Read More from Calle J. Brookes

IT WAS the drones that did it. I hadn’t even known what the man was up to. I guess I should have. I just didn’t know that he was going to involve Chance in it. You would think my sister’s husband would have at least had more sense than mine, right?

Thankfully the complaint had gone into the Finley Creek TSP post. After a strict warning to keep their toys in their own backyard, Chance and Houghton were fined. With a ticket signed by none other than the Chief of the Finley Creek TSP himself.

Elliot, Chance’s brother, had probably enjoyed that moment, hadn’t he?

“I didn’t mean to get Chance in trouble,” my husband said as he wrapped his arms around my waist. “Do you forgive me?”

I wasn’t angry with him, to begin with. But I wasn’t about to tell him that. I’d been gone for three days—Brynna and I had flown to St. Louis to stay with Carrie while Sebastian did a conference at Quantico—and I had missed the feel of the man’s arms around me.

“You’re corrupting my brother-in-law.” Not that it would have taken much. Since he and Brynna had married and Chance had taken the job as Houghton’s—and the entire family’s—Chief of Security, Houghton and Chance had gotten into tons of trouble.

Supposedly all in the name of developing safety measures for one of Houghton’s businesses.

I knew the truth—they were two little boys enjoying coming up with new toys. Add in their friend Luc, who flew down regularly from St. Louis, and they were almost incorrigible. Almost. Elliot rode heard on them pretty well, at least.

I didn’t care. It made them happy.

Just like it made Elliot happy to bust them.

They had all been unhappy long enough.

“I’m sorry. But in my defense, it was Chance’s idea to fly the drones over the hospital. I didn’t know one would land in their heat vent.”

“Uh-huh.” Thankfully the hospital in question was the one where Houghton had already made many generous donations. The hospital admin had seemed amused by it. “Got to be more careful with your playthings.”

“I know what I want to play with now.” His hands snaked around my waist, and he grinned. Houghton had the best smile of any man I had ever seen. But I might be a little bit partial. “You were gone for an eternity.”

“So was that what it was? You and Chance missed us so you thought you’d do something to get in trouble?” Gabby, Elliot’s wife, had called me to tell me exactly what the men had been up to.

“Hardly. Come here.” He scooped me up. Carrying me around was a thing of his. One I indulged.

He carried me through the monstrosity of our house and toward our suite on the fourth floor. I clutched his shoulders tightly when he bypassed the elevator and headed for the stairs.

“Houghton, if you drop me, I’ll make you pay for it.” The stairs were marble, for heaven’s sake.

“I’ll never drop you.”

And he didn’t.

Next Post: MM2: My Family

THE LIMO barely fit on their street. Houghton ordered the driver to park it directly in front of Brynna and Chance’s place. They lived in the larger house across the street from the one where Brynna and I had grown up. My sister had always loved that house. I liked that she was right across the street from my father.

It was hard not to want to keep an eye on Brynna, wasn’t it?

I have been responsible for her for almost her entire life. It was a hard habit to break. Even though Chance took it to the extremes. If Brynna even hiccupped my brother-in-law was right there.

My sister Jillian was already hard at work at the stove when we walked in the back door.

I took a moment to check on her. Her hair, so dark red it almost looked unreal, was pulled back in a French braid. I was glad to see that—for the first month after the day she’d almost died Jillian had kept her hair down.

Jillian

Covering the scar where that bastard had almost slit her throat right in front of me. It wasn’t a large scar, but no one would miss it. It would remind my sister of what had happened every time she looked in a mirror.

Jilly, the sweetest, kindest of the lot of us. The one who had had the least to do with what had happened at the end of last year.

I hugged her impulsively. I will never forget how it had been, watching her and Houghton fighting for their lives.

For mine.

I pushed the anger and hatred for the man responsible aside. Now was not the time for that. Now was the time for my family.

“Hey.”

“Glad to see you’re back,” Jillian said. “Can you make the salad? Chance and Brynna are coming over soon; Elliot and Gabby are with them now.”

I’d spent the past six years cooking in this kitchen for my family. To tell you the truth, I kind of missed it since moving in with Houghton. He had a cook, and six different places inside the house where he could get food. Yet somehow we ended up eating here at Dad’s at least three nights a week.

I think Houghton enjoyed the time at the family table as much as I did.

I looked over at him. He and my father were speaking quietly. They were still a little uneasy with each other. But it had only been a bit over a month and a half since everything had happened. They would get used to each other eventually.

Houghton looked at me and smiled. Just like that, I forgot what I was doing.

“Focus, Mel. You can stare at Houghton later.” Jillian snarked at me, like she’d used to. Jilly is four years younger than I am, but we have always been close. We’d tag-teamed taking care of Brynna and Syd between us for years. I depended on Jillian, same as she had me. I half feel like I abandoned her recently.

She and Syd were left at the house with Dad, but Brynna was right across the street. Things had changed like crazy since October. Jillian, especially. “You ok, Jilly?” I asked quietly. “Tell me the truth.”

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