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I move to dig my heels into the floor, but Emily is already dragging me toward him, and the second I’m within arm’s reach, he pulls me down into his lap.
His heat engulfs me, my body preening that it’s home, while my head starts to panic again.
This is the complete opposite of getting the fuck out of here, and I know it.
“Hey, have you seen Ryker anywhere?”
My body stiffens in Gray’s hold, his face nuzzled in my neck. Of course I hear him right now when my guard is fucking down and my world is already crumbling.
“Yeah, he’s out in the garage tinkering with his bike. But we can have a game first if you want to?”
No, Gray. No, he doesn’t fucking want to.
“Sure.” I feel the sofa dip to Gray’s left as he loosens his hold on me, the new arrival and Emily chatting about nothing as I sit up straight in Gray’s lap. “You must be Scarlett.”
My pulse rings in my ears as I look at the Ruthless Brother before me, Shift to everyone here, and swallow down the mess of emotions inside of me.
“I must?” I cock a brow, showing way more confidence than I actually have right now and he smirks.
“Yeah, my brother doesn’t shut up about you, like at all.”
My brows pinch as I glance between the two of them and a sinking feeling washes over me. Wetting my lips, I gulp hard. “Brother as in Ruthless Brother orbrotherbrother?”
It feels like an eternity before anyone responds, but I’m not foolish, I know the answer. It’s in their eyes and the curve of their fucking chin.
Gray squeezes me against him as he chuckles. “Scar, we weren’t both blessed to be this handsome and have different genes running through our veins. Shift just happens to be eighteen months older than me.”
Of course he’s his fucking real brother, that’s what karma looks like. But the realization suddenly triggers more to swarm my brain. Maybe he wouldn’t call me out, not when he’s played a part in it all. But why? Why would he? Maybe it’s actually me who has the upper hand here? But do I want to find out?
A tremble runs through my veins as my breathing becomes more ragged, but none of them seem to notice. “Are you playing this game with me or not, Shift? Otherwise my girl here will destroy me on it. At least I stand a chance against you.”
“That almost sounds tempting to watch. I only know of one gamer girl who can bring a man to his knees and look awesome doing it.”
I swallow hard, the lump in my throat not moving as I offer a tight smile. “Maybe another time, I need to go and get a drink,” I murmur, slowly lifting from Gray’s lap. Both of them seem preoccupied by the screen, but I don’t speed up my steps as I try to remain as calm as I possibly fucking can. “Do you want anything, Emily?” I ask, glancing at her as she relaxes back into the sofa with a book in her hand. She shakes her head at me, not even lifting her eyes from the pages.
If I’m going, this is my moment. There might not be another.
I’m two steps from the door when Shift speaks, confusion thick in his tone. “Whose account is this?”
“Scarlett’s. Why?”
At the sound of my name on Gray’s tongue, I freeze, my mind willing me to fucking run while my heart pleads for me to stay.
“Scarlett?” Shift murmurs my name in confusion, but it’s not a question toward Gray, it’s one for me, and despite my inner conflict, I glance back over my shoulder and meet his gaze. “Your gaming account is xGamerScar9x?”
I run my tongue over my lip nervously, struggling to answer, when Gray beats me to it with a chuckle. “Yeah, she’s got like one friend, so we’re increasing her popularity.”
His joke doesn’t hit the surface for Shift or me as we continue to stare at each other.
He. Knows.
He fucking knows.
His mouth opens, but before a single word can fall from his mouth, the sound of gunshots firing in the distance distracts us all.
“What the hell was that?” Emily gasps, fear in her eyes as she looks up from the book.
Gray and Shift jump from the sofa, glancing at each other in confusion as someone hollers from the bar area loud enough for us to hear.
