Page 55 of She Wolf

I on the other hand, tossed and turned unable to get used to the unfamiliar noises; pipes creaking, the sound the wood shutters make when the wind whips at them. Last night was the first good sleep I’ve had since leaving Casey’s.

Opening the window, I call them in for snacks just as Casey and Gunner let themselves in through the front door, that I left unlocked from when I let Callan and Adam in.

“Yes, just in time. Snacks and then can Jack come over for a pool day?” Casey asks as he makes himself comfy at my little breakfast bar. But he’s not who I’m bothered about. My eyes are drawn to Gunner. Teal shorts, black sleeveless tank, and running shoes. Yummy.

Jack, Callan, and Adam wash their hands like the good boys they are and start wolfing down the fruit and crackers I’ve laid out.

“I’ll come over too,” I say, answering Casey’s question. “We need to make a plan for the trip to the beach house.”

Just after Casey’s first endorsement deal, he bought my parents a house in Wilmington, North Carolina. The mamas—that’s what we call my mom and aunt May—grew up there and every year he tries to get as many of the group as he can to go during the off season. Usually, he charters a private jet for us.

“Yeah, it’s only a couple of weeks away now.” Unable to hide his joy, he smiles. Caseylovesus being together all of the time. His family, his teammates, if he could talk us into it, he’d buy a big plot of land and have us all live on it—compound style.

“I thought this year we could make a big thing out of it and drive. Jack’s older and Pixie hasn’t done it before. How about we tack on a few days at the beginning?” Casey’s smile is so big, it’s blinding,

“Why not? Let's all drive together,” Gunner says.

“We’re in,” Adam says and Callan nods.

“I’ll text Rex to come over and we can map out the trip.” Casey gets out his phone and starts thumbing across the screen.

“Is there a Six Flags on the way?” Jack asks bouncing up and down.

“There's bound to be one,” Casey says. “We’ll look in a bit. Go grab your swimmers.”

Gunner mouths ‘you too’ and then winks.

I smile as I walk away through the lounge but then feel him crowd me when I arrive at the dresser in my room.

“You think I need help finding a bikini?” I say into his neck.

“Ha, a bikini. Where’s your wetsuit?” His big arms cage me, and he opens the drawer himself.

“What? It’s like, ninety degrees out. And you just sent me in here with a wink.”

“Yes, but then I realized I don’t want any of those animals looking at you.”

“My two brothers and your three best friends? I think I’m safe Gunner. I’ve worn a bikini in front of them a thousand times. Just for that, I’m going to find the smallest one.” I start to search but everything I pick up he snatches out of my hands.

“I don’t think so, where's that red one with the short bottoms?”

“Pardon?”

“The red one with the tank and the shorty bottoms.” He continues to rifle through my beach and pool stuff as I stand still in mock shock.

“How do you know I own a swimsuit like that? Stalker much?”

“Yep!” He steps back spinning said shorts around his finger with a smug grin plastered on his face and then pings them at me and leaves the room.

Weirdly you would think that Nick would have something to say about what I wore but it’s almost like he literally did not give a crap. He didn’t care about what clothes I owned and never implored me to wear revealing things or expensive outfits. I swear he just hated me to his very core.

He stayed because he thought he could freeload off Casey and could see the talent in my other brothers. Knew they were special and hated that too. But he was motivated by money.

He was greedy, acting like the whole world owed him a living. Mostly putting up with me and Jack for the few swanky events Casey invited us to and the cash he always knew my brothers would throw at me and assume I’d take.

I bet if I thought hard enough, I could correlate him leaving me for that other girl to Knox being sent to the farm team. He hedged his beats and probably thought he could get more from someone else. Casey makes a lot of money and Knox does too now, but they aren’t heirs to billions.

I know what you’re thinking though, why did I stay? And honestly, I used to ask myself the same question every day. The answer boils down to a few things.

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