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Derek glanced from Quentin to Luke with a raised brow.

“Try us?” Derek and Luke said concurrently.

That piqued Quentin’s interest. “Is there something either of you want to get off your chest?”

“Eden,” Derek said.

“Jasmine,” Luke added.

An easy grooving smile grew on Quentin’s face.

“Damn,” he said, “they got us.”

The men fell into laughter knowing exactly where Quentin was coming from. Neither of them refuted the claims because that was their commonality.

“Well you know what you have to look forward two with the Roses,” Quentin added as their laughter died down.

“I think I can take ‘em,” Derek said.

They all laughed again.

“I’m serious. I might have to knock some heads off because Eden, she’s a keeper, man.”

Luke nodded. “I can take Jonas,” he said.

Both Quentin and Derek cut their eyes at Luke with a smile.

“You can take on Jonas?” Derek questioned.

“Yeah, you don’t think you can?”

“We’re talking about an undefeated heavyweight champion,” Derek said.

Luke shrugged. “I can take him. Just because you don’t believe you can, don’t put your insecurities on me.”

Quentin laughed, and Derek frowned. “Insecurities? Boy, you trippin’. I can take Jonas, I was just worried about you.”

“Fellas, you realize you’re talking about which one of your brothers you’re going to handle, right?”

Derek held his hands out. “They’re coming for us, what should we do about it?”

Quentin glanced from Derek to Luke. “Check this out,” Quentin said. “I would have never in my life considered for a minute going against the brotherhood, but for the longest time, man, I’ve sat on the sidelines and watched Phoebe date these clowns. Then when dude would get out of pocket, Jonathon, Jordan and I would have to intervene. I’ve never felt like my heart could literally explode when watching her tears flow. It’s an unnatural possessiveness that even I worry about sometimes. We grew up together, I saw her laugh and was on the receiving end of some of her jokes, and it’s been like watching an award-winning film seeing her transform into the woman that she is today. Boy, when I tell you that shit has me on fire for her and never would I ever admit that about anyone if it weren’t true.” Derek and Luke nodded.

“All day, I’ve been thinking about how Jonathon approached me. Telling me to choose like wanting her was just this thing I wanted to check off my bucket list and if need be I could take it off altogether without giving a fuck. The shit turned me red, and I was ready to knock his head off his shoulders.” Quentin sighed. “The thing is he of all people should understand even a small ounce of what I’m feeling if he feels anything remotely close to it with his wife. But he doesn’t see it that way, so here we are.”

“Damn,” Derek said. “I feel all of that. Well look at it this way, with everything we’ve done in the past concerning women, it would be sweet irony that the one we really want is unattainable.”

Quentin and Luke nodded.

“It’s irony that all my life I’ve been represented as someone who breaks hearts when I’ve never willingly collected them,” Quentin said.

Derek and Luke laughed.

“I’m serious,” Quentin said. “I’ve never deceived women, always made sure beforehand that whatever arrangement we were in at the time was an understood one. Yet I’m the heartbreaker.”

The men agreed.

“It is unfortunate,” Derek said. “But, you’re in good company.”

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