Page 82 of Brides and Brothers
“Wait!” Raina hissed and bolted at lightning speed, beating Emma to the door. She threw her body across it. “If it isn’t Easton, then you cannot, and I repeat,cannotlet whoever it is inside!”
“I’ll tell them nobody else is home.” Emma’s voice betrayed her confusion.
Raina put her hands together in prayer position. “Thank you, thank you!” She moved enough for Emma to pull the door open a few inches.
“You can relax, Raina. It’s Easton,” Emma reported.
Raina threw her head back and sighed dramatically. “What a relief. Okay, you can let him in.”
Easton barely squeezed through the door before Raina slammed it shut. She locked the door right as someone tried to twist the handle. She let out a scream of terror.
The person on the other side screamed too. Raina froze, then whipped the door open to see Macey on the other side. Raina threw herself into her sister’s arms and started sobbing.
Macey, breathing heavily, tried to pry herself from Raina’s arms. “What happened? What’s wrong? Why did you scream?”
Raina suddenly unwrapped herself from Macey, pulled her inside, and quickly shut the door again and locked it. “Macey! How could you do this to me? I’ve been waiting for you forever! I’m absolutely terrified our dates will come and you won’t be here to get me through this. It was your idea to ask out two perfect strangers!” Raina started crying again.
Macey reached up and put her arms around her taller, younger sister. “I made it back before they got here, so there isn’t anything to be upset about anymore. You know it had to be these two for our dates. They had to be impressive. I promise you don’t even have to do the talking when they show up. I’ve got it all arranged. It’ll be a fifteen-minute date max and then I’ll call it quits.”
Raina nodded and wiped at her eyes. Macey pointed Raina to the bathroom. “Go fix your mascara while I change my clothes.”
The two sisters exited the room, leaving the other four to gawk after them.
“Did I miss something?” Easton asked.
Camille pulled her book up and pretended interest. Only she and Daisha had any idea of the insane plan Macey had concocted for the night. While Raina had uttered words of conviction in favor of revenge the other night, she obviously hadn’t the spirit to carry out any of her threats.
Daisha picked up a potato. “We were swapping potato jokes. Do you know any good ones?” she asked Easton.
He shook his head. “I know too many. Ever heard the one about the potato that wouldn’t kiss the other potato?”
Daisha shook her head with a laugh. “Another kissing potato joke? What kind of family is this?”
The doorbell interrupted the punch line, but no one moved to answer the door. After all, Raina had predicted death itself to be on the other side.
Camille shifted so she could answer it, but Daisha straightened her shoulders and motioned for Camille to stay put. On the other side of the door stood two large men in jeans and winter jackets, one with facial hair and one without. They were several years older than Macey and Raina, possibly in their midthirties. It wasn’t their appearance that bothered Camille but the negative vibes radiating from them. Maybe it was her being judgmental or allowing Raina’s paranoia to get to her, but Camille felt threatened. She mentally catalogued what objects she could use to defend herself against these men should her feeling come to fruition.
“Can I help you?” Daisha asked.
“We’re here for the Gibbon sisters,” the one with the facial hair said.
Daisha knew about the plan, and yet Camille sensed Daisha was just as wary of letting these men into their apartment as she was. “Just a minute.” Daisha surprised her by shutting the door in their faces.
Benson crossed to her side. “Who are those guys? Do you want me to tell them to leave?”
Camille sized up Benson. He was as big as the two outside. She hadn’t ever been afraid of predators in general, but suddenly, having Benson and Easton around made her feel very safe.
“No,” Daisha said with a note of regret. “I’ll tell Macey and Raina their dates are here.”
“Dates?” Easton marched over to the window and split the blinds with his fingers. “Daegan and Cade were a few minutes behind me. They’re not going to like this.”
“Daegan and Cade?” Camille asked, feeling some of the blood leave her face. They were supposed to come after Macey and Raina had left. Then they’d realize how they’d made Macey and Raina feel and be ready to apologize. But if they came now, it was bound to get messy.
When Easton nodded, Daisha yelled louder, “Macey! Raina! Your dates are here, and you have to leave now!”
Macey came in practically dragging Raina with her. “Don’t worry; we’re ready. Carry on with your night. You never saw us.”
Macey opened the door, and the two men glared at her. She must not have noticed. “Hey, guys! Which one is Trevor again?”
