“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” I swung as hard as I could.
“What the hell are you doing?” a calm voice said behind me.
I didn’t stop.
“Milo—”
“Leave me alone, Colt!”
“I would.” His arms came around me. “But you’re doing it all wrong.”
“What?” My hands dropped, the wooden sword clattered to the floor. “Doing what wrong?”
“That’s not how you storm a castle.”
I shook my head. I would not laugh; I refused to smile. That’s what Colton did! He got so far underneath my skin that even if I was contemplating jumping out the window or stabbing him in the eye with a toothpick—one word from him and I was suddenly on cloud nine.
“Not this time,” I mumbled.
“What was that?”
“Hi-ya!” I karate-elbowed him or whatever the hell it’s called, grabbed the sword, and started swinging wildly in his direction.
“Put the sword down, Milo.”
“No!” I tapped him in the shoulder with it and took a stance. “Leave me alone! Go back to Jenna!” I was getting no points for maturity. That much was true. I swatted him again. “I’m serious, Colt, leave me alone!”
“No, damn it!” He grabbed the sword from my hand, but I refused to let go, meaning I slammed across his chest so hard that I lost my breath.
“I said let go.” I stomped on his foot.
He winced, but held me firmly. “I’m not leaving you.”
“That’s just the thing,” I whispered, my eyes searching his. “You always do.” I shrugged. “I can’t do this anymore, Colt. I can’t live in this fantasy. I’m not in the castle, you don’t slay dragons for me anymore. This . . .” I looked around. “Isn’t real.”
“The hell it isn’t.” His hands went around my face. “Tell me this isn’t real—what we have. What we’ve always had. Tell me it’s not real and I’ll walk.”
“You’d do that?” I choked. “You’d leave me?”
“If I knew you wanted nothing to do with me—I’d leave. And before you go chewing my ass off for being that type of guy—just know. I’d rather leave, and know you were at peace, then stay and be the cause for the constant war.”
“I’m not really with Max,” I blurted.
“You don’t say.” He chuckled.
“Son of a bitch, you knew!” I screamed, pushing against his chest.
“How the hell am I the villain in this story? You lied to your entire family, put Jason’s health at risk, are most likely going to have to pay for Reid’s therapy, and nearly drove me insane!”
“Aw, really?” I sighed.
“God, you’re such a basket case.” Colton rolled his eyes. “I say all that and the only thing you hear is that you were successful in nearly making me lose my damn mind?”
I nodded.
“I’m done,” Colton said softly. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ll both regret and remember this day for the rest of my life, but—” His mouth touched mine, just barely before he pulled back. “If you ever turn into an evil genius where you see yourself needing a partner in crime, or even just someone to beat up on. Sign me up.”
“Huh?”
“I love you.” He smiled. “So damn much that I’m pretty sure if I wouldn’t have found out you were a lying little brat—you would have found Max’s body in the pool.”
“You love me?”
“Again, I just admitted to homicidal thoughts and you hear . . . nothing but the love?”
“Say it again?”
“I almost killed Max.”
“Not that part!” I smacked him.
“I love you.” Colton cupped my face with his hands. “You’re crazy as hell—but you’re my crazy. I want to live in that head of yours. I want to hear about the crazy things you conjure up in that imagination of yours. I want to slay your dragons again, but this time . . .” His voice lowered. “I’m not leaving the castle. I’m not going back down those stairs. I’m staying.”
“You’re staying?” I asked, confused and elated at the same time. My heart slammed against my chest.
“Yeah. I’m not just going to save the damsel—I’m going to rescue her, then I’m going to kiss her, then I’m going to marry her, then I’m going to fight with her, then I’m going to love her again. I’m sure there will be more dragons ahead of us—but we’ve had lots of practice, so I think we’ll be safe.”
“Maybe bring your sword, just in case,” I whispered, handing him the wooden sword.
“Yeah.” He took it. “Just in case.”
He dropped the sword, which clattered against the ground just as our mouths met in a frenzy—both of us pushing against one another so hard that it was more of an attack than consensual kissing.
“Damn it!” Colton grabbed my arms and pulled me down to the ground, and right into the castle.
“Yeah.” I pushed him against the small wall under the arch of boxes. “Never dreamed about this when I waited for you up here.”
Colton pulled back, his eyes as dark as smoke. “You dirty little liar.”
“What!”
“You thought about this.” His hand moved from my face to my chest, and then rested on my hip as he softly unzipped my dress. “And I sure as hell dreamed of this.”
Giggling, I captured his mouth with mine as my fingers fumbled awkwardly with his shirt.
“Colton? Milo?” Max’s voice sounded from the bottom of the stairs. “You guys up there?”
“Shh!” I covered Colton’s mouth and panicked. If I said nothing he’d walk in on us and ruin my special moment! “Um, yeah, kind of busy, though.”
Nothing, and then, “Oh, what are you doing?”
Colton gave me a helpless look, then licked my hand.
“Uhh,” I giggled as he nibbled each finger. “Playing dragon slayer?”
“Can I play?”
“No!” I shouted, then I laughed. “Um, I mean, it’s more of like a two-player game.”
Colton’s eyes darkened as he tugged my dress farther down.
“Are you the dragon or the slayer?” Max wanted to know.
Holy crap, why wouldn’t he just leave?
“Um, I’m the slayer.”
“So Colton’s the dragon,” Max confirmed.
“Yup!” Holy . . . that felt good. His tongue flicked my ear and then moved to my neck. I moaned and then my mouth was covered by Colton’s.
“Okay,” Max sighed. “But just, uh, remind Colton that he should put a helmet on his dragon, you know since they can be so . . .” Cough, cough. “Dangerous when they, uh, invade.” Cough.
My eyes widened in horror.
“You feel me?” Max asked. “Because dragons breathe fire and if you’ve never experienced . . . er, fire before, then it may be wise to use—”
“Got it, man, thanks!” Colton yelled.
“Good talk!” Max called.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
COLTON
My hand was still braced on the bare skin of her back as I heard Max’s footsteps echo across the room and out into the hall.
The door slammed.
“You think he’s gone?” Milo whispered. Every inhalation she took wrecked me, I could feel it in my palm, my fingertips. Hell, I felt it in my blood.
That I’d stayed away as long as I had was an absolute miracle.
“Yeah.” I tilted her face toward mine and captured her mouth, tugging at her lips before pulling back and sighing. I wanted her so damn bad I would have sold my freaking soul in order to have an hour, minutes, seconds with her.
But the timing—was off.
Story of our lives.
I kissed her again. “We should—”
“—go rescue Jason, tell Max he can stop pretending to be in love with me, and make sure Reid’s safely tucked away from the watchful eye of Grandma.”
Defeated, I sighed, not wanting to move an inch.
“Hey.” Milo turned around, her dress slipping off
her shoulders.
Damn it, just a bit farther.
“Zip me up?”
“No.” I pouted, crossing my arms.
“Colt . . .”
“Jason will be fine.”
“He can barely see out of one eye, Colt, and—”
Loud footsteps interrupted what she was about to say. With a curse I pulled her back into the box castle and looked around the corner.
Jayne made her way up the stairs, her wild eyes looking around the room until, with a curse, she finally located something.
Ah, her phone, she must have left it up here when she was pouting.
“Damn.” She checked messages, then quickly made a call. “No, no, no, I just lost my phone.” She snorted. “God, I need a strong drink. Are you kidding me? He doesn’t even know there is no baby, and by the time he finds out, it won’t matter anyways. Dr. Boomer would do anything for my family. It wasn’t hard to get him to back me up.” Another snort. “No, he won’t get fired because nobody will know. Besides, it’s not like sleeping with the good doctor was a chore, right?” Her laugh was so loud I winced. “By the time he even finds out there’s no baby it won’t matter.”
Milo shifted next to me as Jayne gave us her back.
I tried to grab Milo but it was too late. She had that look in her eyes—the crazy one that said, Don’t mess with me or I’m going to make you look like my brother.
With an evil grin, she popped out from underneath the box castle.
And tackled Jayne to the floor.
The cell phone went flying.
Jayne started screaming.
Milo was koala-ing Jayne’s back as she got whipped one way, then the other.
“Get off of me!”
“No!” Milo shouted. “You don’t even love him!”
“I do too!”
“Do not!”
“Girls,” I interrupted, holding my hands in the air—the universal sign of peace.
But not for women.
For women I may as well have held a sign that said, “You’re fat.”
“Stay out of this, Colt!” Milo snapped.
“Milo—”
“Aghhhh!” She finally tackled Jayne to the floor and managed to straddle her.
Someone else ran up the stairs.
Max. Of course.
“Sorry, it’s just—” He looked down at Jayne and Milo, nodded, then took a seat and patted the spot next to him.
“Care to help out?” I pointed as Milo started pinning Jayne’s hands down.
Max tilted his head. “No, no, I’m good. Have a seat.”
“But—”
“Do you really want to be known as the guy that breaks up a chick fight?”
The man had a point.
“Wish we had beer.” Max pouted. “Oh, and my money’s on Milo.”
“Yeah.” I pointed to the girls. “But Jayne’s scrappy.”
“Ooo!” We both winced as Jayne used her nails to scratch down Milo’s arm.
“What the hell!” Jason appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Have a seat.” Max smiled and patted the spot next to him.
“Jayne! Milo!” Jason went over to grab Milo.
“Really, really bad idea,” Max said under his breath.
Sure enough, he was able to get Milo unlatched from Jayne’s body but the momentum of his pulling her from Jayne’s body sent them both flying backward—directly into the box castle.
Boxes went everywhere.
And that’s when Jayne started screaming again.
Like something out of The Shining.
“Calm down.” Max rolled his eyes. “They fell in a pile of boxes, big deal.”
“H-holy shit.” I ran over to Jason’s side.
He shook his head and winced. “Man, that hurt.”
“Don’t move!” I pulled Milo to her feet, only to have Jayne stumble into her arms.
Max got up and approached the scene of the accident.
“Is that blood?” He pointed to Jason’s arm.
“Yup.” I quickly assessed the situation.
“I don’t like blood.”
“Yeah, well—”
Max hit the floor—and took a now-stable Jayne down with him.
“Get him off of me!” Jayne yelped. Max’s head had fallen directly between her breasts.
Milo pulled out her phone and snapped a picture.
“Could you not!” I hissed.
“What?” She shrugged. “It’s evidence!”
“That your fiancé, who isn’t really your fiancé, was sleeping with your brother’s fiancée in the attic while your brother was impaled by a ski pole?”
“Holy shit! That’s a ski pole!”
“Jason.” I gave him a calm smile. “Stay cool, it’s totally fine, I just don’t want to pull it out and have you bleed all over your nice suit.”
“Lies!” he yelled. “I’m dying!”
“You’re not dying!” I yelled right back and got down on my knees. “Just let me have a look, okay?”
“What’s all the racket up here?” Mrs. Caro appeared at the top of the stairs, followed by Mr. Caro, Reid, Grandma, and Jenna.
“Jayne tried to kill Jason!” Milo shouted.
“Oh, dear Lord,” I grumbled. “Nobody tried to kill anybody!”
At that point Max stirred across Jayne’s chest, lifting his head, only to get slapped so hard it looked like he passed out again. This time his lips were pressed against her skin.
“Get him off!” she shrieked.
Jason groaned.
Stealing the entire family’s attention.
“Son, you’re bleeding!” Mr. Caro got down on his knees next to me. “How the hell did you get a ski pole in your arm?”
“Long story,” he grumbled. “But it starts with Milo and ends with her too.”
All eyes turned to her.
“What?” She threw her hands into the air. “It wasn’t my fault! If Jayne would have just agreed to leave Jason alone then it wouldn’t have happened!”
“Never!” Jayne shouted from the floor. “I’m gonna be your sister-in-law, bitch! Better get used to it!”
Milo’s mouth snapped shut.
Mrs. Caro rose to her full height and stomped over to Jayne. “Listen here, you social-climbing whore! I’ve sat back calmly while you ruined my son’s life. I’ve said nothing—even when you disrespected me and my family repeatedly. But I draw the line now!”
“Oh, wow, you’re drawing lines now. Should I be afraid?”
“I doubt anything scares you—and if it does, you just spread your legs and close your eyes!” Mrs. Caro screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Marcy!” Mr. Caro scolded.
Grandma burst out laughing.
“Oh, don’t worry.” Jayne’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll remember to do that. After all your son has been very, very, very accommodating.”
Everyone started yelling at once.
And then a gunshot rang out. Causing part of the ceiling to crumble next to Jason’s head.
“All right.” Grandma held a small pistol in the air. “Everyone cease arguing, I’m putting a stop to this sham.”
“Who gave her a gun?” Max said in a groggy voice. “Seriously? Who gave Grandma a gun?”
“Keep it in my purse.” Grandma shrugged. “In case those thugs decide to steal me in the parking lot.” At that point her wig slid off onto the floor, showing us a few solitary gray tufts. Hey, look at that, she still had a few strings of hair! Go Grandma!
“I don’t think you have to worry about being stolen,” Milo muttered under her breath.
“There will be no wedding,” Grandma sniffed. “You do not have my blessing.”
“You can’t control me!” Jayne shouted. “And for the love of God, get off of me, Max!”
“No!” He stayed pinned against her. “Not until you admit it!”
“Admit what?”
“You aren’t pregnant!”
“Fine!” Jayne’s e
yes went wide with anger. “I’m not pregnant! It doesn’t change a damn thing! I’m the best he’s ever going to get and—”
Milo charged toward Jayne, fist flying. I intercepted her just in time . . . for Mrs. Caro to finish what her daughter had started.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
MILO
“I’m fine! I promise!” Mom held her swollen hand in her lap, a satisfied grin flashing across her face. “Got her good, didn’t I?”
Wrong thing to say, as Jayne chose that moment to make her way into the kitchen and send Mom a seething glare.
Everything fell silent.
Jason had broken up with her in the attic. Of course, as with all things Caro, that was after Mom punched her in the face, before Max passed out for a third time, and before Reid wrestled Grandma to the floor. Luckily Reid was able to scoot the gun away from her greedy little hands before she made a reach for it again.
“I guess there’s nothing left to say.” Jayne sniffled, reaching for her purse.
Jason’s eye narrowed as he leaned back in the chair. Colton was busy wrapping up the gaping wound the ski pole had left.
“I would have made you happy,” she defended, her eyes blinking away tears.
“You would have put him in an early grave,” Grandma piped up.
I’d thought she was sleeping.
Her eyes were still closed.
Curious, I stared as she continued to talk without opening them. “You would have stolen that boy’s joy and made him miserable every day of his life—and I know misery, that husband of mine was no walk in the park.”
I coughed. “He was blind.”
“He was weak!” Grandma slammed her hand against the table.
I winced, half expecting her to dig into her purse for her gun. Instead Reid sent me a reassuring look and patted the pocket of his suit.
I wasn’t sure if I was relieved he’d stolen Grandma’s gun, or concerned, especially considering the effects of his medicine were starting to wear off, and every few seconds he burst out laughing and then just stared at the ceiling.
“Fine,” Jayne huffed. “I can tell I’m no longer welcome.”
“Sharp as a nail.” Max wandered into the room, his face pale. “Oh, why are you still here?”
“You used to want me.” Jayne’s lips trembled.
“I was eighteen,” Max defended. “I also thought buying a monkey and keeping it in my closet was a stellar plan.”