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“Yeah, she’s my sister,” Dane arches a brow at Lachlan, and I roll my eyes.
“That, too,” Maddock agrees, making me frown. If he hadn’t meant that I was off limits because of Dane, then what was he talking about? “Everyone else is up at the house. It took a decent hit, mostly the front siding and a few of the windows. It could have been worse.”
They let us pass through the gate, Lachlan climbing back to the top the moment it closed behind us. The driveway is long and winding, but neither of us speaks until the house comes into view.
“Fuck,” Dane hisses, his gaze running over the ruined front of what I’m sure is usually a beautiful two-story home.
There are two dark-haired men standing on the porch, pointing at the different parts of the siding that need to be removed. The one on the right turns at the sound of our approach, and I’m unsurprised to see Maddock MacAlister’s face mirrored on the man now staring us down. Merrick isn’t covered in tattoos like Maddock, and I would bet he’s a touch leaner through the shoulders, but his face is a perfect replica of the other man. Except there’s no easy smile spreading across this face.
Merrick says something to the man at his side, causing him to turn in our direction. Callum MacAlister no longer looks like a wisp of a man, ready to slip into the shadows and never return. He’s filled out through his shoulders and chest, making him nearly as big as Merrick, but that isn’t what strikes me the most about him. It’s how he immediately laughs, bright and loud and entirely uncharacteristic of the serious young man I once knew.
“Dane! Charity!” Callum shouts a greeting across the driveway the moment we’re out of the car. “Welcome to my slightly disheveled home!”
Dane matches Callum’s laughter, jogging up the steps toward the men on the other end of the porch. Callum reaches out to shake Dane’s hand, the ease of the movement telling me they’ve done this many times before. My brother is comfortable here, amongst these bloodthirsty mafia sons. His words from this morning ring through my mind as I slowly approach the men.
I couldn’t, and I wouldn’t.
Is he happy here?
“Hello, Charity,” Callum smiles down at me but doesn’t try to shake my hand or pull me into an awkward hug. I appreciate his lack of overfamiliarity.
“Hey, Callum. I like what you’ve done with the place,” I joke, looking at the bullet holes littering the white wood siding. “Very ‘fuck visitors’ of you.”
Callum snorts, and Dane rolls his eyes, but I’m more interested in Merrick’s shoulders rounding in relief. I hadn’t realized how tense he was until then. He must see the question in my eyes because he nods slightly in my direction when Callum and Dane start talking about the siding. “Charity.”
“Merrick.”
“Theo seen you yet?” I’m so shocked by the question I just stare dumbly at him. A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth before he says, “I thought he seemed different this morning.”
“Wh-what?”
“Merrick!” A shout cracks through the air, causing us all to turn toward the side of the house.
I swear my knees nearly give out at the sight of Theo leaping onto the porch shirtless, dripping sweat, and covered in dirt. My eyes aren’t sure where to focus, and they make three full passes over his broad chest before I think of looking at his face. If there was any surprise on his part at seeing me here, it’s gone by the time my eyes meet his. There’s nothing but heat and want in his gaze, and I have to remind my knees that their whole fucking job is to keep me from crashing to the ground.
“Yes, Theodore?”
Theo’s eyes remain on my face even as he answers Merrick. “I could use some help with this window.”
“Too heavy for you, big man?” There’s a humorous lilt to Callum’s voice, but Theo doesn’t seem to notice.
“No,” he finally breaks my gaze, but only long enough to run his eyes down my body and back up. Jesus Christ, I’m going to combust. “I just need someone to hold the level while I screw everything in.”
“Well, if that’s all you need, I’m sure Charity would be happy to help you.”
I swear my face flushes hot enough to light this whole porch on fire. Theo smirks, reaching a hand toward me. I slap it away, stomping past him to the side of the house he just appeared from.
If I make it through this day without killing him or fucking him, it will be a miracle.
Two hours later, we replaced the broken windows, and the guys removed all the damaged siding. Lachlan and Maddock have moved up to the house, setting cameras around the perimeter while Dane and Merrick burn the old siding in the backyard. Theo, Callum, and I are just finishing unloading all the new siding pieces when Callum lets out an exhausted sigh.
“I’m fucking starving,” he admits, sitting heavily on the last stack of wooden boards. Callum squints up at Theo, a questioning look in his eyes. “Morrow’s?”
“Sounds good to me,” Theo grunts, dropping the last four boards onto his stack of siding. It’s twice as many as Callum and I managed to carry, and I nearly roll my eyes at the obvious show of strength. “Charity?”
“Huh?”
“You hungry?”
