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“That’s no surprise there. You know what they refer to him and his ultra-rich goonies as, right?” Kyle asked.
I shook my head slowly. “His goonies?”
“He’s referring to those delicious ass men he’s chummy with.”
“I was talking about the people in town that keep preaching Cottonwood is the devil’s den, which is an Alistair claim. A few years ago, my mom told me it was someone else’s.”
I gave Kyle a flat look. I’d heard that nonsense myself, but I never paid it any mind.
He lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug. “I’m just saying. The rumors could hold some truth.”
“Draven’s not evil.”
“Neither is the devil.”
He almost had me with that one. Before I could reply, the back door wrenched open.
Troy, my sister, and their friend Dennis spilled into the kitchen, effectively putting a pause on our conversation.
“Jesus, did the doorknob personally offend you, Troy?” Jessica asked sardonically.
His appearance instantly annoyed me. He was really walking around in a shirt that said Get Money. The absolute nerve. Had he even brushed his hair? Ugh, how did my sister sleep with this guy? The thought of him naked almost made me throw up in the back of my mouth.
Ignoring Jess, he looked around at all the snacks and drinks I’d set up with a frown. “I don’t see beer or Vodka. What kind of birthday kick-off doesn’t have alcohol?”
“What are you talking about?”
I looked from him to my sister, smothering an annoyed sigh when she offered me an apologetic smile.
“This has nothing to do with anyone’s birthday,” Kyle replied to him.
“Then what is it for?” Troy turned towards me. “Can we even afford all this?”
His question loosened the lid containing my annoyance a little more. “I’m sorry, we? I don’t recall seeing your name on the schedule where I work or my pay-stubs.”
A tick rippled beneath the freckled skin of his jaw. “What crawled up your ass today?”
Isabel smiled and placed a hand on his arm. “Don’t be defensive, babe. She put all of this together as a job fair of sorts. To help us apply ourselves better.”
Wow. That’s what she was going with? Kyle made a look of pure disdain, looking at where my sister was touching Troy. He quickly covered it when I gave him a look.
I went to claim a chair at the table. “Just…sit.” I tapped the solid oak once I was settled.
As the three of them took a seat, I re-gathered my thoughts and scanned each of their faces.
I hadn’t counted on a third wheel being present, but I could work around this. At least Dennis wasn’t a total tool like his best friend. He was the first to speak after pulling his dreads into a ponytail and helping himself to some chips. “So, what’s going on?”
All eyes turned to me. I shifted and licked my lips. There wasn’t an easy way to tell someone they needed to get their shit together.
“As Isa said, we need to discuss you getting jobs—real ones with a legal paper trail that can provide cash flow for necessities and bills.”
“Ah, I get it now, my baby sis is trying to stage an initiation,” Troy jested with a laugh. My sister thankfully didn’t join in and encourage him, she knew I wasn’t joking.
“It’s called an intervention, and I’m not your baby sister.”
Troy sobered immediately. “You fuckin serious?”
“Well, she isn’t telling jokes,” Jessica drawled, watching over us with Kyle.
Isabel soothed Troy again as if he were a wild animal that couldn’t control itself instead of a grown man. I hated him more by the minute. She turned to look at me with apologetic eyes. “Is this because of this morning?”
“You said yourself that it was no big deal,” Troy cut in.
“It wasn’t—you were the one acting as if you were dying.” I countered.
“What’s she talking about?” Dennis shifted his attention between Isa and Troy, clearly having been left out of the loop.
“Nothing important. Is this really why you wanted us to be here?”
The condescending tone and challenge in his eyes had me grasping for composure. For a fleeting few seconds, I considered launching myself across the table and choking the life out of him. I wasn’t a confrontational person by nature, but like everyone else, I had a limit.
“I’m tired of this weak effort you keep putting in to be some low-rate thief. How long will it be before you get my sister caught up in your bullshit and she goes to jail? Or worse, she gets hurt?”
“She’s right. Your ass needs to man up and get a job. Life isn’t a game of GTA where earning fast cash comes easily through crime,” Kyle added, directing that last part at both Troy and my sister.
Troy’s mouth opened and closed, the same irritating tick working through his clenched jaw.
I knew he was only withholding some sort of scathing reply because he was too spineless to snap back at Kyle.
