Page 18 of Brandt's Rule

“How about we all just get to work and try to finish up early today so we can get the hell away from each other?!” Brandt shouted.

“Sounds good to me,” Maverik said, walking away shrugging and mumbling as he went about surly nephews and things that had crawled up their asses and died.

Chapter 5

Just before quitting time a lone motorcycle rider drove up the drive, coming to a stop in the midst of all the trucks scattered here and there in the parking area. The rider kicked down her kick stand, got off the bike and without removing her helmet, looked around with her hands on her hips. It was apparent the rider was female from the way her clothing hugged her frame and the graceful way she moved.

Remi was up on the roof with Brandt, and looked over at Brandt as the woman waited for someone to notice she was there and come to greet her.

They thought she couldn’t tell they were aware she’d arrived. But there was very little she wasn’t completely in tune with.

Jobe was inside the building they were roofing, working with Maverik and Ronan sheet rocking the interior walls. “I’m not going out there to greet her again. She might touch me,” he said to no one in particular. He knew most of them would hear him without him bothering to raise his voice. The buildings were not sealed, doors and windows still hadn’t been installed fully, and they were shifters with extremely sensitive hearing.

“Everybody is such a smart ass,” Brandt said.

“He’s right. You haven’t been yourself since she rode up here yesterday,” Remi said.

“I’m fine,” Brandt said.

“Didn’t say you weren’t,” Remi answered. “Just that you’re off balance.”

Brandt’s head swiveled toward Remi quickly. “What are you trying to say?”

“Boy, get your ass down here and go talk to that girl,” Maverik said from the ground beneath them, having walked around to the side of the building they were working on.

“I don’t think so,” Brandt said.

“Not you. Remi. He’s the one that invited her anyway,” Maverik said.

“You invited her?” Brandt asked.

“Sure did,” Remi said as he slid to the edge of the roof and dropped to the ground. “She’s like us. Somebody’s gotta welcome her since you bunch of assholes won’t do it. Besides, she’s looking for a job so I told her to come by.”

“You don’t do that shit without checking with me!” Brandt called down to him.

“Do what? Be decent to somebody? Didn’t realize we needed Alpha permission to be decent,” Remi said as he set a path for where Tempest was standing.

“Better get your clan in order, or yourself, whichever works best at the moment,” Maverik said.

“The whole lot of them is getting ready to be handed back to Kaid,” Brandt grouched.

“Naw, don’t be doing that. You just gotta make them understand you mean business even when you’re just hanging out.”

“They know that.”

“Then why they suddenly acting like they don’t have to. Something happen recently?” Maverik asked.

“Just her. And I know they are fully aware that I did not say we were inviting her in. Instead, we were to protect you.”

“Maybe they know something you don’t,” Maverik mumbled, as he watched Remi approach the female.

Tempest saw Remi coming toward her and lifted a hand to wave at him.

“You made it,” he said when he got closer.

She left her helmet on, still unsure if she’d be staying long enough to need to remove it or not. Flipping up her face shield she smiled at Remi. “Sure did.”

“So, you interested in a job?” Remi asked.

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