Page 39 of So This Is Love
“In a few. The prospects are here. I want you to meet them.”
Oh, that’s right.I went to step out, but Bram put a hand up.
“Maybe you should change,” he said.
I looked down at my pajamas. I was still in the gray cotton shorts and matching spaghetti-strap cami I had gone to bed in last night. Sure, the shorts were a little short and I wasn’t wearing a bra, but I wasn’t indecent. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing now? Do I need to be presentable? Or is what I’m wearing embarrassing for you?”
“I could never be embarrassed by you.” He sighed as he glanced over his shoulder toward the living room. “Remember how I said boys are stupid?”
“Ah, come on, Bram,” a male voice said. “We’re not here to do anything but our job.”
Bram shook his head as he moved aside so I could come out and go into the living room. By the front door, two nearly identical men around the same age as Reid stood wearing cuts with patches on them that readProspect. Both had brown hair with a hint of red in it, but different lengths. One had an inch-long messy crew cut and was clean-shaven; the other had a man bun with faded sides and a short beard. They were both heavily tattooed from what I could see of their arms and necks.
As I came to a stop a few feet away from them, their matching silver-blue eyes looked me up and down, probably taking me in just as I had done with them.
Bram came up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. “This is my daughter, Charlotte.”
The one with the messy crew cut’s brows lifted as if surprised. “I thought you said she was a kid?” From the sound of his voice, he was the one who had spoken earlier.
“She is a kid,” Bram grumbled.
“Technically, I’m an adult,” I said as I stared at them. “Is there an issue with my age?”
Messy Crew Cut shook his head and held out his hand to me. “No. My name is Bash.”
I shook his hand.
“I guess we’re here because of whoever gave you that nasty necklace you got there?” Bash said as he eyed my neck. “Was it a boyfriend?”
“It was a boyfriend, but not mine,” I said quickly.
“As I told you guys before, I need you to keep Charlotte safe until I get home,” Bram said, not clarifying.
It made me wonder if he was keeping it private for my sake or because he didn’t want anyone to know.
“If anyone shows up, don’t let them in the house or near Charlotte, and call me right away,” Bram added.
“Understood.” Bash released my hand and nodded toward his twin. “The quiet one is my brother Theo.”
Theo gave me a silent nod.
I looked from one to the other. “You can call me Lottie.”
“These are Kyle’s boys,” Bram said.
I did my best not to let my surprise show. Their father was Bram’s late best friend. The one Bram’s father had killed.
“You can hang out here in the living room. There’s food in the kitchen if you guys get hungry. I’ll be working a little late this week to play catch-up, but won’t be home later than five.”
As Bram continued to give Bash and Theo instructions, I slipped away back to what I was now calling my bedroom.
I supposed I was up for the day.
After concluding that I needed to make some changes this past weekend, I knew I really needed to start today.
I grabbed my phone off the bedside table and dialed Prue’s number. It was early. She would be just waking up or getting ready to head to Mother’s house. I brought the phone to my ear. It rang all the way to voicemail.
I was going to hang up, but at the last second I decided to leave her a message. “Prue, it’s me. Please call me back.”
