Her Silent Revenge novel Chapter 104

How will a broke single mom look like she's remotely good enough for him?

I hold in a massive sigh.

The trouble is, I want to give Arlo and Patton everything they deserve. If I could reach up and catch the moon with my bare hands and offer it to them so they know how much I care, I'd do it in an instant.

But everything good takes time, and good things come to those who wait.

In the meantime, let's meet the fam and knock their socks off.

PATTON

Apparently, despite being a member of this family for three damn decades, I had no idea just how much shit my brothers are capable of hurling at me.

Just showing up with Salem on my arm opens the floodgates.

"I never thought you'd be into the secretary type." Archer shrugs and laughs, popping open another beer as he leans against the front step. The porch leads into the backyard, where a pristine lawn and garden meets a swimming pool in the nicer weather. Right now, it's still covered for winter and the grass is brown.

"Yeah, man, I would've thought you'd give Miss Willis a chance." Dexter grins. "She's been hitting on you for years."

"I'm not into secretaries. For fuck's sake," I growl, leaning against the aged wood and taking a deep breath. "You guys can knock it off. It just happened."

Inside, somewhere, I hope Salem's holding her own. Not fending off a similar assault of teasing questions from my mother, though she wouldn't be half as bad as these piranhas.

Mom has a moral backbone and she isn't nearly so obnoxious. That's more than I can say for the two leering ass-vampires in front of me.

"Sex doesn't just happen, Pat," Dexter says. "First you gotta take off her clothes."

"Or she does," Archer interjects. "Let's not assume little brother knows everything just yet."

"His first big boy relationship. How sweet."

"Get fucked. Both of you. With a rusty screwdriver," I mutter.

"Yeah, and how fucked is she to be with you? What did you do to her, Pat?" Dexter asks. He hasn't stopped beaming his smarmy grin ever since we walked through the door, arm in arm. "I always thought she was nice and levelheaded. But I guess some chicks have a few hidden buttons, if the right screwball comes around and pushes them just right—"

"Enough," I snarl.

"Dex is right, I just can't see it. Salem's smart, organized, and easy on the eyes, and she's with you?" Archer squints at me. "Did you pay her?"

That's weirdly violent for her. I blink dumbly.

"She means it, too," Dexter says flatly.

"Of course I do. She's a nice girl, Pat. Behave yourself." Junie wags her finger again.

"Goddamn. What's a guy gotta do around here to convince you I'm serious about her?"

"We know you're serious. She's here, isn't she?" Dexter slides an arm around his wife's waist, pulling her close. She smiles like he hung the damn stars. "You've never brought a girl home before. Not since high school."

"I didn't bring Vanessa over for a date," I say. "Not to meet Mom, anyway."

"No, you brought her over to fuck in your room—only Mom came home too soon." Archer doesn't laugh much, but tonight he makes an exception.

Junie clucks her tongue with disapproval, but her lips quirk up. "Are you boys going back to being crude before I even leave?"

"Sweetheart, we have to start early," Dexter says with his married man shit-eating grin. She slaps his shoulder and makes her way back inside, leaving the cupcakes with us on a small metal end table.