by C. M. Owens
“Anyone I know?” I ask, trying to keep the conversation going.
“Possibly. What about you? Obviously you work out. Why not my gym?”
A teasing glint has returned to his eyes, and I smile while turning back to face the sand in front of us as we walk along the beach. It’ll be dark soon, but I don’t care. Talking to Jax is so much better than avoiding Jax.
“I may start coming there. Any yoga classes? Because I can’t lift weights. The last time I tried a leg press thingy, I got stuck. Don’t ask how. It’s more complicated than I can explain. And the treadmill is an evil invention that always sends me rolling to my ass.”
He snorts out a laugh that makes him cough as he pounds his chest with his fist.
“Noted,” he finally manages to say through his laughter.
Then I realize it’s unlikely I’ll ever be able to see him after this is all over with. Maybe I should tell him and just own the “pathetic” badge.
What’s the worst that could happen? He can’t kick me out of my own house. He’s not a violent person… At least I don’t think so. The worst that can happen is he’ll leave on the first available flight.
And then I’d never hear from him again… Why does that not feel too good?
“So, you brought up my relationship with my sister,” he says while looking down and deliberately kicking the sand with his bare feet as he walks. I have to wear sandals because I’m a baby that can’t handle hot sand. “Um… How’s your relationship with yours? You’ve never brought her up.”
And this is the one topic I wanted to avoid. Can’t we talk about the hot sand and my sandals instead?
“We’re close most days. She’s not as bad as everyone thinks, but she can be selfish. Sometimes she’s immature and doesn’t do the right thing or treat people with the respect they deserve. She’s just her, and she doesn’t really care what anyone else thinks or how her actions affect them most times. To be honest, she hides her good heart because I know it’s there. I’ve seen it.”
He nods slowly, as though he’s thinking really hard about something.
“Do you clean up her messes or something? That’s just a guess based on what you just said,” he says, adding that last part quickly.
“In business, there is no mess to clean up. She’s an excellent designer and she carries her own weight, even though I’d love it if she helped me with some of the less ‘fun’ things. Her personal life… Well, it’s her life, but I don’t always like the way she treats the ones in it, so yeah. I do try to limit the collateral damage.”
“Do you two… play games?”
My eyebrows go up in question, completely confused by that question. He glances over to see my expression then clears his throat.
“A lot of sisters play games with guys. Right? I was just asking if—”
“She’s up front with the guys she dates about what she wants, and I’ve never dated or ‘played’ with any guy she’s dated. If that’s what you’re asking,” I lie, considering I’m in a sticky situation with him.
His jaw tenses for a second before he shifts his gaze toward the ocean.
“Never?”
I’m not sure why he’s being so persistent with this line of questioning, but I try to play it off.
“Honestly? I break up with her boyfriends for her,” I say on a sigh, looking back down at my feet. I don’t tell him that I break up with them while pretending to be her.
“Why?” is his only response, even though his tone is neutral and his eyes are still on the water.
“Because some of those guys deserve to be told she’s done, even though she doesn’t find it important enough to do herself. She thinks ignoring them will give them the hint they need. But I break up with them for her, then I keep her phone in case they call…”
My voice trails off because I realize I’m about to blab everything to him.
He seems to get lost in thought, as though he’s really chewing over my words. It has me nervous. He finally turns back to face me, then moves his gaze ahead of him.
“What would happen if you actually liked one of those guys?”
This is way too close to home for a topic of conversation.
“I don’t know. I’ve never dated anyone she has dated. Most of the guys who are interested in her only want one thing. Nothing deeper.”
I swear I see the ghost of a smile on his lips before it’s banished.
“Give me a hypothetical answer, Bo. If you liked him, what would you do?”
My stomach tightens, and I try to ignore the pounding of my heart. There’s no way he could possibly know, but it seems like he does.
No. No. Nothing about twins has been mentioned, and not even he is that smart.
“I’d try to get to know him before passing too much judgment. Then… I don’t know. I guess I’d have to see.”
It looks like he’s trying not to smile, and I feel like my cheeks are on fire.
“Dating a guy your sister dated isn’t a turn off?” he muses.
“Very much so. But it’s not a deal-breaker. My sister is physical only. Not emotional… I think an emotional attachment is a much bigger deal than a physical one… Does that sound stupid?”
He laces our fingers together before stopping and turning us back toward the bonfire.
“Not at all,” he tells me, kissing my hand before guiding me toward everyone just as the sun disappears from sight.
To my surprise, there’s a hell of a lot of people here now, and Jax’s footsteps miss a beat.
“Come on,” I say with a smile. “It really did turn into a reunion night. It’s been a while since I had one of these.”
“It’s what?” he asks, confused, as I start running down the beach and straight into a waiting pair of arms.
Chapter 20
JAX
Bo is being hugged by every single person here, and I don’t know anyone.
“What happened?” I ask Viv as I step up beside her.
She swirls her drink in her glass, much like mom does, and then points at nothing in particular.
“All these people came to roast a pig or something and say hi to Mick and Vince. They are some seriously friendly people, too. I think I’ve been hugged by most of them, and I don’t even know them.”
I tense when a guy around my age eyes Bo’s ass, and then I relax when some guy slaps him on the back of the head for it.
“Where’ve you been?” Viv asks.
“Walking. Talking. Thinking. Figuring things out, I think.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“Not really,” I tell her while pulling out my phone and dialing the one person who knows what’s going on.
Kode answers almost immediately.
“I need someone to punch,” he says, bypassing a hello.
“Do I want to know?”
“You might, but I don’t want to talk about it. How goes the twin thing?”
“Um… I think I figured out why Bo came instead of Bora.”
“Bora was going to dump you; Bo was too nice to do it when she found out you had a trip planned; so now she’s there to fulfill her sister’s obligation? Yeah. Hold the applause; I know I’m a fucking genius. And good for you for finally catching up. Should have listened to me.”
“I think she may also be interested in me, asshole. Just not sure how I feel about this situation.”
“I’m the asshole? You were fucking Bora. That makes you an asshole because that’s all she fucks. Well, not literally. At least I don’t think… Did she fuck your asshole—”
“Are you drunk?” I groan, interrupting his ramble.
“Maybe a little,” he admits.
Running a hand through my hair, I blow out a breath. “Dick. You could have told me that before I started confiding.”
I’m an incredibly private person, so actually telling someone something is a big fucking deal. And I pick a drunken prick to confide in.
“Having a shitty day. Get off me.”
&nbs
p; “What’s going on?”
“Don’t wanna talk about it. Look, Bo’s great. Be nice to her or I’ll kick your ass. If I don’t kick your ass, Corbin will. That’s Ruby’s best friend.”
“You’re kidding,” I say flatly, trying to calculate how small of a world it would have to be for that to be true.
“Nope. You, my friend, have stumbled into a mine field of issues. Bora wouldn’t have gotten your ass kicked. Bo gets your ass kicked twice. Understood?”
I’m not particularly worried about the ass-kicking, considering I know for a fact I can take them both. But the fact they would both side with her over me without even hearing the situation means they have a hell of a lot of faith in her.
“Oh, and her dad can kick ass, too.”
“You know about her father?” I ask, feeling my brow furrow.
“Found out when Ruby and she were in college together. He showed up unannounced. Just a heads up, he knows some freaky ninja stuff.”
Snorting out a laugh, I hang up and head back over to where several people are laughing and talking to each other. One guy eyes me, then he backs into the shadows like he’s waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
That’s not creepy at all.
“You Jax?” a woman asks me, smiling happily as she tosses her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder and struts my way.
“Yeah…”
“I’m Carmen,” she says, thrusting her hand right at me.
I have to move back a little to shake her dainty little hand with bright red nails. My eyes move over to find the diversity in cultures and types of people all around. Some look like they just stepped out of a GQ shoot. Some look like they just left the sixties. People from all nationalities seem to be mingling like this is a part of the world where family can be anyone at any time.
It’s an eclectic bunch; that’s for sure.
“Can I have my hand back?” the feminine voice asks around a snicker, reminding me I’m still shaking said hand.
I drop her hand immediately and mutter an apology while pocketing my own hands. Why do I feel nervous?
“You the guy Bo is dating?” Carmen goes on, stepping a little closer until her breasts graze me.
Clearing my throat, I take a step away. She’s gorgeous, and technically I’m not dating Bo, but… Fuck it. I’m too confused to even think about adding more confusion in, and thinking about it all is just giving me a migraine.
“Well?” she drawls, running a finger up my arm while pressing against me again.
Fucking shit. Did she not get the hint?
“Yes,” I say through a tight smile, “I am.”
Very subtly, I take another step away from her, but before I can fully retreat, she starts laughing.
“Good boy,” the girl says while leaning against a shed wall and staring over at Bo, who is busy talking to a group of other people. So damn many people.
“Excuse me?” I ask the odd woman.
She eyes me like she’s amused for some reason. “I said good boy. If you had hit on me, I’d have let Amani kick your ass.”
“Amani?”
“He’s lurking around here somewhere, and he already hates you. I don’t know why, though. What’d you do?”
My eyebrows go up, and she starts laughing again.
“I don’t even know what’s going on here.”
“This is a family reunion,” she says, acting as though it should be obvious.
“Family?”
“Well, not all family is born from blood. It’s rare one of the Brendon girls comes out to the island anymore, so we all get together when one does. I’ve missed Bo so much. She hates groups, but this is one exception she makes, because she loves all of us.”
“So you’re friends?”
“I was Bo’s first. Didn’t she tell you?” she asks as the amusement fades.
Pretty sure my tongue gets stuck to the roof of my mouth with that confession. What the fucking hell do I say to that? And how do I not focus on the image that is now coming to life inside my head.
“Judging by the look on your face, you just went to the wrong place.” My eyes snap up to meet hers, and humor is back in her gaze. “I take it Bo and Vince didn’t fill you in on what this home is? On what all his homes are for?”
Am I in a damn brothel or something?
“Should have known,” she says with a smile.
My migraine grows and I start pinching the bridge of my nose to stave off the inevitable.
“You okay?” she asks sincerely, touching my shoulder.
“Depends on where you’re going with this conversation,” I grumble.
She bursts out laughing, and the sound only grates on my nerves since my head is already in hell’s stomping grounds.
“Sorry. I’m just used to all the people who come here knowing about us and them. Vince doesn’t allow just anyone out here unless he trusts them. But I guess there were extenuating circumstances in your case, considering the fire and stuff.”
I just nod, ready for her to get to the punchline about this being a secret brothel—
“This is a safe haven home. Just like all of Vince’s vacation homes,” she says, sidetracking my train of thought.
“Huh?”
I look up to see her grinning, and she holds up her hand to flash around an engagement ring and wedding ring.
“My husband and I were both brought here when Vince and Bo saved our lives. I was Bo’s first. Vince has been doing this since he had the money to do it.”
Ever gotten off one of those merry-go-rounds after all your friends were spinning it as fast as they could to see if they could throw you off? That’s how I feel right now—dizzy, annoyed, and completely disoriented.
“I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but I have no idea what you mean.”
She motions to Bo as she kisses a kid on the head.
“That’s our son,” she says, practically leaving me hanging while going on like we’re long lost friends. “His name is Kimbo.”
My eyebrows go up in question, and she quickly adds, “I didn’t name him. We call him Bo for short. It’s also like naming our first child after the girl who saved me.” She smiles, but I’m still lost.
My eyes move over to the boy. His skin is a smooth chocolate that doesn’t match the pale woman talking, but she alluded to the fact he’s adopted. It’s then I hear him talking and hear his accent. It’s rich and almost hard to understand, but he has Bo laughing so hard she’s doubled over.
“You really like her.” Carmen’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and I realize I’m smiling while staring at Bo—the girl Bo.
“Still figuring that out,” I confess, half wondering if I should just tell Bo her ruse is up just to be done with the headache it’s causing me.
“Vince brought Kimbo to us last year. He was almost a child soldier like Amani.”
That has my back stiffening. This chick is so random that it’s hard to keep up. She gauges my face before continuing.
“Amani was Vince’s third save. He came here after almost being killed by the man who stole him from his family five years before that. Another man saved him, but Amani’s parents had not made it. The man who smuggled him over didn’t realize Amani had killed before, and Vince was the only person who would take in a fourteen-year-old killer.”
The creepy guy who was eyeing me earlier is now eyeing me again from across the bonfire. Carmen confirms my suspicion when she gestures to him.
“That’s him. He really doesn’t like you.”
My throat bobs, because for the first time since I was a kid, I’m a little intimidated. His sheer brute size is enough to make any man second guess himself. Add in the fact he’s actually killed—was trained to kill—and that doesn’t bode well for me.
“Vince saved him, brought him here, and Angela—another one of Vince’s saves—raised Amani after that. Vince has always favored him, because Amani was so scary to everyone else since they viewed him as a killer. Vince lik
ed his fire, but he told everyone Amani wasn’t a killer. He was just a boy who had done what he had to in order to survive. Amani proved him right. Well, so far. You might change his stance on right and wrong.”
Without meaning to, I take a step back, and Carmen laughs quietly while stepping closer.
“What the hell did I do to him?” I ask her, turning back to face her while trying to ignore that eerie feeling on the back of my neck.
“I don’t know. I’m sure he’ll tell you later.”
When I look back, Amani is gone, and Carmen’s words hang in the air like a bad omen, even though it was said so casually.
Clearing my throat—and trying not to feel like chicken shit—I face her again. “You said Bo saved you?”
Her smile blooms across her face. “I was her first,” she says again, but this time there’s no dirty image dancing in my mind. “Bo was eighteen and fresh out of high school. She was in New York with a friend of hers… A girl named Ruby. I remember it like it was yesterday.”
Her smile falters and her eyes lose their life as though someone has just sucked her soul out all of the sudden.
“I was in a shitty place in my life. Probably lower than you can imagine. I thought I met Prince Charming when I moved to the city. Turns out, he was a pimp that baited sweet, pretty, naïve girls like me into the lion’s den. Within two weeks, he had me hooked on his personal brand of heroin. It’s how he operated: lure us in, get us hooked on something he could supply, and then have us work the streets to pay for it.”
She wipes a tear from her eye, and I fidget awkwardly. I’m not used to someone just opening up their closet to bare the skeletons hidden there.
What do you say to something like that?
“Sorry,” I tell her lamely. “You don’t have to tell me.”
She laughs humorlessly while shrugging. “My past shaped me, Jax. It could have destroyed me, but it didn’t. Because of Bo, it’s a bad memory instead of the end of my story. I never get to tell anyone what she did for me outside of houses like this one, because they keep this private and silent. So yes, I want to tell you. I want anyone who can know the real Bo, to truly know the real Bo.”
The real Bo… Therein lies the crux of this entire situation.
