A roar erupts from Avery’s bedroom, and a furious Sin emerges, his hands entirely engulfed by flames. When his head swings my way, I see fire dancing in his eyes, almost as if I’m staring into hell itself. The red bleeds into the inky darkness of his pupils, swirling like tendrils of smoke.
“Who the fuck are Colton, Ray, and Henry?” he bellows. “I thought you said you haven’t been with any other men!”
Avery appears behind him a moment later, ducking his head sheepishly when he catches sight of my flabbergasted expression.
“I tried to explain—” he begins, but Sin cuts him off with another anguished roar.
“Sin,” I soothe, jumping to my feet and walking towards him. Ignoring the flames, the heat, the impending pain, I cup his cheeks in both of my hands. Instantly, my skin feels as if thousands of fire ants are crawling along the surface, and I resist the urge to moan in bliss. “They’re my brothers.”
“Your…what?” Confusion dances in his eyes.
“My brothers.” I kiss first one cheek and then the next.
Abruptly, Sin grabs my waist, his hands burning away my shirt and searing my flesh. He pulls me flush against him and tilts my head back to stare into his eyes.
“You’re ours,” he vows. “Mine and my brothers.”
“Yours,” I agree immediately, and I hear Helio’s rumble of approval from behind me.
Sin claims my lips in a bruising, possessive kiss before stepping away, the original insanity I saw in his gaze steadily retreating. His smile could almost be described now as bashful as he ducks his head.
“I’ll try not to burn them alive,” he mumbles.
“You won’t burn my brothers alive.” When he refuses to lift his head, I grip his chin, my fingernails digging into his flesh. He releases a pained whimper that quickly turns into a sated moan. “Sin…”
“Fine.” He narrows his eyes once before a large smile cleaves his face in two. It’s a strange combination of merriment and maliciousness. “But if we discover that they’re behind this, brothers or not, I won’t hesitate to do what needs to be done.”
CHAPTER 17
The house is exactly as I remember it.
While I chose to move away for college—and consequently, rent an apartment with Avery—my brothers decided to remain in our family home. The cute, two-story farmhouse rests in a field of perfectly manicured grass. A single tree stands in the front entrance, a wooden swing hanging from one of its highest branches. I remember sitting on that exact swing while Henry would push me, usually grumbling under his breath. Ray and Colton would tackle each other in the front yard, each attempting to get an upper hand, while I would scream my support to whoever wasn’t annoying the shit out of me that day.
As I step up the front steps, the ambient glow of the porch lights illuminating the yard in shades of silver and gold, my heart begins to race in trepidation.
“You okay, baby?” Avery asks tentatively, giving my shoulder a squeeze.
“She’s fine,” Tate scoffs, and I flip him off over my shoulder.
My men are all dressed to the nines today, and my mouth waters at the exquisite sight before me. Every muscle is on display through their white shirts bunched up at the elbow. With their hair meticulously groomed and facial hair trimmed, they’re a sight to behold. And they’re mine.
But I can’t let my brothers know that.
“Don’t forget.” I level them all with a warning look. “We are not dating. You are not my boyfriends. You guys are friends of Avery, who we’ve been hanging out with the last few weeks.”
“Not dating,” Sin repeats with a manic glint in his eyes that bodes trouble for me. “Got it.”
“Arsin, I’m serious,” I warn. “You cannot tell them that you guys are my…err…boyfriends.” That is what we are, right? Every other term feels far too insignificant. But how can I tell my human brothers that these men are the loves of my existence, my soulmates, a serrated puzzle piece that fits perfectly in my soul? No doubt, they would laugh at me or call me insane. Ray would probably grab the shotgun they always keep over the mantle, and Henry would go eerily silent as he plans their murder.
Taking a deep, calming breath, I rap my knuckles against the wooden door. We have a doorbell, but the last time I was here, it was broken. I pushed that sucker for ten minutes before realizing that my idiotic brothers couldn’t hear it.
The door swings open, and Colton’s smiling face appears in my field of vision. Ignoring Sin’s growl, I lunge forward and wrap my arms around my brother’s waist.
“Hey, ugly.” His arms are familiar around me. Comforting. This relationship between us can’t be fake, can it? A part of me would shrivel and die if I discover that the foundation of our love has been built on a landscape of lies and deceit.
“Hey, stupid,” I reply back, pulling away just in time to see his smile disappear. It’s replaced by a scowl that instantly has me on edge.
“Who the fuck are they?” he demands, grabbing my wrist and all but dragging me behind him. Helio narrows his eyes at Colton’s hand around my wrist, nostrils flaring as he struggles to maintain control of his temper.
“Hey, man!” Avery breaks through the throng of men with a cheery smile. It’s one he perfected, one designed to instantly put people at ease. I wonder if it’s the same smile he uses just before he kills someone.
That thought twists my insides into dozens of intricate, tight knots.
“Avery,” Colton says stiffly, never peeling his eyes away from the newcomers.
“What’s taking you assholes so long?” Ray calls from the kitchen. He appears around the corner, wiping his hands on a dish towel. Henry is only a step behind him, his eyes narrowed curiously. Both of my brothers freeze when they spot my mates, and Ray immediately moves to
