Blane looked singularly unrepentant. Grasping the fabric in one hand, he stood and slowly wrapped the sheet around me, getting way too close to do so and tucking the tail in the valley between my breasts.

“Looks like our arrival interrupted something,” he said softly. “Can’t say I’m sorry about that.”

I swallowed. Nice. Branna was kissing Kade while Blane was touching me way too intimately and bragging about cock-blocking Kade. Well, this had all turned to shit pretty damn fast. Yeah, let’s all three of us go on a road trip! Whose fucktastic idea had that been?

My ears were straining to listen to Branna and Kade in the kitchen, but I didn’t hear anything. Were they kissing again?

“I’d better go get some clothes on,” I said, avoiding Blane’s eyes. He didn’t try to stop me as I hurried down the hall, my ridiculous high heels click-clacking on the floor.

Once I got to my bedroom, I hurriedly dropped the sheet, then bent to undo the stilettos strapped to my feet.

“You forgot this.”

I let out a startled cry, spinning around to see Blane standing in the doorway, my black robe in his outstretched hand. His eyes burned a path down my body.

“Blane!” I cried, making a grab for the discarded sheet and holding it in front of me. “You could’ve knocked!”

“Then I’d have missed the view,” he said, a wicked gleam in his eyes and a tilt to his lips. Before I could retort, he was gone, closing the door behind him.

I sat heavily on the edge of the bed, wondering how things had gotten so complicated so fast.

Grabbing a pair of yoga pants, I pulled them on then yanked a T-shirt over my head. In moments, I was back down the hall and found all three of them together again in the living room.

Branna was glaring at me as though she wanted to slap me the way she had Kade, or even harder. I returned the sentiment.

“We all need to get some sleep before we leave in the morning,” Kade said.

“Wait,” I interrupted. “Who’s ‘we’?” If he so much as hinted that Branna was coming along—

“All four of us,” he replied evenly.

“Oh no,” I said, shaking my head. “She is definitely not coming along.”

“Afraid I’ll kick your ass again, sweetie?” Branna asked, venom coating her words.

My anger wasn’t far under the surface and it sprang to life, fueled in no small part by jealousy. I shot her a glare. “Just try it, you little Irish bitch,” I hissed.

“With pleasure, hillbilly whore.”

Branna came at me and I eagerly went for her, my fingers curling into claws. I couldn’t wait to inflict some damage on her perfect, sneering face . . .

“Whoa there!” Kade said.

Blane grabbed me just as Kade wrapped an arm around Branna, the two of them stopping us from tearing into each other. She twisted and struggled in Kade’s grip, as I did in Blane’s, but neither of us could break free, which just pissed me off even more.

“Let me go!”

“I don’t think so,” Blane replied. He sounded a bit surprised by my behavior, not that I cared. I was still fuming that the best-possible outlet for my pent-up fury had been suddenly derailed.

“You two, play nice,” Kade ordered.

“I. Hate. Her,” I seethed, glaring at the object of my intense dislike.

“The feeling is mutual,” Branna spat.

“Well, this should be fun,” Blane deadpanned, looking over at Kade.

“Enough!” Kade said. “I don’t care if you two aren’t going to be besties, but you have to get along.”

“Tell her that,” I gritted out. “She’s the one who has problems following directions, right, Branna?” She’d been supposed to “train” me in hand-to-hand combat, the only time Kade had asked for her assistance, but instead she had used the opportunity to beat me up. Kade had been pissed.

“I don’t like to piss away opportunities handed to me on a silver platter,” she retorted.

I’d stopped struggling against Blane, my temper temporarily under control, but his arms were still locked around me. “Let me go,” I said. “I’ll play nice if she will.” For now.

Blane slowly released me, as though he didn’t quite believe me and wanted to be able to grab me again should I launch myself at Branna. Kade similarly released Branna, who didn’t cease glaring at me.

I caught Blane and Kade glancing uneasily at each other and a slight embarrassment crept over me for my fit of temper, but I was still too consumed with dislike and jealousy to be really embarrassed.

“I only have two beds,” I said. “Mine, and the twin one upstairs. Branna will have to sleep on the floor.” I smiled coldly at her.

“She can have the bed,” Blane said. “I’ll take the floor.”

Of course. Blane’s chivalry would extend to Branna, I thought irritably.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll get you some blankets.”

I glared again at Branna as I passed, brushing my shoulder hard against her. She stumbled back, then took a step toward me, fire flashing in her eyes. But Kade grabbed her arm, stopping her. I smiled sweetly.

When I returned, I handed Blane some bedding and a pillow. Kade and Branna were gone, but I could hear them walking around upstairs. Kade must have taken her to the bedroom. Good thing, too, because if I had, she might’ve suffered an “accident” on the stairs.

“Sorry I don’t have a place for you to sleep,” I said. I felt bad that Blane would have to sleep on the cold, hard floor. “You and Kade can take my bed,” I offered. “I can sleep on the couch.”

“The day I take a pregnant woman’s bed and make her sleep on the couch is the day I give up my man card,” Blane joked.

“Not to mention that sleeping with another guy is just weird,” Kade added, stepping into the room. He was alone. “Even if we’re related.”

I smiled at that, Kade’s easy manner making the tension in my shoulders relax. Then I remembered Branna and stiffened again.

“So will you two tell me how Branna is in my house and why she’s coming with us?” I asked.

“She showed up at the house,” Blane said, turning to Kade. “Had a fine time kicking my ass before demanding to know where you were.”

“She attacked you?” I asked, anger rising again. My hands clenched into fists. Yet another reason to hate Branna, as if I didn’t have plenty already.

Blane seemed to read my mind, his eyes flashing to mine. “I’m fine, Kat,” he said.

“It’s not like she’s going to hurt him,” Kade interjected, scoffing.

I got in his face. “I don’t like her trying to hurt him,” I argued. “Any more than I like her kissing you.” I poked his chest for emphasis.

“She can help us,” Kade insisted. “So she’s coming along whether you like it or not.”

A little part inside me curled up into a pain-stricken ball at those words, but I kept my face carefully impassive.

“Have you told her who we are?” Blane asked. “You and me?”

Kade tore his gaze from mine to look at Blane. “No. I just told her to come to you if she ever needed me and couldn’t find me. That you’d know where I was. But she doesn’t know we’re brothers.”

“And who is she to you, exactly?” Blane persisted. “You’ve never mentioned her.”

Kade hesitated and I knew why. He and Branna had been in the same foster home as children for a short while. He’d saved her from being molested, enduring beatings and abuse for his interference. And I knew he wanted to tell Blane none of that.

“We met a long time ago,” Kade hedged. “We’ve done some work together. I’ve never mentioned her, the same way I never mention any of my work to you. You know I keep that shit separate.”

“Except when that shit turns up on my doorstep and I have no fucking clue what’s going on,” Blane said. “And why am I not surprised that a ‘friend’ of yours would be deadly? Not to mention that I really don’t like that at some point you let her beat up Kathleen.”

Kade winced at that. “That may have been a slight error in judgment,” he admitted. “But she can still help us.”