Grip Trilogy Box Set - Kennedy Ryan Page 0,222

to detect the teasing in his voice, so I’m already poised for battle, mouth locked and loaded with ammo, only to find him laughing at me.

“Bastard,” I mutter, fighting a smile.

“I’m not sure our mother would appreciate that.”

Rhyson’s smile holds, but his face ices over the way it always does when my mother comes up. My relationship with her isn’t nearly as complex and convoluted as his, and overall, on a scale of one to fucked up, my relationship with her has always been pretty fucked up. That said, I’ll never forget how she intervened to get me out of the mess with Parker. I’ll always remember those moments of naked vulnerability she and I shared that day we took him down. Things have continued to slowly thaw between us, even though we’re still not besties. It takes effort and patience and forgiveness—three things Rhyson has never had for our mother.

“You cut Dad some slack, Rhys,” I say, reminding him of the progress he and our father have made over the last few years.

“Maybe you could cut her some, too.”

“Maybe you could mind your own damn business.” He shifts his cool stare over my shoulder.

I just keep looking at him because he knows that I, unlike half the people in this town, am not scared of him and can give as good as I get. He also realizes that I know how deeply our mother injured him. She injured me, too. They all did, but I kept on fighting to have them in my life. As hard as it’s been, it’s also been worth it.

“Bris, I’m sorry.” Rhyson runs an agitated hand through his already rumpled hair. “I . . . can we just talk about what you came here to talk about and leave her out of it?”

“Sure.” I lick my lips and set aside my fix-it reflex, that part of me that wants to get to the bottom of everything and make it work properly. Our family has never worked properly, so why I—who spent half my life on a therapist’s couch—think I can fix us, I have no idea, but I never stop trying.

“So you want to go with Marlon to New York, huh?” Rhyson forces a smile, deliberately shifting us to safer ground.

“Yeah.” My smile comes more naturally just because he said Grip’s name. There are two things absolutely right in my life: my career and my man. I would prefer not to ruin one for the other, but if Rhyson forces me to choose, I have every confidence I can find another way to make a living—though I know it won’t come to that.

First of all, I’m his sister.

Second of all, he needs me too badly. I’ve become indispensable. That, even beyond the blood and DNA we share, is my insurance policy.

“Look, I know there’s a lot going on with Prodigy,” I begin, prepared to build my case for why I could work from the moon as long as I have Wi-Fi.

“But nothing you can’t handle from New York,” Rhyson says before I can mount my defense.

“Right.” I sketch a quick frown before continuing. “And I know I need to be on site for certain things.”

“But you can just fly here for those and then go back to New York when you’re done.” Rhyson sips his coffee, regarding me steadily over the rim. “Between video conference, Wi-Fi, and every other technological advance at our disposal, shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I was hoping you’d see that.” Though I thought I would have to be the one to make him see it.

“And it’s just for the semester, right? Next semester you guys would be back in LA?”

“Yeah.” Out of habit I rub at my neck to ease the tension, but there’s no tension there. This conversation is going much better than I had hoped. “We’ll be back in December after finals.”

Rhyson kind of stole my thunder, took some of the wind from my sails. I was fully prepared to persuade, convince, and cajole him to my point of view, but he anticipated everything I had lined up. I do at least have one thing he probably didn’t see coming.

“I was thinking while I’m in New York, I could feel out some Broadway possibilities,” I say nonchalantly.

“Broadway?” Curiosity lights up his eyes. “For who?”

“Well, I know Kai wants to get into acting, and after her album drops, we’ve been talking about movie roles.”

“No nudity,” he cuts in, wearing his I mean it face. “I told you, Bris. Don’t even