Moving to Washington from Texas to live with her mother's new family, which includes a stepfather and seven stepbrothers, Katherine braces herself for building walls and embracing isolation. But she doesn’t expect to run into the man she had a one-night stand with just a few days ago in Texas, and he is one of her stepbrothers. Trying to resist his charm, she finds that one look from him sends her heart racing. However, he’s not the only one with that effect on her—each of her seven stepbrothers begins to show interest in her, and she can’t help but feel drawn to all of them. Can she survive in a house with her seven deadly stepbrothers?
View MoreI saw Diego standing near the entrance with a small bag in his hand as I tried not to look at the people checking me out. He had a tense smile on his lips and looked lost, I almost laughed seeing him looking for me. He pulled his phone out and stepped to the side, hiding away from the stolen glances he received from ladies near him. He looked sharp in the blue suit he was wearing and had his hair slicked back. My phone started to ring and I realised he was calling me. I was about to pick up the call when he looked in my direction, and our eyes met, I waved my hand, and with a faint smile, he walked towards me. He had a little jump in his steps that he was trying to hide, but when he looked at me completely, his jaw was on the grass. All the nervousness due to being in an event like that and the unease from before was gone. His eyes sparkled and I felt Caspian turning towards him. “Wow,” he said, mesmerized as he looked up and down. Weirdly, with Diego, I didn't feel creeped out li
“Hey,” Kat’s smooth voice broke through the weight of my thoughts. Soft and concerned, her words slipped around me like a gentle breeze. “What are you—”“Thank you everyone for coming today,” Dad announced from where he was near the cocktail bar, surrounded by his friends. “I can't be more happy than I'm right now. I've such amazing sons and two of them are turning a year older, and I can't imagine anything better than what we have right now.”A cheer erupted from the crowd and I could see from the corner of my eyes that Ian was doing his best to disappear in the shadow. He knew they would be called in front anytime now, and it looked like he was preparing himself for that. “He is really enjoying it,” Leo commented, looking around, trying to find someone. “Thank you,” he then turned towards Kat's mom and planted a kiss on her cheeks. “Amd we will be cutting the cake soon, but till then, enjoy the party.” The song changed and a live band came to perform, it was one of dad's favourit
The fairy lights covered the night sky of our stable, casting warm pools of gold over the arriving guests. I was happy with how things turned out, even though it wasn't the type of party I wanted to throw for Ian and Harry. In the crowd, I could spot only a few young faces, everyone else was double my age. I knew Ian and Harry had hardly met four or five of Dad's guests before. No one could have said it was a birthday party for two young boys turning twenty because it looked nothing like that. From music to decor, everything around me screamed corporate and formal. Even the conversations around me were about stocks and shares, while others tried to make contacts. Laughter and murmurs wove through the air, blending with the faint rustle of tree branches and the clink of champagne glasses. To everyone else, the party must seem flawless—another perfectly orchestrated event by Dad, a gleaming display of prestige and power. But all I could feel was the dull thud of unease in my chest.
“Thank you, Leo, now help me with makeup and hair ” I requested, looking at the mirror once again to check the dress and I felt like something was missing. The dress hugged my body perfectly, there was no doubt about it and I could see the way it highlighted my curves. I turned from side to side, trying a few poses in the mirror. The golden embroidery shimmered with every breath I took and the thigh-high slit gave an edge of boldness to the overall look. However, my hair was an unruly mess, and my face looked far too mundane for such a fancy event. I sighed, running my fingers through my tangled waves. “Are you sure?” he inquired, trying to hide the happiness trying to surface. I could see it in his eyes. I laughed softly, feeling my cheeks warm. “Yes, I am very sure. Now, help me please.”His face brightened with a proud grin, but soon I saw the mischief behind his eyes and knew he was going to play. “You sure you want to entrust me with that power?”“I’m sure,” I said, smiling
“You figured it out too?”Harry nodded, stealing a peek at me before turning his attention back to his twin. I stared at them both in confusion, trying to figure out what they were talking about. However, I was glad to see Ian smiling brightly. “It was quite obvious. I didn't know the exact thing, but I knew something was going on,” Harry said and it made Ian laugh even more. “When did you figure it out?” “What are you guys talking about?” Leo questioned, pressing himself between the twins. “Tell me too, please.” Harry turned down at Leo with a malicious smirk and started, “It isn't anything concerning you, so stay away from it.” Leo was excited because he assumed Harry was going to tell him the truth, but when he lied, Leo felt betrayed. His eyes turned down and I felt like he was going to break into sobs at any moment. “I hate you, Harry.” Leo walked away from us and went to Caspian. He wrapped an arm around him and glared at Harry playfully to reassure Leo who was narrating th
The trip down the staircase felt heavier with each step I took. The air around us started getting thicker with unseen burdens that none of us wanted to admit. I felt like a fight might break between the brothers and Derek with the way things were proceeding. I didn't want that because I feared it would put more attention on Ian. He was walking beside me with precise steps that were almost mechanical. His jaw clenched tightly when we heard laughter from downstairs, and I could only imagine the horrors in his mind. Behind us, Dev and Harry formed a silent buffer, their presence was protective and steadfast. I tightened my grip on Ian's hand, thinking it would be enough to calm him for what he was going to face. I wanted him to be comfortable and feel like he wasn't going into it alone. Each footfall resonated in my mind, a hollow thud that signalled the start of the countdown to face Derek and Alaric. The distant sound of laughter and the clink of glasses grew stronger as we reac
I was heartbroken to hear that Ian thought he doesn't deserve to be celebrated. I wanted to show him how amazing he is and how he deserve everything in the world, but I didn't know if my words would be enough. I couldn't even imagine how alone he must have felt at times. I wanted to hug him, but I knew it would be inappropriate at the moment. I tried listening to everything he had to say, to show him that he mattered to me. Dev's condition was worse than me. He had tears in his eyes when we started walking back to house. He was hiding them from us, but I could hear it in his voice. “We should take the back door,” Dev suggested, pulling me away from the window that looked inside. “Yeah,” I agreed and started the signal to let the other monkeys also know the same. The house was quiet when we came back, the party preparations and excitement almost died into the background as the weight of Ian's well-being knocked down my brain. I knew I needed to make sure he doesn't feel uncom
“What do you mean you can't find him?” I questioned, trying to wrap my head around what he had just said. “He is not a child, he must be somewhere around the house or the stable. Have you checked everywhere?” I tried to tell myself that there wasn't anything to worry about, that Ian was just hiding away in his room so that he won't have to interact with anyone. I wanted to believe the same, because I was afraid of the other scenario, and I had no idea how to handle it. “Kat, I looked everywhere in the house but couldn't find him,” Leo said, trying to hide his own fears. “I don't know where he is or what he's doing. I tried calling Caspian and Dev, but couldn't reach either of them. I don't know what to do.” “Take a breath and calm down first.” I followed my own instructions and tried to think with a steady mind. “Dev is with me, I'll tell him. You let Caspian know and do as he says. I'll look for Ian with Dev.” “Okay, call me if you find him,” He said and I could hear him opening
The walk back to the house felt like dragging my feet through wet cement. The forest that was usually my refuge, had grown darker, despite it not being the evening and the trees seemed to close in around me as if urging me to turn back. Each step felt heavier than the last, but I knew I couldn’t stay out there forever.They must have noticed I was gone by now. I couldn't let them blame themselves for me. I was the broken one. Everything in me wanted to disappear completely, to melt into the shadows of the forest where no one could find me. But my heart told me that I wasn’t a ghost—I was their brother, and tonight, I was someone’s burden.The thought churned in my stomach as the lights of the house came into view, glowing warm and inviting against the deep blue of the evening.It didn’t feel like home. It never had.As I approached the edge of the forest, I spotted some people. My heart sank when I saw Kat and Dev with a torch light, their heads close together as they called my name.
I hated my family. And even more than that, I hated the fact that I had no other choice but to leave behind the town I grew up in and move to Washington, to live with my mom's new family. While I knew Washington would be a lot different from Texas, yet, my mind was consumed by the thought of living in a house filled with strangers. I blamed my poor state on my father, for not loving or caring about me. For calling me after years, only when he learned that I was going to live with mom's new family. I hated him for not coming to my graduation or calling me to tell me that he was proud of me. I hated him for choosing a man over me, his flesh and blood. I also blamed my mother and her habit of jumping from one man to another. However, I was also a little impressed by her, because this time, she hadn't gone after a carpenter, a chef, an author, or a musician. This time, she managed to catch a big fish. Her sixth husband was the owner of a multinational tech company and the sixth ric
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