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“Ace, man,” Conner says tightly.
“The Seahawks are a good team. Cole has a real shot at making his mark. But you’ve got to work with me here.” James’ expression turns pleading.
Ace hesitates, and I can sense his torment. Something is going on here, something deeper than just three boys plucked from the Heights and dumped in the rich end of town. Ace has made no attempt to hide his disdain for his uncle. Conner seems to think everything is one big joke, and Cole... well, I haven’t quite figured him out yet. He’s barely spoken two words.
“You think you can just—“
“Ace.” Cole shakes his head slightly, his eyes saying everything he isn’t.
“Fine.” The eldest Jagger brother shoves his chair back and stands. “I need a smoke.”
Of course he smokes.
I bet he rides a motorcycle and carries a knife, too.
We all watch him stalk out of the room.
“I think as far as first dinners go, that went well.” Conner grins at me, and I can’t help but smother my own smile. He kind of has a point.
“I’m going to get some air too.” Cole excuses himself and takes off after Ace.
“You’ll have to excuse my brothers. We’re not exactly used to all... this.” Conner glances down the table.
“It was perhaps premature on my part to expect you all to do this.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Mom covers his hand with hers, “I think they did okay. So Ace is retaking senior year?” she asks.
“He is.” James grimaces. “It’s not ideal to have them all in the same class, but it is what it is.” He shoots Conner a knowing look.
“Why did he flunk last year?” The words spill out before I can stop them.
“That is a story for another day.” James dabs the corner of his mouth, throwing his napkin down. “Why don’t we move this into the sitting room? I’ll have Ellen serve us dessert there.” He and Mom get up and make their way into the adjoining room, leaving me with Conner.
“So your mom and my uncle, huh?” He runs a hand through his hair. It’s dark like Ace’s and Cole’s but has lighter tips. Out of the three of them, he looks the one least likely to eat me alive.
“Yep.”
“Are you around here a lot?”
“Sometimes, when Mom insists I come.”
“I see.” His lips thin, and I wonder what he’s thinking.
“Why?”
“Oh, no reason.” Conner stands up, looming over me. “Just watch your back, yeah?”
He walks away and leaves me sitting there.
I want to believe it’s a friendly warning, that Conner might be a Jagger brother you can trust, but something tells me it isn't a warning at all.
It's a threat.
Chapter Three
Ace
“Why don’t you have the night off? Go and do something fun,” I suggest to Ellen after pulling the refrigerator open and grabbing a bottle of water. Something tells me she’s never done a single fun thing in her life, but who knows… tonight could be the night.
