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“Thanks, babe.” I pushed up on my tiptoes and kissed him.
I snuggled up to Holden, finding comfort in the warmth of his body. Peeking up at him, I gave him a soft smile as my heart pitter-pattered against my chest. I loved Holden more than anything or anyone. Even though I was disappointed that he’d stopped in the bedroom, the images of Barrett had hammered my brain almost immediately. I probably would have full-on freaked out if we’d continued. Normally, my style was to push through the problem, but my decisions also affected Holden, and I couldn’t put him through that. It wasn’t fair to him.
Once Jace and Reid grabbed a bite to eat, we piled into Zayne’s Mercedes and headed downtown for the DNA test. It was over in a few minutes, and I was grateful that Holden paid a rush fee for the results. Hopefully, we would know if Holden and Reid were brothers in a few hours.
Jace climbed into the front passenger seat, and Reid, Holden, and I sat in the back. I sat between the guys and nudged Reid in the side with my elbow. He gave me a lopsided grin in return. Sometimes I startled a little when I looked at him, the similarities between him and Holden were eerie. If Holden didn’t have a few inches on Reid in height, I was pretty sure I would get them confused more than I already did. I couldn’t wait to see Brynn’s reaction. I could almost hear her now. “Oh, double the trouble. I’ll take the middle please. Twice the pleasure.” I snickered out loud.
“What are you laughing about?” Holden asked, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
“I was wondering what Brynn will say when she sees you and Reid.” I arched a brow, implying something steamy.
Holden chuckled. “Guess we’ll find out soon.” He kissed my cheek, then shot a quizzical look at Reid. I wondered if he was marking his territory, so to speak. I touched my neck, remembering the diamond necklace that I’d worn at the club. It was Holden’s warning to all the men that I was untouchable. I cringed as I recalled Opal and Kassandra’s words about how women trusted women. I doubted it had crossed Holden’s mind … that he’d protected me from Tim and other men, but not the women.
I glanced at Reid. “We should have some fun and make a bet on the DNA results.”
Reid’s forehead creased. “I don’t have any money.”
“And what are we going to bet against?” Jace asked. “I mean, I’m almost certain they’re related. But the big question is how. Is he a brother or cousin?”
“So, Kassandra would be his mom if they were cousins.” I grimaced. “Shit. No. If she’s his mother, we’re going to ignore it and claim you’re brothers.”
“No kidding,” Holden muttered. “Tim, my father, is a piece of shit, but I don’t think he’s anything like Kassandra,” he said to Reid.
Reid’s expression morphed from happy to disgusted. “I hope we get some answers soon. I never cared before, but if we are …” Reid leaned forward, his intense gaze connecting with Holden’s. “But if you’re my brother, it means that I have family. That’s all I’m interested in.”
“You have family anyway.” I reached for Reid’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He looked at me, his dark eyes filling with adoration.
“I know,” he whispered, his voice gruff and haunted.
Butterflies fluttered in the pit of my stomach. The warmth of Reid’s palm spread up my arm, sending tingles through my body. I pulled away and smiled before I gave Holden my attention. What the hell had just happened? Why had I liked his touch? Oh, God. I was confused as hell. I hadn’t considered Reid more than a friend, but something had transpired between us—in front of Holden. I chewed on my bottom lip, worry blossoming in my chest. I needed Brynn. Badly. Maybe she could explain things to me.
Chapter Twenty
Twenty minutes later, Zayne stopped at an iron gate. I looked around the property as he pulled into the driveway and parked the car.
“I know today will be intense, but if you think about it, take a look at the details of the house. I would love to build a log home for us.” Hope flickered across his handsome face.
My brows shot up. “Really?” He had no idea how much I loved the idea. In Montana, there were a lot of log homes, but not many in Spokane.
“Yeah. If you want, I’ll take you to the lake property after we visit Brynn.”
“Yes! I would love to see it.”
I filed out of the car behind Holden, then threw my arms around his neck. “I love you. We could live in a tent for all I care. The important thing is having you next to me.”
Holden brought me closer, then gave me a sweet kiss. “Love you, too.” He smoothed my hair and sighed. “Are you ready to talk to Brian?”
“No, but I don’t have a choice. Plus, I need to know if Kassandra and Opal are in custody. I’ve only been home twenty-four hours, but in some ways it seems longer.”
“I don’t want to overload you. Regardless of how you feel, your emotions and brain are still processing. It’s going to take time. One minute you’ll think you’re okay, the next …” Holden massaged the back of his neck with his free hand. “As far as Opal and Kassandra, they had better be in custody. If so, I’d like to pay them a visit,” Holden said between clenched teeth. He slid his arm around my waist as we followed Zayne up the sidewalk and to the front door.
Zayne waltzed in as though he owned the place, and I grinned. It felt good to laugh. The last three weeks had been full of pain and sheer terror. At times I wondered if I would ever experience happiness again. But here I was.
Nearly tripping over my feet, I gasped as we entered the living room. The floors were stunning, with red and blonde woven into the wood. The matching ceiling accentuated the dark rafters. Normally I didn’t like the red, but it was softer with the mix. I gripped Holden’s muscular bicep and beamed up at him. “It’s beautiful.”
Holden rubbed my back as we entered the living room. “So are you. I love seeing your face light up. It makes me happy.” Pierce, Sutton, and Brian stood in the middle of the space, talking quietly.
“Boss,” Zayne said as we neared the small group.
