Summer Love_ A Steamy Small Town Romance Anthology - Piper Rayne Page 0,135

want to punch him in the face.

“I’m not in the mood,” I warn him.

“Tell dear Mane who upset Iskander?” He uses a baby-like voice.

“Don’t be condescending,” I order him.

He grunts. “I can’t win with you today. Myka is right. You have to get laid.”

“I spoke with Pa,” I announce, not wanting to discuss my sex life.

“No!”

“What do you mean with no?” Is he kidding me? Family isn’t optional. He has to ship his ass to Luna Harbor. “You don’t even know what I’m going to ask.”

“Shall I remind you that he and Abuelo are living in my house? I’m already doing my part,” he says. “I also know that they want you to be in charge of the Wicked Luna. So, no. The answer is, hell no.”

Negotiating with my brothers is more complicated than convincing an investor to give me a billion dollars for my next big idea. Not that I’ve ever tried, but I assume that’ll be easier. These assholes don’t care if I need them.

“I could buy a house so they can move in there and say that I’ve done my part. That’s not it. This is for Abuelo. He needs us to take over his businesses.”

“I have work to do,” he answers.

Okay, now he’s just pissing me off. “The band is on hiatus, and you retired from that undercover shit,” I pause, sighing with relief. “Thank fuck. So technically, you’re free.”

“No, I’m not. Beacon hasn’t recovered yet. I’m helping his family,” he states.

I don’t care if one of his best friends almost died and needs his help. We come first.

“You help his family, but you can’t help us? Wow, your priorities are fucked up, Manelik. We are more important.” My voice is so loud the driver lowers the privacy screen to check if I’m okay. I wave my hand and continue the call. “We need you.”

He lets out a loud breath. There’s some mumbling on the other side. He’s so much like Pa, and maybe that’s why they have so much trouble getting along. Once he’s done, he says, “If you give me a month, I’ll be there just to get you off my back. You know Beacon and the guys are family too. The next time you try to make me choose… Just don’t make me choose, okay?”

It’s not like I don’t care about his bandmates. They’ve been around us since Mane was in pre-school. I know why they are so close. I should be more thoughtful, but still, I need him today.

“How’s the asshole doing? Is he running yet?” I joke. Beacon was in an accident a few months ago that almost left him a quadriplegic.

“He’s getting there. As I said, give me a month. After that, I’ll bring the guys with me. More free labor.”

I can wait a month if he’s going to bring his crew along. They might be pains in the ass, but they are good kids, like my brother.

“No more than a month,” I confirm with him.

“Have you called the rest? I’m not the only one who should be helping you.”

“Oh, I’m dragging everyone.” I stop, run a hand through my hair, and say, “Can you call Myka? She’ll listen to you better than she’ll listen to me.”

He chuckles. “You’re a coward. I already texted her to warn her that you’ll be calling. You have to make the call.”

The asshole hangs up. I groan. This is going to be a long day.

Chapter Three

Siobhan

Working at a brewery can be fun, but not all the time. My tour guide bailed on me today. I had to deal with many executives who decided to take the tour as part of their weekend retreat. Three of them hit on me. None of them even hid their wedding rings. Assholes. Like I’m going to accept being their weekend mistress.

If I had the time, I would go for a run. After a two-mile run, I might even forget that one of those assholes pinched my butt. Thank God the sheriff was close to shoving them out of the brewery. If not, I would’ve shown him how a beer bottle can be more fragile than a human skull by using his head.

“All the good guys are taken,” I say as I enter Nydia’s shop searching for something sweet that will dilute the anger running through my veins.

“No, they aren’t,” she states. “You’re just looking in the wrong places, like Luna Harbor. Not that I mind, but why are you here in the middle of the day? Are we