“What happened there?” he asks, nodding at my lip, causing me to blush and sink in my seat.
“She fell,” Richter intercedes quickly.
“Oh yeah?” Bryden presses.
I nod as I turn my attention toward the sandwich and pull the plate back to me. I already know that this is going to taste like shit for no other reason than I spoiled my own damn appetite by being mouthy with the man of the house.
Something that Dad would never have stood for.
“Hey, Daddy, sorry that took so long.”
I turn my eyes toward the sound of the voice I have yet to become acquainted with, and swallow hard. The young man that enters the room is beautiful, slightly out of breath, and sweaty from whatever efforts his chores caused him. He has his shirt off, the fabric tucked into the waistband of his jeans, and as he runs a hand back through his sweat-slicked hair, I watch intently as every muscle of his taut stomach contracts, then eases from the motion.
“It’s fine, son,” Bryden tells him as he raises a hand. “This is Skylar,” he says gesturing toward me. “And she’s here for lunch.”
The young man turns his eyes toward me, and when they settle, I can feel my face burn crimson. I think Richter notices too because he gingerly ribs me with his elbow, but I keep my eyes trained on my lap.
I don’t want to see the disappointment on his face that I’m looking at another man the way he wishes I would look at him. I don’t want to know that I’ve hurt him by doing so because the ache in my heart will be too much to bear.
“I’m Casey,” he says, and I steal a glance to look up at him again. His lips begin to slip into a grin as he turns his eyes back toward his father, then to me again. Deep breaths, Skylar. “You’re Richter’s sister?”
I take a deep breath, clear my throat, and turn my face toward him. “Yes. And Cleo’s. Any idea where she may be?”
Casey chuckles as he removes his shirt from where it’s tucked and pulls it over his head. “Probably with Sierra.”
“Who?” I ask in confusion.
“Sierra is my daughter,” Bryden explains from where he sits. “Just like Luke left Cleo in my care to be. She’s happy, fed, and loved here, Skylar. And you can be too.”
I turn my head sharply toward him. “I want to see my sister,” I tell him stubbornly.
He shakes his head for a second before he holds his hands up in concession and looks at Casey.
“Take her to the girls’ room, son,” he instructs him. “I’m sure you’ll be able to bring Sierra and Cleo to the table faster if two of you are looking instead of one.”
Casey walks over to where I’m sitting with Richter. The smell of him is intoxicating—sweat mixed with the scent of freshly chopped wood.
He nods at my brother before he turns his attention to me and holds out a hand.
“Come on,” he says with a smile. “Let’s see where the girls are hiding. I bet it will be fun.”
I look over at Richter, not for permission but to let him know that I’ll be okay. Maybe we’ll find Cleo and maybe it’s all a game, but at the end of the day at least we’ll have each other and that’s all that matters.
Isn’t it?
Nineteen
Casey
Daddy winks at me as I lead Skylar out of the kitchen and across the living room, and I feel honored that he trusts me with her. She’s beautiful, and as I slow to a stop outside of the bedroom Cleo, Sierra, and Moira share, I take a minute to look at her.
“What is it?” she asks, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear as she breaks our contact. I don’t try to hold onto her hand, even though I want to. Her skin is soft, and I like the feel of it against mine.
Skylar is new, but she’s family.
Which means I’m supposed to take care of her.
“Your lip…” I start to ask about it, but she turns away, shrugging.
“I fell. It’s fine. Is Cleo in here?” she asks, reaching for the doorknob, but I touch her shoulder and she doesn’t open it.
“You know that family has to protect family, right?” I smile when she glances at me, and I feel it stretch as her eyes avoid mine and move down, over my shirt that clings to my sweat-coated chest and stomach. My sisters like my body, they like to run their fingers over the ridges of my abs, and I gently turn Skylar so she’s facing me and not the bedroom door. “If you got hurt on my watch, I’d never forgive myself, but I’d take care of you until you were better.”
Her pretty eyes lift to mine again, lips parting like she wants to speak, but she doesn’t.
“Does Richter take care of you?” I whisper, letting her know that her answer can be our secret, but all I get is a blush rising in her cheeks. She’s so pretty. Shy in a way that my sisters aren’t, and it makes me want to draw her out of her shell. “You’re safe here, Skylar. I promise.”
“I want to see Cleo,” she whispers, looking at the door again, and I back off. I want her to believe me. I want her to know that I’d never hurt her, because I’m pretty sure that Richter did—which means he’s not a real man.
A punishment would be a strap across her ass, or time alone in the closet… never hitting. We never hit our family, that’s something we teach even the youngest in the house.
“Go on then.” I struggle to keep the smile on my face while a low, burning rage builds in my stomach. As she opens the door to go inside, I’m struck by the visual of embedding the axe from outside in Richter’s back. If I did that… he’d never be
