Page 16 of Séance

My sister was the only one who truly cared for me, and I loved her fiercely. She saw what my parents were doing, saw that they were killing me, and refused further treatment. She died on her twelfth birthday, despite me begging her to live.

She died to save me, the throwaway kid no one wanted, and my parents never forgave me.

I was never enough for them, no matter what I did.

She was the best of us, and our family died with her.

Father retreated into the bottle, and my mother basically checked out, catatonic as she popped pill after pill to escape losing her precious baby girl. Without my sister to protect, I was left without purpose. By my fifteenth birthday, my family was gone, except for my aunt and uncle.

Thankfully, I had the guys by then…not that their childhoods were fairy tales and happily fucking ever afters either.

The twins only had their absent-minded father, while Hicks and Ellis had to deal with overbearing parents who demanded they obey without question. We’re each fucked-up in our own way, but I would never wish my childhood on anyone.

The fact that Rue has to deal with the same bullshit breaks my heart.

I’m not even aware of turning around to march back across the property until the twins block my path. My muscles tense with the need to shove them out of the way when Jaceson holds up his hands. “She asked us to give her time. She’s probablydealing with a lot right now. Why don’t we have a meeting and figure out a way to keep her safe?”

“You can see her house from the bedroom windows,” Ellis chimes in from behind me. “We can get to her before anything happens.”

I don’t want to go, but I allow myself to be convinced for one reason—I don’t want to scare Rue away. We’re virtually strangers. If we go barging into her house, she has every right to call the cops.

“I’ll contact the security company now and have a new security system installed.” Hicks is already on his phone, a furrow between his brows as he shoots off his message.

“Once the house is fitted with a new system, I’ll be able to keep watch over her as well.” Ellis gives each of us a pointed look of warning not to do anything stupid.

We’ve grown up together since kindergarten and lost any boundaries with each other long ago. Sometimes we forget others still have them, especially when we want something. We wouldn’t spy on her without her knowledge, but the impulse to keep her safe almost overrides common decency.

Jameson wears a mutinous expression that could only mean trouble, and I get right up into his face. “No perving on the girl without her permission. No peeking into the windows. No stealing the codes to hack into her cameras and turning them on without her being aware of it.”

He honest-to-goodness pouts.

For once in my life, I understand his compulsive need to obsess over a girl. There is something graceful about the way Rue moves that draws the eye and makes a person want to watch her, much like a butterfly dancing on a breeze.

I shake my head when I almost convince myself that it would be okay to stalk her. It’s for her safety, after all.

Jameson narrows his eyes, accepting the challenge, and shrugs. “Then I’ll just have to get her permission.”

I close my eyes and pray for patience, then I get right in his face. “If you scare her away, I will beat you.”

If anyone can worm their way into her life, it would be Jameson. He has a way with women that I will never understand. He gets them to do things that defy nature, and they like it. Part of me wants him to succeed so I can gain access to the video, but the risk is just too great.

Jameson is a world-class flirt and easily gets away with shit like that.

If I tried it, I’d be arrested for stalking and assault.

“Let’s head back to the house and discuss our next step. The security team will be here Monday morning.” Hicks steers the conversation away from dangerous waters, and I reluctantly follow his lead. “When we meet with her tonight, let’s try to discover more about her past. Anything we learn will help us protect her.”

The guys nod in agreement, Jameson falling into step next to me. Any animosity between us is gone like it never happened. “Gunner, Jace, and I will work on supper.”

“While you guys do that, I’ll see what I can find online. If they have an order of protection, I should be able to discover more about her father and how big of a threat he poses.” Ellis’ fingers twitch with the need to be in front of one of his computers, and I’m fucking grateful that he’s on our side. His abilities with computers border on magical.

It’s the same with Hicks and his almost unnatural knack for investing in companies that guarantee double or triple his investment. Jaceson’s talent rests in his ability to understand electronics. It’s like he can talk to machines and knows how to walk into a secured building without being seen or setting off the alarms. Jameson can charm anyone if he puts his mind to it, buthe uses his skills for evil, often using his silver tongue to woo women into his bed. I’m good with my hands, so if it involves fighting or putting anything together, then I’m your man.

As a team, we’re unstoppable.

I just hope it’s enough to keep Rue safe.

Chapter Five

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