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It’s also bullshit that even Jack gets to know with certainty that a date will come, and he’ll be made a permanent fixture here.
I’ll never become a Meyer. He might consider me family, but I’m an outsider. A guest.
Jack breaks their little staring competition first. “If you don’t think your brother’s gonna swallow you into this family somehow, you don’t know a thing about him.”
“Pretty sure I already have. No fucking Rhett money—other than what we talked about—but you should make him take you out for nice dinners and stuff. If he’s gonna fake date you, he’s gonna do it right, or I’m gonna get to do what big brothers do.”
I raise a brow and fight the smile that wants to burst free. I love the familial possessiveness he’s displaying. “What’s that?”
“Tune his clock.” Mercy laughs, pulling Jack to him for a kiss. I’m reeling that he cares enough to tune anyone’s clock for me like he’s been my big brother all my life instead of a few short weeks. “Tomorrow at ten am, Logan. Understand?”
Aw, fuck. I got myself roped into that one. I like that Mercy cares enough to teach me lessons, but I don’t want to fix fucking cars. Just because I work on my bike when I need to, doesn’t mean I want to do it for work. “I heard you. Can I go now? You two are giving me hives.”
He rolls his eyes. “Go, but be home in time for dinner, please.”
I don’t respond to that, but my insides do, and I might storm away like I’m mad, but my heart is crushing hard on being a member of this family. This one. The four of us. Yeah, including the damn baby.
I don’t know what to do with that.
* * *
Iwas sure Rhett would show up early again if just to antagonize me, but he’s shockingly respectful of our bargain. I made out like I could read him like a book, but the truth is I’ve only got some things about him figured out. The manipulative side who likes to get what he wants when he wants it, that I know well, but there’s something underneath he keeps hidden from everyone else. Something I suspect he showed Jack or else Jack wouldn’t have loved him so much.
Great. Now I’m jealous of Jack for that, too.
He’s ready to head onto the ice at five-thirty, but he waits for me to get off before he takes a step on. Is it weird that it feels like holding a car door open for me? I’m pathetic. I’ll take any scrap of kindness from anyone even if it’s something done under duress.
Rhett gives me his panty-dropping smile, which is plain unnecessary, but he probably can’t help himself. “Here, my little scorpion. Credit card as promised.”
It’s one of those shiny gold visa cards that I know are impossible to get unless you have an ocean full of money. “How the fuck did you get that thing overnight? Do you print visa cards in your basement?”
His smile changes to one that says he owns the world, and he knows it. “You’d be amazed at what I can do.”
Well, now I just want to test that. A heavy sigh exhales from my lungs. “I’m not allowed to accept that. No Rhett money for Meyers, or something like that.” It feels good to say that. I’m borrowing a name that isn’t mine, but Merc said something of the kind first. I’m just paraphrasing. “Um, with one exception. I might need a lump sum in August.”
“Whatever you need, but here.” Rhett shrugs. “Take it anyway. It can be our little secret.”
God, he’s so slimy. Doesn’t he know what lines like that feel like? It’s hard not to want to take it, though. I could send it to Mom. She could use it for a while. Gamble away a hefty portion of Rhett’s fortune.
No Rhett money for Meyers.Even if I think Merc’s being a prideful idiot turning down free money, I like belonging to that motto.
Mom isn’t a Meyer either, but if it applies to me, it applies to her despite Merc’s hesitancy to refer to her as his mother. I don’t doubt there’s a whole bunch of bullshit for him about her he’s never dealt with.
“No. But you are buying me stuff.” I’m tempted to ask for a car. He’d do it too, but Mercy will have a fit over something that extravagant. “We’ll go shopping.”
“Anything you want,” he says.
What he’s really saying is anything for Jack. Wow. To have the most alpha kinds of men bowing to his whims. How does Jack do it? Maybe I should be asking for lessons. Chances are, Jack has no clue, though. It’s just the wonderful way he is.
Blech.
I try not to let it bother me. I know what I’ve agreed to and why. Mercy and Jack don’t know all the reasons for our clandestine agreement. I take one last longing look at the gold card. It feels better than I thought it would to leave that with him, knowing I’m doing it as a real family member to someone.
“Great. Guess I’ll see you.”
“Wait,” he says, gripping my wrist. My wrist is tiny. It looks even smaller in his bear-paw hand. I also bruise easily and he’s about to find that out. I’ll let it happen the hard way. It will be fun to see Merc go protective big brother.
“Have dinner with me tomorrow night.”
