See, this is what happens when you lie, Callie.
Not to mention, they all look intimidating like this, making a wall of muscles and dark glares.
They’re all almost the same height and build and they all have thick, dark hair and brown eyes except for Conrad.
His hair’s dirty blond with a few golden strands and his eyes are dark blue.
He’s the brother I’m closest to in appearance and he’s the brother I’m most afraid of. Maybe because he’s more like a father figure than an older brother.
Although right now, I’m afraid of every single one of them.
Not Reed, apparently.
Because he walks closer to them, thereby rendering the meager protection I was giving him moot. “Well then, you’ve come to the right place. Let the fun begin.”
And from the looks of it, the fun is definitely going to begin because a crowd has gathered around us.
Someone has turned off the music and most of the people have made sort of a semi-circle around us. They’re still at a distance, but they’re definitely watching.
Great. Just great.
My brothers don’t care about that though.
Reed’s cavalier words have made them frown and they each take a threatening step toward him.
Except Conrad.
Conrad, who stands a little farther away from the rest of my brothers, says, “Callie, come here.”
I breathe heavily, glancing from my three ready-to-fight brothers to my oldest one. “Con, please. He didn’t do anything.”
“Callie.”
“He didn’t –”
“Get over here.”
I wince and start walking toward him. And as soon as I do, the rest of my brothers shift and sort of make a boundary out of their bodies, a line between me and the rest of the world, him more specifically, in a very obvious display of protectiveness.
As soon as I reach Conrad, I tell him, “Please, Con. He didn’t do anything. I promise and –”
“You lied,” he says.
Not loudly or bitterly or in anger.
He says it in a matter-of-fact way and my heart twists.
It’s not as if I’ve never lied to my brothers. Of course I have, but this is something big. Something serious. I know that.
As I said, they only have one rule: they need to know where I am at all times. So they know that I’m safe.
