Page 5 of Complete Me
My eyes widen in shock; I was prepared to put up a harder fight. I nod my head in agreement, the emotion choking me up and preventing words from forming. I knew it was a long shot that I’d be released, and I was prepared to beg. I can’t live here anymore, not when it serves as a constant reminder of how I lost everything. The reason all the light was sucked from my life, shrouding me in complete darkness.
The only girl who would ever mean anything to me is gone, and it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been involved with Hell’s Heathens, Lena would never have been exposed to this world. If I had just taken her with me that night, she wouldn’t have been out alone with Lucas. I turn to walk out of the room, reaching for the heavy wood doors as Chaos’ voice rings out.
“Oh, and Rogue? Don’t stray too far from your family. We’re here for you.”
CHAPTER 1
kinsey
“Holy shit, I’m actually free!”I yell with my arms spread wide as I spin and collapse on top of my mattress. The mattress that is officially moved into my brand-new studio apartment.
“Like hell you are, Kins. One of us will be checking on you constantly.”
“Oh, to hell with that, Sawyer Hayes! This is my place! You will not have a key, and trust me, you don’t want to just pop on by.”
My oldest brother looks down from where he’s towering over me at the edge of the bed, pointing his stupid finger at me like I’m a child. His face is pinched in irritation and disgust, which makes me roll my eyes and laugh at his absurdity. He’s the sweetest, but man, if he doesn’t have a protective side.
“No men, Kins!” he snaps, as if he has any right to tell me what to do.
“Did she seriously just allude to having men over? The fuck, Kins?”
That would be my second-oldest brother, Dallas, chimingin with more overprotective, overbearing, meatheaded opinions. Now we just need the other two, and it’ll be a party.
Three.
Two.
One.
“Did I seriously just hear that correctly? Kinsey!”
“The hell? There will be absolutely no men in this apartment! We’ll slaughter anyone who tries.”
Bingo. Enter the other two Neanderthals, Liam and Carter. Being the youngest with four older brothers has its perks, but it also comes with walls so high they make Mount Rainier look like an ant hill. I sit up on my bed, slamming my hands down next to me, exasperated that we’re going to have this talk again. But, like the dutiful sister that I am, I have to constantly school these dumb-dumbs on boundaries, respect, and double standards.
“Listen to me you thick-skulled, ass clowns, I can screw whoever I want, whenever I want, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me anymore.”
“Did she just call us ass clowns?” Dallas says in feigned indignation, slapping a hand to his chest and stumbling backward like a big oof.
“Kinsey!” Sawyer snaps, making me roll my eyes again. At this rate, I may just let them roll in a constant loop. I may be five foot two compared to each of their six-plus feet, but I’m not afraid of these huge dinks. I’ve been learning how to handle them since the day I was born.
“Oh, poor Sawyer,” I mock, further goading him. “Man enough to scold his sister and sex shame her, but can’t handle talking about her actually having it.”
“That’s . . .” He runs his palm over his stubbled jaw, clearly uncomfortable. “I’m not slut shaming you, Kins. I just don’t likethe idea of men near you. They’re selfish assholes and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
My face falls slightly, knowing his words are true. My brothers are amazing men, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have them in my corner. They just love with their entire beings, and sometimes . . . okay, most of the time . . . that makes them exceptionally overbearing and protective. Their partners are all completely comfortable with that behavior, but as their little sister? It blows.
“Sawyer,” I start, keeping my voice calm but steady. “It would do me good to feel some hurt. At least then I’d be feeling something. Can we not do this again? You four are more protective than Dad is, and that’s saying something. I’m a responsible twenty-two-year-old. I’ve got a good head on my shoulders, I have a career that I love, and now I’m living on my own. Like an adult. I’m going to have experiences, and you four are not going to stand in my way any longer. Or I meant what I said a few weeks ago; I’ll leave Aspen Ridge and start my life somewhere without this pressure on me. Now give me back my freedom that wasn’t yours to take away to begin with.”
The air is thick with tension, both of us caught in this game of tug-of-war where our hearts are on the line. I love him, love all of them, but I have to win this one.
“She’s not wrong, shithead,” my brother, Carter, says. He’s been the only one to have my back lately, and that might have to do with the fact that he’s had some eye-opening experiences recently that have made him realize there’s a lot out there to learn about ourselves when we lean into possibilities.
“Oh, yeah? How’s that bruise healing on your eye? You still look like shit, by the way. Want me to make the other one match?” Sawyer threatens him. Two weeks ago, when I told my brothers I was moving out of our parents’ house and into an apartment above Sawyer’s best friend’s tattoo studiodowntown, Carter defended me and took one of Sawyer’s haymakers to the face. He’s lucky nothing was broken.
My brothers have been boxing together since I was little, forcing me to take self-defense lessons at a minimum, since I never showed any interest in getting in the ring with them until recently.
But lately, I’ve been feeling the pull. They pummel each other’s brains out for stress relief, and I’m feeling the urge to knock their teeth down their throats. Not very kindergarten teacher of me, but hey, I’m the product of them all, and it might do us some good to get in there and duke it out. What are all those years of practice doing for me if I can’t use it to whoop their asses?
