Page 59 of My Brother's Best Friends

I avoid her gaze and shift my focus back to Bryan. “We should definitely book an hour or two for a whiskey tasting tomorrow,” I suggest.

“It’s not customary to drink before 11:00 a.m., though.” He chuckles.

“We’ll walk in at 11:01 then,” Kellan replies with a wry smile. “It’s a holiday. Besides, how often do we get to sample so many single malts from around the world in one sitting? The Swedes really outdid themselves with this lounge.”

Alex nods in agreement. “Kellan’s got a point. The next best place for this is that private club in SoHo. Remember? They’ve got a similarly impressive collection, but even they didn’t go as far as India and Japan for their shelves.”

“Will you be all right with Callie and Melanie on the slopes?” I ask Makayla in a hushed tone. “Or would you rather hang back with us tomorrow?”

“I’ll be fine,” Makayla responds, putting her hand over mine. It’s the devilish glint in her eyes that worries me. “I look forward to spending some time with the girls. A little bit of skiing, a little bit of mulled wine to loosen our tongues, a little bit of gossip… Maybe some shopping.”

She’s firing the first shots, clearly. That should teach me to never underestimate her. Oddly enough, it makes me want her even more. The way she’s got me on the edge of my seat… it’s something else.

“Maybe we should leave the shopping for another time,” Melanie says, her tone deceptively sweet. “You did just quit your job, didn’t you? Whatever project you’ve got going on, perhaps you should manage your money till it starts to return the investment.”

I grind my teeth, wishing we could rewind to this afternoon, before the queen of deceit arrived. I’d have kept us upstairs after giving Bryan a decent excuse. But there’s no turning back now.

“It’s not that bad; I do have a savings account,” Makayla says, forcing a smile. “Besides, how often do I get to enjoy shopping in a Swedish boutique? The experience is worth it.”

“Or we could check out the spa,” Callie suggests, deftly swooping in without even realizing it. “I heard that they have a fantastic mud mask.”

“That sounds great,” Makayla agrees. “Whatever you decide, Callie, I’ll follow your lead.”

“I’ll call the front desk as soon as we get back to our suites,” Callie replies.

“Please,” Melanie says, looking at her sister. “Let me handle the arrangements. You have enough on your plate with this romantic getaway. Makayla and I can handle these things. I’ve got a feeling we’ll get along great...”

I look over at Makayla to see how she’s going to react. She seems pleasant enough, though I know her well enough to spot the effort in her smile. This dinner isn’t going well. Melanie is up to something. Meanwhile, Bryan can’t loop Callie in because he doesn’t have all the details, either. Fucking non-disclosure agreements...

I release Makayla’s hand to send Alex a message.Be cool.

“So, I forgot to even ask, how’s everything in your suite?” Bryan asks.

Nearly dropping my phone, I look up and suck in a deep breath. “What do you mean?”

“Everything is fine in our suite,” Alex responds.

“Good to hear the four of you are getting along,” Callie says. “I wasn’t sure about it at first, but Bryan says you guys go ways back so?—"

“The four of you are staying together?” Melanie cuts in, waving a manicured finger around the table to indicate the known culprits, while I take a long sip of my whiskey, at a loss for words.

“Yes,” Makayla says, rearranging herself in her seat. “Bryan made the arrangements, but it’s been fun catching up with these three.”

“Must be fun, catching up with old friends,” Melanie observes.

“We’ve known each other since I was a kid. My brother was their shadow, basically.”

The more Melanie talks, the more she hears, the greater my urge to throw her off the planet. Or bury her in lawsuits and criminal investigations at the expense of our reputation, if that’s what it takes to get her out of our lives forever. I hate myself for these thoughts, but the damage she did, the damage she clearly intends to keep doing despite the settlement’s legal stipulations… I can only see Melanie as a threat.

My brothers and I do not take kindly to threats.

“It’s been memorable,” Makayla adds, giving me a soft smile. “It’s like we’re getting to know one another all over again, in a way.”

“Personally, I’m happy to see you’re all so close,” Bryan observes, gesturing toward me and Makayla. “It’s as if no time has gone by, whatsoever.”

“I can only agree,” Makayla says, glancing over at me for help.

I don’t know how to navigate this without coming right out and saying it. But we’ve already discussed keeping the developments from Bryan.

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