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  “Hang in there,” Jason called out.

  Without answering, Landon turned and walked out.

  * * *

  With a knot in her stomach, Vivi performed her morning routine, showering, washing her hair, and putting on makeup, well aware of what she had to do today. Tell Landon who she was related to. Blow up her world. And his.

  She picked up her coffee cup at the same time her phone rang. Noticing her mother’s number, she answered immediately. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Baby, put on the television,” her mother said in a panicked voice. “Your brother’s being interviewed on the Channel Seven morning show.”

  “What? Why?” Vivi immediately rushed to find the remote and turn on the TV.

  “The previews said they were doing a piece on the rise of deadly college hazing incidents and they were going to talk to someone who had firsthand experience. A unique perspective from the perpetrator, even if the incident was over a decade ago.”

  Bile threatened to come up her throat. “Okay, I’ve got it on. Stay on with me.” She gripped the phone and lowered herself onto the sofa in front of the big-screen television.

  Her mother’s worried breathing sounded on the other end of the phone. Finally the commercial ended and the interviewer came back on screen. Connie Lazarus, a familiar morning show staple, began to speak, and the screen flashed to the interview.

  Vic sat in a prison uniform across from Connie, looking older than the last time she’d seen him, his frame big and bulky, his expression lacking any remorse. If anything, an amused smile lifted his lips, causing Vivi to shiver. She’d seen that look on his face before, and it had never boded well for anyone on the other end.

  Connie crossed her legs and leaned in. “So, Mr. Clark, you’re in prison for numerous crimes, but we’re here to talk about hazing in particular.”

  She went on to mention various schools conducting investigations now, fraternities being suspended, and students who had passed away. “I’d like to discuss your perspective. What was going through your mind at the time you were involved in the death of Levi Bennett over ten years ago? Our viewers are probably wondering why things got so out of hand.”

  Vic listened without reacting until she finished speaking.

  “First I’d like to say something. We agreed if I talked about that time in my life, I could make a statement to my family. They won’t have anything to do with me,” Vic said, causing Vivi to wince. “Hey, Mom,” he said coldly.

  Her mother cried softly on the phone. “I gave him so many chances. I tried to help him.”

  “I know, Mom.” Vivi’s heart broke for her mother.

  “Okay, Mr. Clark. Say what you’d like to say,” Connie told him.

  Vic looked straight at the camera, the small smile now a full-on smirk. “Hey, Vivi.”

  Her stomach cramped. Oh, no. No, no, no. He was going to destroy her life. She just knew it.

  “Honey, hang on tight,” her mother whispered.

  And Vic glanced at the interviewer. “Vivi’s my sister,” he explained, then looked back at the camera again, as if he were staring through her. “I heard you’re an up-and-coming star at Club TEN29. Nice catch, baby sis.”

  Apparently the publicity train even reached behind bars, Vivi realized in horror. Too bad she hadn’t thought about the ramifications of her performing at the guys’ club when it came to her imprisoned brother’s reaction. She’d considered him a nonissue. Oh, how wrong she’d been, and her stomach lurched at the prospect of what was to come.

  “Look at you, playing in my backyard.”

  Vic’s grin, she realized, was really a self-satisfied smirk. He’d always resented her. Hated how much her father adored her in comparison to how badly he’d treated Vic. And he’d never hesitated to punish her for it—when they were younger, hiding her toys, when they were older, planting demeaning rumors and whispers at school so the other kids would steer clear of her.

  “You three, hiring my sister. I couldn’t have planned it better myself, boys,” he said as if he were speaking directly to Tanner, Jason … and Landon. Clearly satisfied he’d done his damage, Vic leaned back in his chair and met the interviewer’s gaze. “Now what did you want to talk about?” he asked nonchalantly.

  Not wanting to hear any more, she turned off the television. “I hate him,” she said to her mother, her throat full.

  “I’m coming over.” Her mom would drop everything to make sure Vivi was okay.

  “No. I’ll be fine. I have things I need to do today,” she said, though Vic had just taken away her means of gently breaking the news to Landon. If he or his partners hadn’t seen this broadcast, someone was bound to tell them about it.

  Vivi knew how her brother thought. He might not know for a fact whether she’d informed the guys about her relationship to him, but it was a smart assumption that they wouldn’t hire her if they’d known. But Vic could be certain this bombshell would destroy her life, and that had always been his goal.

  Mission accomplished, she thought, all her hopes and dreams gone. She had no choice now but to face Landon and admit she’d omitted one very important fact without the ability to cushion the truth and explain her reasons.

  They were going to be furious. They’d hate her by association. And they’d have every right to treat her badly. She was going to have to walk away from the opportunity of a lifetime, like she’d tried to do from the moment she’d made the connection between Vic and Landon. She only wished she’d tried harder. Then she wouldn’t be in his predicament, and she wouldn’t be falling for the club owner who probably couldn’t stand the sight of her because she reminded him of losing his twin.

  * * *

  Landon had a long night. Once he’d gotten home from the club, he’d crashed hard, his dreams coming in alternate snippets, from hands and body all over Vivi to random appearances by his brother. Dreams of Levi weren’t new. He was often there, not speaking, lurking around but not a part of Landon’s life in the dream. He would always wake up, pulse pounding, the pain in his heart a hole that would never be filled.

  With a groan, he rose and took a long, hot shower and, when he came out, flipped on the television, made and poured himself a cup of coffee, and settled in to watch. He’d woken early, and he couldn’t show up on Vivi’s doorstep at the ass crack of dawn to talk about why she was running from him. So he needed to kill time.

  He took a sip of his morning caffeine just as the announcer of the morning news show began to speak. “As you know, hazing has been in the news lately, as many college campuses are forced to reevaluate their policies regarding the issue of underage drinking on campus and in fraternities.”

  The subject caught his attention, and he grabbed the remote to raise the volume. She continued, naming the current universities who had had problems and sentences some of the kids involved had received. Stomach churning, he was about to change the channel when a familiar face came on the screen.

  Vic. In what looked like a prison interview.

  “What the fuck?” Landon paused mid-sip and placed the mug on the table.

  He quickly shot off a joint text to Jason and Tanner to turn on the show, then focused on the screen.

  “So, Mr. Clark, you’re in prison for numerous crimes, but we’re here to talk about hazing in particular.”

  The man looked the same as he had when he’d gone after Tanner recently, large and ripped, as if he’d had nothing to do in prison but work out. With the same self-righteous smirk he’d always had.

  “I’d like to discuss your perspective. What was going through your mind at the time you were involved in the death of Levi Bennett over ten years ago? Our viewers are probably wondering why things got so out of hand.”

  “Son of a bitch.” Landon’s hands curled into fists. In the early days after Levi’s death, they’d had plenty of requests for interviews, which they’d always declined. Nobody had called him about this. Apparently the families’ feelings didn’t mean jack shit.

  “Fir
st I’d like to say something. We agreed if I talked about that time in my life, I could make a statement to my family. They won’t have anything to do with me.” Vic paused. “Hey, Mom,” he said coldly.

  “Okay, Mr. Clark. Say what you’d like to say.”

  Vic looked straight at the camera, that damned smirk bigger now. “Hey, Vivi.”

  Landon froze at the sound of the uncommon name, telling himself it was an ugly coincidence, but his heart beat like a jackhammer as he waited for the bastard to say more.

  “Vivi’s my sister,” Vic said, looking at the camera. “I heard you’re an up-and-coming star at Club TEN29. Nice catch, baby sis.”

  Landon froze.

  “Look at you, playing in my backyard.” Vic looked right at the television screen. “You three, hiring my sister. I couldn’t have planned it better myself, boys.” He leaned back in his chair and met the interviewer’s gaze. “Now what did you want to talk about?” he asked as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

  Landon’s cell phone began to ring, but his stomach was churning and his head was pounding, the shock of Vic’s words and the truth about the woman he couldn’t get out of his system reverberating in his head.

  When he didn’t answer the phone, it began to ring again. Instead of dealing with his friends, he picked up a glass bowl his mother had given him and threw it against the wall, but the crash and shattering sound didn’t give him any satisfaction. Vivi, the woman he wanted with a fierceness he’d never experienced before, the woman who’d compelled him to play the piano again for the first time since his twin’s passing over a decade ago, who he’d opened up to, was Victor Clark’s sister. The man who’d killed his twin.

  He couldn’t stomach alcohol or he’d start drinking right now. So he trashed his apartment instead, kicking over his coffee table, breaking photograph frames on bookshelves, waiting for something to finally make him feel better. And when that didn’t happen, he sunk down against a wall and wondered why fate wanted to fuck with him so badly.

  He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before the banging sounded on his door. Before he could decide whether he planned on answering, Tanner let himself in. Both he and Jason had keys to Landon’s and vice versa in case of emergency.

  “Shit, man. I came as fast as I could. Apparently not soon enough,” Tanner said, his gaze taking in the destruction.

  He strode into the room and headed over to one particular pile and began picking up the pictures. “Your mom’s going to be pissed, you know. She’s going to have to reframe all these.” He set the broken frame on the sofa because the coffee table was upside down.

  From his position on the floor, Landon looked up at his friend. “You’re the one who couldn’t look at Vic or utter his name without ending up behind bars. Why are you so fucking calm? He was taunting us.” And that was the least of why Landon was so pissed off.

  Tanner shook his head. “I’m not fucking calm, and if I hadn’t been with Scarlett when the interview came on, my place would look just like yours. That said, I’ve had years of therapy and now Scarlett in my life to show me what’s important. I’m not going to let Vic destroy me.” He paused. “Which is not to say I’m not pissed as hell we hired his sister.” The muscle ticking in Tanner’s jaw spoke to his anger.

  He strode over and held out a hand, pulling Landon to his feet. “You have every reason to lose your shit. Now talk to me.”

  Landon ran a hand over his face and groaned. “Yesterday I was kissing her. That bastard’s sister. Now I want nothing to do with her.” But he couldn’t forget her taste. The sweetness of her tongue rubbing against his, her warm, lush body grinding into his groin. Or the way she looked at him in compassionate understanding when he told her it felt wrong to play music when Levi couldn’t. He’d bared his soul.

  Lies. All fucking lies.

  “Well, at least now I know why she’s been pulling away.” He kicked at a pile of pillows on the floor. “But it didn’t stop her from signing the fucking contract,” he muttered.

  A knock sounded on the door, the lock disengaged, and this time Jason let himself in. “Jesus,” the other man muttered, taking in the mess.

  “I want her out of the club,” Tanner said as Jason joined them, stepping past glass and around the overturned cocktail table.

  “So do I,” Landon said, shoving his hands into his back jeans pockets.

  “If she has half a heart, she’ll walk away on her own,” Tanner muttered.

  Jason stepped up to both men, a serious expression on his face. “Nobody’s breaking a contract, not us and not her. Regardless of how we feel personally, we have invested a shit ton of money into her summer promotion. We hired one of the most expensive companies in town, and tickets are sold based on her viral performance. Not to mention, she opens on Friday.” Always the voice of reason, Jason stated a valid case.

  “Dammit,” Tanner muttered.

  “Fuck.” If Landon hadn’t already destroyed the living room in his apartment, he’d do it now. “You’re telling me I’m stuck with her for the summer.”

  “I’m telling you again, nobody’s breaking this contract. Not us and not Vivi. If she wants out, I’ll be more than happy to tell her tough shit and shove our ironclad contract down her throat,” Jason said in a no-argument voice.

  “Fine.” Landon didn’t like it, but he understood business and his partner was right. “But I don’t want to deal with her.”

  Jason and Tanner exchanged glances. Yes, they’d all experienced the same horrific night and lost their friend. But Landon had lost his twin.

  “Done. We’ll work with Vivi,” Jason said.

  Tanner nodded. “Keep your distance. We’ll handle things.” He strode over to the coffee table. “Now let’s get this place cleaned up.”

  Not for the first time, Landon thanked his blessings for having these men in his life.

  * * *

  The day of Vivi’s brother’s interview, she’d tried to reach Landon, but he hadn’t answered his phone or replied to her texts. It hurt but she understood. First he’d probably been in shock, and once he’d come to his senses, he’d realized he’d been lusting after the enemies’ sister. No doubt he’d assume she’d known all along and taken the job anyway. Which was partially true. It just didn’t explain her reasons. Being stuck with her own thoughts all day had been painful, but she’d even turned Ellie away, needing to think.

  Close to evening, she pulled on her big-girl panties and headed down to the club to see if any of the guys were present. She was nervous about who she’d find there. After what Vic had done to Landon’s twin and to Tanner a few months ago, she sensed Jason would be the kindest of the three.

  Her stomach churned when she saw Landon behind the bar, but she wasn’t going to cower. She had to face this situation head on. Vic might have outed her, but she’d been the one to keep the information to herself. Now she had to face the music.

  She walked over and placed her hands on the countertop. “Hi,” she said, calling for his attention.

  He turned from where he’d been looking toward the liquor bottles, staring at them for too long to be doing anything purposeful.

  His hair was messed, as if he’d been running his hands through the soft strands, and visible tension and hurt etched his features. She hated that she was part of that pain.

  “Something I can do for you?” he clipped out.

  She swallowed hard at his cold tone. “I … I wanted to talk to you. You didn’t answer your phone or texts.”

  “I’m sure you can figure out why.” He lifted a bar rag and began to rub down what appeared to be an already clean counter.

  “Landon, when you first approached me with the job offer, I had no idea who you were. I don’t speak to Vic. We’re … estranged.”

  “So he stated on national television. At least that’s one point in your favor,” he muttered.

  She pulled herself onto a barstool. Obviously he wasn’t going to engage in meaningful conversation, and
it was her job to explain, anyway. “After the offer came in for this opportunity, I went to your club’s website. That’s how I made the connection. I didn’t know until then. And after I did, if you’ll recall, I said no. I turned you down.”

  He stilled. “But you didn’t say why.”

  She shook her head, and a part of her still didn’t regret it. Now she had to make him understand why. “I didn’t want to rub salt in an old and still-open wound. I mean, it didn’t make sense to bring up Vic’s name, to make you think about your twin’s death. I didn’t want to do that to you.”

  “I always think about Levi,” he bit out. “It’s there, every waking minute.”

  “And that’s why I didn’t say anything! It was kinder to say no and walk away, but you didn’t let me.”

  “I remember,” he said, leaning a hip on the bar. “So what changed your mind? The money? The prestige? The opportunities that would come from performing here for the summer?” he pressed, obviously certain she was mercenary at her core.

  She squirmed in her seat because she’d be lying if she said all those things hadn’t been appealing. “Okay, yes, those opportunities were attractive, of course, but you also explained that you’d all been through hell this past year, that the club took a downturn after some problems–”

  “After your brother targeted us,” he reminded her coldly.

  She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. “Yes. And then you insisted that my performing would help you rebuild. Get the people back into the club. And I thought, if you were right, I could help repay what my brother took from you. It was … it was a win-win.”

  Landon narrowed his gaze, still assessing her. “At least you’re honest that you wanted to benefit, too. As for whether or not you gave a shit about helping us?” He shrugged. “Jury’s out. I have no way of knowing.”

  Her heart twisted as she realized there was no getting through to him, and she raised her hands, giving up. “I’ll go, okay? I’ll pack up my things and be out of here tonight. My brother’s done enough to hurt you. All of you. I don’t want to stay here as a reminder and make things worse.” She jumped up from her seat and turned to go.