Foolish Games

by Lilliana Anderson

  I made the shape of an O with my mouth, even though I already knew. I wondered what this woman’s game was. What did she want from someone like me? I couldn’t imagine she just wanted to get to know me. I was on tenterhooks waiting for the other shoe to drop, listening while she prattled on.

  “Abbot is the only one, really, but I’m sure you’ve already learned his conversational skills aren’t the greatest. We can talk shop though.” Her eyes moved to my toes then returned to my face. What the hell am I supposed to say here? I thought it best to say nothing unless she asked me a direct question. “Tell me, Veronica, what is it you want most out of life?”

  Wow. Straight to the deep stuff.

  I shrugged. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “Care to elaborate?”

  My mouth opened then closed before I pressed my lips together, trying to work out what to say. I knew exactly what I wanted: more than what I had. I wanted to stop worrying. I wanted to stop struggling and fighting. I wanted someone to care about me.

  “I just want to belong,” I said, finally. It was probably the most honest sentence to ever come out of my mouth, but why I told her, I wasn’t quite sure.

  A sage nod bobbed her head. “I actually see a lot of myself in you, Veronica.”

  “Seriously?” Was that based on the fact I was smoking? We had barely had any contact before now—unless of course Toby had shared his findings with her, then she’d know a hell of a lot.

  “Yes,” she said, standing as she finished her cigarette and stubbed it out in a glass ashtray. “You see opportunity and you grab hold of it with both hands.”

  Should I be offended by that? “This isn’t exactly a choice I was given.”

  “No. But you’re certainly making the most of it. I admire that. It takes a lot of guts to be exactly the woman you need to be in any given situation—a lot of talent too. I have my eye on you.”

  “OK,” I said, not sure if that meant I needed to watch out, or that she wanted me to impress her.

  “Now, come. Lunch is ready, and I hear I was to save you a seat.”

  Abbot dobbed? Ugh. “That was just me ribbing Abbot. He really didn’t need to pass the message on.”

  She smiled. “Still. There is a seat. Let’s see how the rest of the family reacts to you.”

  Chapter Twelve

  It’s Been Weird

  “Hope you’re all hungry,” Jasmine said as she carried out a giant bowl of salad and set it in the middle of the table. “There’s enough food here to feed an army.”

  “The way these guys eat, we’ll be lucky if they don’t bite my arms off trying to get at this. Look at their eyes,” Alesha joked as Sam and Toby both rushed to help her carry a tray full of chicken schnitzel. She was taller than me, super slim, and had dark brown, almost black hair.

  “Well, hurry up then, woman,” Abbot said. “We’re hungry men.” He snapped his teeth in her direction.

  It was obviously a joke, but Sam hit him up the back of his head. “Don’t speak to my wife like that, douchebag.”

  With a scowl, Abbot rubbed the sore spot. “She knows I’m only mucking around.”

  “He was only joking, Sam,” Alesha said, her brown eyes soft as she gazed toward her husband.

  “I don’t care, peaches. When he gets his own woman, he can command her around and call her ‘woman’ all he wants. But he doesn’t get to do that to mine.”

  “What’s up your arse?” Abbot groused, frowning at his older brother.

  “You. You’re a pig lately.”

  “How? Because I’m not so desperate for a girl that I kidnapped one?”

  A flurry of motion involved two brothers launching themselves at Abbot, while the other two jumped to hold them back. I took a step backwards to avoid the commotion.

  “Enough,” Nate barked, his arm blocking Kristian.

  “Yeah, enough,” Abbot said with a smirk. “The queen has gathered us to eat.”

  I glanced at Jasmine who pursed her lips and leaned forward on the table. “I don’t know what’s up your arse at the moment, Abbot, but you’re going to need to unclench those cheeks and start playing nice before your attitude starts to hit you in the hip pocket.”

  He lifted his brow in surprise. “Are you seriously threatening to cut my allowance like I’m some kid?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m doing, child.”

  “This is fucking bullshit,” he yelled, standing up and flipping the tray of schnitzel over on the table. “Enjoy your lunch, dickheads. Enjoy your stolen women too. I’m out of here.” Then he turned around and took off. What the hell? Was that outburst because of me? I didn’t understand what his deal was. Why was having me at a family lunch such an issue for him? It wasn’t like I was marrying into his precious family. I’d been clearly relegated to the spectator seats.

  “What’s with you lot and flipping shit over whenever you’re cranky,” Alesha commented, grabbing the tray from the table while Sam and Nate helped clear up the mess. They kind of murmured and shrugged sheepishly. I heard something about testosterone.

  “Well,” Jasmine said, taking a deep breath. “That was exciting. Why don’t you all sit down? No point in wasting a good meal just because it fell on the table.”

  After we all got settled and the food was passed around, Alesha was the first one to make conversation, her expression telling me she’d been mulling something over in her mind. “I happen to think it was really romantic,” she said, cutting into her chicken. “Fate pushed us all together in the craziest of ways and we found love in the middle of an epic mess. So it doesn’t matter how it started, just what grew out of it. And honestly, I wouldn’t trade this family for the world—even Abbot.”

  Everyone smiled, and Sam kissed her shoulder. Meanwhile, I slid a cherry tomato in my mouth while I tried to work out what was going on. They were kidnapped? If what I was piecing together was true, this all sounded a little Stockholm Syndromey to me.

  “It’s cool, Leesh,” Kristian said from beside me. “He’s not pissed at you guys. He’s pissed at me.”

  “What did you do?” Holland asked, holding a glass of sparkling water to her lips.

  “I broke the twin code.”

  “The twin code?” Toby asked with a frown. This was obviously a new thing to them. “What the hell is the twin code?”

  “Ah, it’s a code of conduct between twins, obviously,” Kristian deadpanned.

  “Why don’t we know anything about this?” Nate asked.

  “Because you’re not a twin. We don’t share our code with other people. That would defeat the purpose.”

  “Kind of like fight club,” I said, nodding my understanding. First rule: Don’t talk about it.

  Kristian looked at me and grinned. “Yeah. Just like that, but between twins.”

  “All right. So how did you break it?” Jasmine asked.

  He pressed his lips together as he addressed the table. “No girlfriends unless they’re best friends, sisters, or preferably identical twins.”

  Sam laughed. “Why is that even a rule? You two have never had girlfriends.”

  “That’s partly because of work, but primarily because it’s hard to find girls we both like who fit the mould,” Kristian said, wiping his hand over his face in slight frustration. “We came up with this code when we were like, sixteen, and he’s pissed I’m not sticking to it. He’s citing twin law that I can’t bring a girl into our house for more than one night without her fitting the ‘aforementioned criteria’, and I’m telling him to grow the fuck up because we aren’t kids anymore. But as you can see, he’s pouting. I don’t know why it’s such a big deal for him. Ronnie’s only staying with us for a month until she’s worked enough to pay off the damage to my Ute, and who the fuck knows what happens from there? It’s early, right?” He looked at me for clarification, but I was still reeling over the fact he called me his girlfriend in one sentence then gave a time limit to our arrangement in another. The gist of it though, was that I was cau
sing the tension between the brothers. Something I already knew, but felt uncomfortable having aired during a family meal when I was the outsider.

  “I, uh, can leave now if it’s a problem,” I forced out, not really wanting to say it but feeling it was best in the situation. I could talk to Toby, maybe find some other solution. And if Kristian could still be bothered with me, well, we could work that out too. It didn’t have to be all or nothing.

  “No.” Kristian’s hand landed on my thigh and he squeezed my bare leg under the table. “You’re not going anywhere. He can grow up and get the fuck over it.” Then he leaned a little closer, his hand sliding up my thigh as he spoke so only I could hear. “No one is taking away my access to this.” His fingers brushed lightly between my legs, and I nodded so it looked like he said something reassuring instead of doing something dirty. I had to look down to hide the flicker of heat in my eyes. Although, maybe there was a little hurt there too. Holland had suggested there could be more between Kristian and me, and I read a little too deep into his words. But it was clear why I was still around now. Sex. I was there to pay off a debt and to provide Kristian with an outlet for his insatiable sexual appetite. Best to keep that in mind, and ensure my heart stayed safe. Untouchable. The way it always had been….

  “You know, it sounds to me he could do with finding a woman of his own,” Holland put in. “I reckon Jasmine should match him up.” She giggled as she looked Jasmine’s way.

  “Well, I’m obviously fantastic at it,” Jasmine said with a shrug, and everyone laughed. I didn’t really get the joke, so I just sat there trying to decide if I actually liked these people.

  It didn’t take long for the awkwardness of Abbot’s outburst to disperse. Despite the overturned schnitzel, we ended up having a fairly nice meal. Conversation flowed freely, as did the alcohol, and by the end of it, I was feeling a little buzzed along with everyone else. I was loosening up a bit, participating in their discussions, laughing along with their jokes. Despite the odd circumstances surrounding the way we all met, no one treated me like I was a piece of shit, or like I didn’t deserve to sit at the table with them—which really, was how I expected to be received. And while it was weird sitting at a table eating a meal with people I had a messed-up history with, I was actually having a really great time.

  “I like your family,” I said when the table was cleared away and Kristian had lured me upstairs with a wink and smile.

  He flopped back on the queen-sized bed that dominated a grey-schemed room. “Like how you like me?” Leaning up on his elbows, he offered me a cheeky grin.

  “I said that under duress, so it doesn’t count in my opinion.”

  “Nah. Sorry, doll. No take backs. You said you like me and that’s fact now.”

  I laughed. “You are so full of yourself.”

  “I think you have that one wrong. It’s you who’s about to be full of me.” Reaching out, he caught my hand in his and tugged me closer, flipping me back so I bounced on the bed. He was very quick to lean over me.

  “You’re a jackass,” I told him, although the smile on my face told a different story altogether.

  He brushed his nose alongside mine, lips teasing as his hands slid down my side until he hit my bare skin.

  “You seriously want to do this right now with your family downstairs?” I gasped as he pressed his erection into my side.

  “You have nothing on underneath your dress.”

  “Speaking of,” I said as his fingers began to lift my hem. “I think your sister-in-law saw what I had for breakfast.”

  He chuckled. “Which one?”

  “Holland.”

  “Lucky her.” His mouth moved down my chest, pressing kisses against the swell of my breasts as his hands made it to my hips, exposing my skin. I closed my eyes, trying to focus on how wonderful I felt whenever he touched me, but the events during lunch kept tapping against my mind.

  “Your mother is interesting. She made it feel like lunch was some sort of an audition.”

  He slid down my body and pressed his lips against my stomach. “Jasmine is wary of outsiders.”

  “Why? And why do you call her Jasmine instead of Mum?”

  He stopped what he was doing and sighed before meeting my eyes. His hair was sticking up, and in the afternoon light, his blue eyes seemed even more piercing against the tan of his skin. My God, he’s so beautiful. “Can we please stop talking about my family? It’s kind of awkward when I’m about to eat out your pussy and have a raging hard-on.”

  I ran my fingers through his silken hair, smiling as I sighed happily. “Of course. I’ll shut up.”

  Burying his head beneath my dress, he ran his tongue around the edge of my belly button then down the smooth skin, a damp trail toward what I knew would be mind-numbing pleasure. And I tried to relax and enjoy it. I really did. But the uncertainty of my situation wouldn’t allow it. Too much was happening in my mind.

  “Kristian?”

  “Hmm?”

  “What did Abbot mean when he said you all had to kidnap women to find a girlfriend?”

  He stopped what he was doing, coming out from under my dress and sitting back on his knees.

  “He was being a dick,” he said, straightening my dress.

  “You don’t have to stop,” I said.

  Releasing a humourless laugh, he wiped a hand over his face. “Yes, I do. You have questions. Ask them.”

  “I can ask them later.”

  He lifted his brows. “Oh, I don’t think you can. Ask now. I can fuck you later.” He flopped down beside me on the bed and flashed his charming smile. “Just don’t expect to be gettin’ any sleep tonight.”

  I rolled onto my side and leaned up on my elbow, eager to understand anything about these mysterious Cartwrights.

  “Explain the kidnapping comment.”

  “Like you, Holland and Alesha posed a…problem to our family.”

  “Like me? You mean they kept fucking with your cars?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “No. They got involved in things that weren’t theirs to get involved with.”

  “Like what?”

  His tongue poked out, wetting his lips before he rubbed them together. “I can’t really say.”

  “Because it was something illegal?”

  This time he pulled his lip between his teeth. “I never said that.”

  “You don’t need to. It’s obvious. Even if I wasn’t of dubious character myself, I’d be pretty sure something villainous was going on.”

  “Dubious. Villainous. All you’ve seen is a family and a gardening business.”

  I scoffed. He was playing me for a sucker. “You’re obviously used to a certain type of girl, Kristian Cartwright. Newsflash: I’m not one if your bimbos who will giggle and push my tits in your face because I think you’re hot. I have a brain, I have eyes, and I have ears. The very fact you felt comfortable making me your slave would be enough to tell me you had more going on than just a gardening business. Top that with the fact you had no trouble tracking and stealing your car back, that you completely blocked any trading partnerships Johno, Dazza and I had created, and that your mother flippantly suggested killing me to get me out of the way at the wedding, I have a pretty compelling case.”

  “Do you have any evidence to support your case?” His expression was so impassive that I wanted to slap his face.

  “Are you seriously going to tell me I’m wrong?”

  He shrugged. “All seems pretty circumstantial to me.”

  I sat up and frowned. “Fuck you, Kristian. I’m not stupid. Don’t try and treat me like I am.”

  He laughed at me and held out his hands. “What? If you’re gonna accuse me and my family of something, make sure you have some fucking proof first.”

  “What more proof do I need? The cloak-and-dagger shit, getting presented to your mother and questioned. It’s a fucking test. For what, I don’t fucking know—to see what I know, to see if I fit in, or if I’m useful? Which one? What the f
uck is going on?”

  “Why don’t you tell me exactly what you think is going on?”

  “What? I just… Oh my god. My brain is going to explode. You know what?” I scooted to the edge of the bed. “I don’t have to put up with this shit.”

  “Really? Where you gonna go? We’ve got your house. I mean, car.”

  I stood up and pulled my dress down as far as it could go, glaring at him. Clearly there were no secrets within this family. I’d practically begged Toby not to tell anyone. Why had I thought I could trust him? Arsehole.

  “Yeah. I can figure shit out about people too. And you were just a little too desperate to sleep with some guy you supposedly hated.”

  “And what does that say about you?”

  “That I have really low standards.”

  My mouth fell open. I could have scratched his face off. “Screw you, Kristian. I’d rather live on the street than share a bed with you.”

  “Back to hating each other then?”

  I stuffed my feet back into my sandals. “Maybe I never stopped. Maybe I was just faking it all because I’m so fucking desperate.”

  “You’re a shit liar, Ronnie.”

  “And you’re a shit human being. Good luck with Nate’s big score. I hope you all have a really great time pulling that one off. Unless of course someone else gets in there first.”

  “What the fuck do you know about that?”

  I held up my middle finger. “That you can shove it up your arse. Have a nice life, Kristian.”

  With that, I opened the door and flew down the stairs, the sound of the slamming door and what I imagined was a fist against the wall following me.

  I may not have had a lot in my life, but I had my pride. And sticking around to be insulted and used just wasn’t working for me anymore. I wasn’t stupid. I wouldn’t be treated that way.

  Like you, Holland and Alesha posed a…problem to our family.

  Knowing my outburst probably turned me into an even bigger problem than I already was, I jolted to a stop before I hit the bottom of the stairwell, flattening myself against the wall.