Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75539 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75539 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“You should see the ones we have in Europe. The bedroom there is especially decadent.” The cocky motherfucker grinned at me. There’d been a spark simmering between us from the second we shook hands, and he just threw some gasoline onto it.
“Show me sometime,” I said. Don’t know where the hell that came from, but I said it. Instead of second-guessing myself, basting in my embarrassment, I turned and walked back toward the living room.
I still had a plus-one to give out.
Chapter 7
Invite Only
Xavier
The car picked us up from the airport and drove us to the vice president’s residence. It pulled up slowly to the front of Gilded Lily Observatory Lane.
Nice street name. Lilies had always been an important symbol in my life, which made this feel like a sign that things were on the right track.
A man dressed in a tailored suit of ink black stepped out and opened the door for Blake. He thanked the man and hopped out, followed by Warrick, then me.
A golden retriever lounged on the wraparound porch, tongue lolling out. I couldn’t blame him. It was the perfect spring day, the dry and oppressive heat of the desert being replaced by a fresh breeze that rustled the oak trees standing like sentinels on either side of the home.
Blake took a moment, looking up at the stately two-story home.
“Missed it?”
Blake shook his head. “No. The opposite. Some really bad memories here.” He pushed forward, leaving his suitcase next to the front door before saying hi to the pup. Warrick crouched next to them.
“This is Luna. She’s a sweetheart,” Blake said. Luna gifted him with some welcome home kisses.
The heavy white door opened without a sound. The second lady of the United States, Cassandra King, stepped out to greet us. She had a warm, welcoming spirit to her. Right off the bat, she greeted us all with a shining smile and gentle hugs.
“How was the flight?” Cassandra asked. The same man in the tailored black suit began moving the few bags we had inside.
“Fine,” Blake answered. “I spent most of it playing cards with Warr.”
“Your son is brutal when it comes to card games.” My brother scratched the back of his neck. The forest-green scales on his forearm looked like a small patch of flourishing nature. It was no wonder Warrick was born a green dragon, with the power to manipulate the natural world around him. He had a deep love for all living things, regardless if it was a thorn-filled rosebush or a crying baby fawn.
“He gets that competitive spirit from me,” Cassandra said with a wink. “Come, let’s get you boys settled.” She led us into the stately home, the scent of fresh baked bread wafting in our direction from the kitchen. We walked down wide hallways with photos of the family placed up on the clean white walls. There were a couple of housekeepers busy with tidying things up, and a friendly tabby cat came to greet us as we stepped out onto the yard.
“The guesthouse is over there.” She pointed toward a smaller replica of the home we’d just walked through. “Warrick, you’ll be staying there. Xavier, we have a room for you inside, closer to Blake’s.” A large pool was being cleaned by a Marvel pool boy. He used red threads of mana to move two skimmers around the perimeter, lifting them up from the water and dumping the wet leaves and bugs into a bin next to him.
Blake’s stomach audibly growled. He winced. “I haven’t eaten in hours.”
“Well, let’s fix that,” Cassandra said. She pulled Blake into a side hug and kissed the top of his head. Blake smiled, his amber eyes crinkling at the corners.
My heart stung, like a bee had somehow squeezed its way into my chest. It wasn’t an intense pain. That had started to fade months after my mother’s passing. It was more of a dull pain, a constant reminder that I’d lost a piece of myself. Out of all our siblings, I had to be the momma’s boy. It wasn’t like our dad was really trying too hard to win me over to his side, but even if he had been, I still think I would have gravitated toward my mother instead.
“Are you boys hungry too?”
Warrick nodded. “Starving.”
Xavier glanced at me. The bee continued to buzz inside me. “I’m going to familiarize myself with the space. I’ll meet you guys for lunch later.”
Blake cocked his head. “Well, let me at least give you a tour, then.” He separated from his mom. “Come, let’s head inside.”
Our group split up. Warrick went to go stuff his face, and I had the grand tour with Blake. He seemed more tense now that he was back home. He appeared to be on high alert, which was quite different than how he’d been back in California.