“Ben, you are not helping.”
Kenton cleared his throat. “My apologies. I thought you were someone else.” Someone there to screw Lora and that sure as shit wasn’t going to happen. “I got… jealous.”
A hard laugh from the brother who hadn’t spoken yet. A deep, rumbling laugh. “Aw, man, I think the special agent is sweet on Lora.” He blew a kiss into the air.
Ryan’s eyes narrowed. “Ain’t that something.” Then he turned his narrowed gaze to Lora. “You didn’t mention you’d started dating, Lora.”
“Because I don’t have to run everything by you guys. Jeez!” She threw her hands up. “Fine! Whatever! Okay, Kent was a jealous ass. Um, what were you gonna do, by the way?” she asked as she glanced at Kenton. “Punch Ryan?”
Her brother laughed at that. “He could try.”
Lora shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. I’m starving. It’s late, and I’m not standing on my porch all night so the neighbors can see us argue.” Lora grabbed Kenton’s hand. “Jake, put another plate on the table. We’ve got one more for dinner.”
Her brothers’ eyes—they all had Lora’s exact eye color—widened. Then, as one, they said, “Shit.”
Yeah, he could relate.
Dinner was awkward. But, well, that was to be expected when three guys wanted to tear you apart.
The food was good. Lots of spaghetti. Probably enough to feed a small town.
Or Lora’s brothers.
He watched them, when they weren’t glaring at him. Jake was the youngest, probably a year or two older than Lora. His hair was red like Ben’s, but shot with blond streaks. He ate fast, he laughed a lot, and he seemed to love stealing rolls off Lora’s plate.
Ben sat at the head of the table. The oldest, well, that was what he’d told Kenton. But he and Ryan were twins. Not identical, though, not even close. His eyes were smaller than his brother’s, his chin narrower, his forehead higher—and it looked like the guy had gotten his nose smashed more than a few times.
Then there was Ryan. Ryan who sat close to Lora. Ryan who snatched the rolls back any time Jake messed with his sister. Ryan who really looked like he wanted to tear Kenton apart.
The protector. Yeah, Ryan was right there beside her, and Kenton didn’t blame the guy for wanting to kick his ass.
“So…” Jake leaned forward with a lazy grin that looked a lot like Lora’s. “You sleeping with my sister?”
Kenton choked on the spaghetti.
“Yeah, he is,” Lora answered, and Ryan tossed her another roll. “You still sleeping with—oh, what’s her name? Kelly? Kim? Kar—”
“Katie.” His lips twisted. “And, um, no, we’re not together anymore.”
“Dude.” Ben stilled with the fork near his mouth. “You dumped the massage therapist? Are you freaking insane?”
A flush stole over Jake’s cheeks. “Didn’t dump her.”
Ben winced with empathy. “That one had to hurt.”
“You’re with the SSD,” Ryan’s voice came, low but clear. A massage therapist wasn’t enough to get that fellow off-track.
Kenton gave a slow nod.
“How’d you know that?” Lora demanded. “I didn’t say—”
“You got a serial in town. You got a special agent on your doorstep.” A little shrug. “Connecting the dots isn’t hard.”
And just like that, all their eyes were back on him.
Ryan’s lip curled, just a bit, tightening the scars. “And I saw lover boy on the news the other night.” His arms stretched out, one wrapping around the back of Lora’s chair. “Just didn’t realize you were working quite so close with Lora on these cases.”
“Well, he is.” She elbowed his arm out of the way. “All right. Let’s clear the air.” She waved at them. “Hi, I’m Lora. I’m thirty-two, no longer a virgin, and able to date and do anything else with any man I want.” Her grin was gorgeous and, dammit, getting a hard-on when her brothers were around probably wasn’t smart.
Like he’d been having a smart night.
“So I want you all to stop acting like idiots and be nice to the guy I’m with. Got it?” Oh, there was some real steel there.
“This serious?” asked Ben.
Lora’s head turned slowly toward him, and Kenton wished he could have seen her eyes as she said, “This? Kenton is what I want. What I need.”
Silence.
Ben’s stare jumped to Ryan, and Kenton caught the small movement of his head. Giving the okay—for now.
Ryan might not be the oldest, by a couple of minutes, but when it came to the pecking order at the house, he ruled.
“Great.” Lora shoved back from the table. “Now who wants dessert?”
Jake’s hand shot up. Ben begged for two pieces of pie.
And Ryan turned his stare onto Kenton. No man liked to meet the guy screwing his little sister.
Kenton pushed his shoulders back. “Let me help you with that, Lora.”
Wasn’t that f**king sweet.
They were all together, talking and laughing. Having damn dinner like nothing was wrong in their world.
He slammed his foot on the gas, and his truck shot down the road.
He was being hunted, but they were all dicking around in there.
That damn agent—coming into this town, taking over. Acting like this was his place.
Even moving right in on Lora.
He’d given them another taste of his fire, but they still didn’t realize… he was in charge. He could burn and kill anyone he wanted. The power was his.
Not the Bureau bastard’s. Not Lora’s.
Some people could go into the fire, feel the burn, and rise right out of the ashes.
But others, well, they fell into the flames.
Time for more to fall.
They left, finally. Lora watched her brothers leave, one by one, and though she loved them more than anything, she’d never been happier to see them walk away.
Ryan hung back. He always stayed just a little longer to help her clean up and to make sure she locked her doors.
Or stayed a little longer to give her new lover hell.
Ryan’s gaze raked over Kenton. “You’re a lucky bastard, you know that?”
Kenton lifted a brow. “Lucky because you’re not gonna take that swing you’ve been wanting all night?”
Ryan laughed. God, Lora loved that sound. After the fire, it had been months before he laughed again. Eleven months and three days. She could still remember perfectly.