Three

Three

Jude

I guess I kind of feel bad about getting Max so flustered at the bar. Well, not really. He looks like he needs to let loose a little. Rowan had told me in passing that he worked as a bartender, but he didn’t give much information about it or his boss.

Still, I think I made a decent impression on Max.

If only it would be that easy with Brigid and Anastasia. I was supposed to meet Anastasia earlier, but she got tied up with work, and Dom and I wandered around the city.

So I’ve never met either one, but I’m sure they’ve both heard earfuls about me. Brigid has probably heard how I left Dominic shortly after he killed our father in self-defense. Anastasia probably knows that when Rowan walked in on me and my math teacher fucking, that I told the cops Rowan was lying. And he went to juvie for a year for beating the hell out of that teacher.

I pause outside the bar and run a hand down my face. It shouldn’t matter what they think of me. It’s not like I’m going to be in their lives for longer than this week. If Rowan gets married at some point, I’ll come back for that, but Brooklyn doesn’t feel like my home anymore.

I’m not sure it ever did.

I take a deep breath and pull the door of the bar open and step inside. It’s almost closing time, so the bar’s empty.

“Flip the sign,” Rowan calls when I step inside, and I do what he says. It unnerves me how nice he’s being to me. If I were him, I would be so angry. He should’ve taken a swing at me earlier.

Two gorgeous women are seated at the bar, and they spin on their stools to face me as soon as I’ve flipped the sign.

“Jude!” Anastasia chirps and stands to dash over and give me a hug. Rowan had sent me a picture of her before so I know who she is, but that photo did not do her justice. Her brown skin is glowing, and she’s in a red dress that stops just below her knees, showing off her long legs.

Brigid follows after Anastasia. Her hug is looser, but she kisses my cheek and gives me a smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

I do my best to swallow my nerves and give her my most confident smile. “It’s nice to meet you too. Dominic and Rowan really did not do you two justice.” I wrap my arms around their shoulders and lead them back to the bar. “In fact, let me buy you two drinks.”

“Bar’s closed,” Dominic says from the end of it. He’s dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, grease stains clouding up the light blue that used to be his top.

Rowan sets a glass of red wine in front of Anastasia and a beer in front of Brigid. Then he glances at me, waiting for me to tell him what I want.

“Give him an apple juice,” Dominic says before muttering, “That’s what he used to drink before he took off.”

Irritation prickles under my skin, and I do my best to fight it off. Snapping at Dominic won’t accomplish anything. No matter how badly I want to.

Rowan gives him a quick glare before glancing back at me.

“Just a coke,” I reply. “I’m driving back to the hotel.”

“Where’re you staying?” Rowan asks, setting a glass in front of me.

“The Comfort Inn.” I don’t need to tell him which one. Everyone who’s lived here long enough already knows.

“That’s not a great area,” Anastasia says with a frown.

“No part of this city is a great area,” I reply, sitting on the stool between her and Brigid. “But don’t worry; I can take care of myself.”

Her frown doesn’t disappear, but she says, “Okay, but if you need anything, you can just drop by our place.”

I nod. It sounds so weird, to hear someone refer to a place Rowan lives as “our place.” It just reminds me that there’re so many things I don’t know about either of my brothers. We were never obnoxiously close growing up, but there’s something about living in a home where you’re never sure who Dad’s going to beat that bonds you forever.

“He’ll be fine,” Rowan says. “Jude can take care of himself. He’s been doing it a long time.”

I don’t think he means it to be a dig, but that’s what it feels like. What’s worse is, it’s not a lie. I’ve been on my own for so long that I feel like I’ve forgotten what it actually means to depend on someone. But there’s no way in hell I could ever put myself in that kind of situation again.

Vulnerability is completely overrated.

“Rowan’s right.” I give Anastasia a smile. “But thanks for the offer.”

I try to relax because Anastasia and Brigid are so nice and welcoming, but I can feel Dominic watching me from the end of the bar while Rowan sets about closing the place down. While Rowan might not be mad about what happened when we were in high school, Dominic definitely is. And he hasn’t ever shied away from chewing me out about it.

But I don’t know how to make it any better. Even if I could go back and change it, I wouldn’t. I doubt Rowan or Dominic would ever believe me, but I did it to protect Rowan. Juvie was way better than what he would’ve come home to.

As soon as that thought settles in my mind, it starts eating at me even as I try to push it away. I don’t want to think about Dad. I don’t want to think about Mom or home or my math teacher—Grant. I just want to be here in the bar with my brothers.

I try to do that, but Dominic’s gaze never wavers, and it starts to feel more and more like a glare. When I turn my attention to Rowan, all I can see is that day he walked in on me and Grant. The day I realized that my shy, quiet brother had a violent streak if triggered.

And I try really hard not to think about how grateful I was when he made Grant stop. Something I didn’t think would ever happen.

My jaw locks as I try to stop the onslaught of memories. This is what I was afraid would happen. It’s why I never came back. Being in Brooklyn is just too hard. Being around Dominic and Rowan is even harder.

“I’m going to go smoke,” I manage to say, standing from the barstool. “Back in a few.”

“You sure you don’t want to piss Max off and then offer him a blowjob again?” Dominic asks. It might seem like he’s teasing, but his voice is cutting. His eyes are still narrowed. Gone is the guy who was so happy to see me earlier that he squeezed the shit out of me with a hug.

I flip him off and leave the bar. When I try to take a deep breath of fresh air, all I smell is garbage. God, I can’t wait to get out of this city.

I move into the alley between the bar and the restaurant sandwiched next to it, then light up a cigarette. As soon as the smoke enters my lungs, I feel a little better. A little calmer. I can do this. I promised myself a long time ago that I’d never let anything beat me down again. Not Dad, not Grant, not any situation. Being here is hard, but I’m going to do it because I said I would. And I don’t back down from anything.

The side door to the bar opens, and I turn, expecting it to be Dominic coming to chew me out. Instead, it’s Max. He’s in jeans and a button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He blushes when he sees me, and my dick twitches at the sight.

I tell it to calm down before meeting Max’s gaze. “So, did you decide to take me up on that offer after all?”