Page 37 of Risk

“You know I’m always here for you—always. Even if you are a pain in my ass.”

“Back at ya, baby bro.”

He huffs at that, but doesn’t bite because he’s learned it gets him nowhere. He hates that I’m older than him by five minutes, so of course I use every chance I get to remind him of it.

We sit in silence for a few moments, my head still resting on his shoulder, and I can practically hear the question he wants to ask me. I don’t know if it’s a twin-telepathy thing or what, but I know he’s wondering who the father is.

He clears his throat. “So, Miss…who’s the father?”

And there it is.

Lifting my head from his shoulder, needing to see his face for this, I shift on the sofa, resting my back against the arm, and I bring my knees up to my chest and hug them.

He moves, too, turning to face me, bringing a leg up onto the cushion between us. He lays his arm across the back of the sofa. “I just didn’t know you were seeing anyone.” His voice is softer than I’ve ever heard it.

I swallow down. “I’m not.”

There’s no judgment in his eyes. There never is with Lo. He’s alive and let livekind of guy.

“It was just a onetime thing,” I say quietly.

“Okay.”

God, how do I say that it’s Kaden? I mean, I know I have to, but it’s just hard because this isn’t some random guy who Lo doesn’t know. This is our older brother’s best friend. A man Lo considers a friend.

“Is it that guy you brought to Zeus’s birthday party?” Lo asks.

“Aaron? No. He’s just a friend. I’m not his type.”

Lo looks confused—God love him.

“You’re more his type,” I clarify.

“Ah, gotcha.” He taps his fingers along the back of the sofa. “So…” he gently pushes.

I take in a deep breath, then say, “It’s Kaden.”

I see the surprise hit his face.

“Kaden? Scott? As in our Kaden Scott?”

Biting my lip, I nod.

“What? When? How?”

“The night Ares and Ari got married, we—”

Lo lifts a hand, cutting my words off. “Don’t. I really do not need to know the deets of my sister doing that.”

I roll my eyes. “I wasn’t going to tell you everything, just how—”

“Don’t need to know the how.”

“You asked!” I exclaim. “You said, ‘What? When? How?’” I mimic his deep voice.

“Yeah, well, I’m an idiot. You shouldn’t do everything I say.”

“You are an idiot,” I mumble. “But at least you didn’t get yourself knocked up. Not that you can get pregnant, but you know what I mean.”

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