Family Harmony Read online

  Yancey’s brows knit again and he looked off into space. Myles felt sure he’d arrive at a point eventually.

  “Okay…” Yancey started again.

  Myles tried hard to control the smile playing about his mouth. He had to turn his head to hide his grin in response to Yancey’s fixations. When he did, he looked into the eyes of Lakon Montgomery who entered from another room.

  Lakon was wearing a brief pair of denim cutoff shorts. Myles had time to consider what a handsome brute the blonde man was before Lakon walked up to him.

  “Hey, Brooks.” he said, slapping the younger man’s left shoulder.

  With difficulty, the young man hid a wince. He doesn’t know his own strength.

  Myles suffered from Hemophilia A and hadn’t had any clotting factor treatments in a while. Although Lakon hadn’t hit him hard, he knew there’d be a bruise. He hoped it wouldn’t be more than that.

  He greeted Lakon and both men turned to Yancey again.

  Stealing a look at his boss, Myles knew why his sister was especially afraid of Lakon Montgomery. He was huge, muscular and overwhelmingly male. He had dark blonde hair interspersed with a hint of salt and pepper. Instead of causing him to look older, it made him look more masculine. Those mesmerizing green eyes just enhanced that.

  Myles worked out and had plenty of muscles of his own. He wasn’t nearly as tall or broad as Lakon Montgomery was, though.

  “Alright, Yance quit messing around” the blonde man growled. “What’s up with that contract?”

  After a minute, Yancey answered. “It’s artfully done, Lake.” He shook his head.

  “I’ll have to check out English Law, we may want to hire someone. Looks like anything that Myles and Mya have done to generate income up until their majority—legally, the proceeds of that work belong to their parents.”

  Both Myles and Lakon were dumbstruck.

  “So…” Myles began. “When Mya worked as a waitress in that truck-stop when she was sixteen—every penny she earned legally goes to them?” he asked. Yancey nodded. “My job cleaning portable toilets? They get the money?” Yancey winced, but nodded.

  “That’s amazing,” he shook his head. “But wait a second! Aren’t they responsible for our health care during that time frame?” Myles hoped they were.

  “Sorry, Pal” He really did look sorry. “Seems they were only responsible for your health care if you lived under their roof.”

  Myles groaned. “So we have to figure out how much we made and send it to them?”

  “’Fraid so. At least…” Yancey looked at Lakon.

  “What?” barked Lakon.

  “If you two continue to hide out, it’s up to your parents to find you and force you to pay up. If you two go public, then…” Yancey left the rest unsaid.

  “So, let me get this straight,” Lakon began to pace. “If they go public, the parents will come and we need to pay ‘em, right?” Yancey nodded.

  “What if these two go public and we make them push the issue? They’d still have to take ‘em to court.” Lakon glared at Yancey and Myles.

  “That’s fine, Lake but the publicity would be almost as nasty as having to go through all that.”

  “Yance, it would look worse for them than for us. Assholes treating their kids like machinery.” he spat.

  Yancey studied the document for a few more minutes.

  “From what I can tell, this can be broken at their majority. How long you worked for us, Brooks?” Yancey asked.

  “About two years, sir.” Myles answered him.

  “I’m not that damned much older than you, boy.” growled Yancey. They all laughed.

  “Okay, for now, we need to worry about buying them out of the last…” Yancey peered at Myles. “How old are you two?”

  “Twenty-three” Myles answered.

  “Then it’s only six or so years. Let’s go talk to your sister and see what she wants to do.” Yancey stood.

  “Mr. Livingston, Yancey, we don’t have the money to buy them out even for six years.” Myles shook his head sadly.

  Lakon spoke up. “We’ll add buying out your previous contract as part of the deal, Brooks.” Lakon growled. “I take it personally when adults jerk kids around.”

  The three men stood up and headed down to Myles and Mya’s mini-suite.

  * * * *

  Suite of Mya and Myles Brooks

  Aspic Inn, Philadelphia, Pa

  Myles let the two men into the suite behind him and bade them to wait while he went to find his sister.

  When she heard the door open, Mya called out, “Myles you’ve got to see this!”

  Myles smiled apologetically and walked to one of the two rooms off the small sitting room.

  “Hey, Luvie…” she turned to face him. “Bloody hell!” she spat, alarming the two men in the other room.

  “Where is it, Myles, what happened?” Following the voices, Lakon saw her place both hands on her slim hips. When her brother didn’t answer, she drew herself up to her full five feet and three inches.

  “If you don’t come clean right now, I’m going to go out and snog the first big, hairy bloke I come across!” she threatened.

  “Since that big, hairy bloke is likely to be our boss, I guess I’ll come clean.” Myles laughed with a grimace.

  The two men in the other room edged toward the door to Mya’s bedroom.

  “What does snog mean?” Lakon asked Yancey. If he was going to get snogged, he wanted to be aware when it happened.

  “I think it means to kiss. Um, I’ll check,” Yancey promised Lakon.

  She was wearing a ripped pair of old jeans and a threadbare flannel shirt held together by one button.

  Lakon couldn’t believe how badly he hoped that button would give up its battle.

  His dishonorable intent toward her button was forgotten when Myles unfastened his own shirt and let it fall, turning his left shoulder toward his sister and the door.

  As the young man turned, both Yancey and Lakon got a good look at the purple bruise already dark and noticeable on his shoulder.

  Mya climbed up on the bed and standing, lightly ran her hand over the injury.

  “How’d it happen, Sweet?” she asked.

  “It was a “hail fellow, well met” tap, Luv. No harm meant.” He sat down on the corner of the mattress. She knelt behind him and kissed her twin’s shoulder.

  “Myles, it could be bleeding inside. How much money do we have?”

  Not waiting for an answer, Mya scrambled off the bed and bent over, pulling a battered suitcase from underneath. The view afforded of her unfettered breasts gave Lakon an instant hard-on. He had to fight not to punch Yancey to prevent his looking.

  “Okay, we have enough money for an emergency room visit and at least one transfusion,” She appeared to be thinking hard and then said, “I think we can pay full price for a clotting factor. But just one for now.”

  Still seated on the bed, Myles dropped his head to his hands. Mya rested her head on his knee.

  “Myles, I can raise more money if I have to. I can do it again. You know I can.” Her voice had no inflection.

  “I’d rather die, Mya,” he responded. It was apparent that he’d forgotten Yancey and Lakon in the other room. He rested a hand on her head.

  “You know I won’t let you,” he whispered his sister.

  “You’re medical costs are covered, Brooks, Did I cause that to happen?” Lakon didn’t wait for an answer.

  Mya, who had been sitting on the floor resting against her brother, jerked with a start and scrambled to her feet at the sound of Lakon’s voice.

  “Yancey, take him to Temple University Hospital. My cousin Jesse is a doctor on staff there. I’ll call you in the car.” He turned to look at Mya. “Go with your brother. Yancey will bring you back.”

  With that, Lakon walked out of the room. He didn’t know what she meant to do to raise the money but he had his suspicions. Just the thought of her near other men made his beast snarl and threaten
to break free.

  While they were on their way to the hospital, Yancey’s cell phone rang. When he hung up, he told the twins that they’d be met at the hospital and seen right away.

  Chapter 4

  Rehearsals

  Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, Pa

  The next day, Mya and Lakon sat on stage singing together. Things were going well until Lakon reached out to touch her. He’d been trying to avoid her scent but she smelled so good.

  Mya flinched back and Lakon had to fight for control. He broke off his rehearsal with her and had her begin to practice a song on her own. It was time to talk to her brother.

  Finding Myles was the easy part. Getting him to talk was not as easy. Finally, Lakon let his frustration show.

  “Damn it man!” he growled at Myles. “How are we going to get to know each other and do anything together if she’s scared to death of me?”

  Myles stared at him speculatively for a minute.

  “Do you really care if my sister is afraid?” he asked finally.

  “What the hell kind of question is that?” he barked back.

  Myles continued to regard him steadily.

  “I’ll talk to her. She’ll be much better when you get on stage.” he finally told his boss and began to turn away.

  “I don’t just want her to perform better, Myles. I want her to be better.” Lakon said softly; his voice had a threatening edge to it. “You tell me why she’s afraid. Don’t give me any shit about stage fright or nerves, either,” he growled.

  Myles breathed a heavy sigh. “She’s afraid of men, one on one. I’m her twin so I don’t count. Our father hurt her. He liked to hit her. I don’t think he ever tried to touch her sexually, though.”

  After a minute, Myles stood and turned to the window.

  “There’s more.”

  “Talk.” Lakon growled menacingly, his eyes narrowed and fixed on the young man.

  “We’d been in the states almost two years when I got hurt. She wouldn’t tell me how she paid the hospital or chemist, but I know. The head surgeon was a right bloater—a fat oaf—and he had an eye for her. A real sadist that one.”

  Lakon had to turn away. Even now he could see and hear her as she sang on stage. The idea of anybody hurting that small and beautiful woman ate into his gut. He felt his teeth lengthen and his claws begin to extend. With difficulty, he forced his beast to recede.

  Although his intention had always been to keep his distance from that beautiful human female, it was becoming harder and harder. Hell, it was an impossibility.

  Her scent drew him in. Hunger for her gnawed his insides. An ache to touch her grew in him every minute he spent with her. The more he was around Mya the more he needed to be closer. He longed to hold her and feel her against him.

  In a flash of empathy, he understood his brother’s need to hold his woman even when she was ill. The need in Riker to even simply provide basic comforts to his mate began to make sense.

  Lakon wanted to sit quietly with Mya on his lap. His arms ached to be around her when she watched a movie or read a book. He even longed to feel his thighs bump against hers when sitting next to her.He was scared to death. Was that frail human with the voice of an angel his mate? How could that be? He’d never even touched her. How would he know? Lakon thought he might need to call his Dad right away.

  He needed to make peace with these feelings because as hard as his beast was to control when he imagined her in pain, the predator inside of him was impossible to handle when he imagined life without her.

  He didn’t know how it had happened, but he needed this woman. Few knew of the violence and anger he kept under lock and key deep inside himself. Deceptively, he had a jovial façade, but that mask hid a snarling animal rigidly contained. If he didn’t keep this woman in his life, he would be even more dangerous than he was already. Nobody would be safe.

  Lakon rested a hand on Myles’s shoulder. He thought he understood the younger man’s pain. Even if he didn’t understand it completely, he empathized.

  “I’m a twin,” he told Myles. “I can’t think of anything I wouldn’t do for my brother. Anything” he emphasized. Carefully, he gave the shoulder a little rub and walked out.

  Lakon went to his dressing room and called his father.

  * * * *

  Armed with his new insights and renewed determination, Lakon tried to be more understanding when he and Mya sang together.

  He didn’t intend to have her perform with him during the first few concerts but hoped to have her ready by the end of their sojourn there.

  He’d made it a practice to have her take a meal or two with him each day since that first night. He hoped she’d relax with him if she got used to being around him.

  The day of the final concert, Lakon and Mya rehearsed the duet they were to sing that night. When he reached for her near the end of the song, she flinched. Losing control, Lakon exploded at her.

  “Good God, woman!” he shouted, frustration overwhelming him. “What do you think I’m going to do?”

  She shot to her feet and dashed from the stage. Lakon didn’t care who noticed them or what they thought. He charged after her. Halfway down the long hall where she’d run, he heard a closet door slam and he sprinted toward it.

  The door had no lock so he opened it and stepped in, closing it behind him. Her unbelievable scent filled the small room. He inhaled deeply. Sugar and spice and everything nice… He bent down and pulled her to her feet.

  She stood quaking and cringing under his hands. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Holy hell, Baby!” he swore, burying his face in her hair. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise,” he soothed her. Her trembling began to lessen somewhat.

  He tilted her chin with one hand. His eyes were glowing green in the darkened closet. Before he gave her a chance to work that out, he lowered his mouth to hers.

  He licked her bottom lip. “Mmm,” he groaned and licked her top lip. He slid one hand under her shirt at the back of her waist. The other hand he buried in her hair.

  He licked her lips again, whispering, “Open your mouth, Mya, let me taste you.” She opened her mouth with a reluctant sigh.

  His movements were slow and sensuous. His body stroked against hers as he traced her upper lip with his tongue again and nibbled at her generous lower lip. He moved his tongue across her teeth and between them. Their tongues mated as he slid his over hers.

  He massaged her scalp with the hand in her hair while the hand at the small of her back slipped lower. His questing hand moved under the waist of her jeans and slipped into her panties to cup her bare bottom.

  He continued to savor her sweet flavor as his wayward hand found its way between her legs. She gasped.

  In no time, the hand in her hair caressed down the length of her neck and body to unfasten her jeans. He pushed them down with her panties and returned that hand to cup her head.

  “Hush, Baby,” he murmured against her mouth swallowing her protests. “I’m going to show you how good my hands can make you feel. You never have to worry about me using them to hurt you.”

  He urged two fingers between her legs and stroked the wetness he found there. He slid his fingers through the wetness between her labia. Back and forth he moved his fingers rubbing against her small, engorged clit.

  “Oh, Mr. Montgomery,” she groaned.

  Lakon chuckled. He kissed her again and pinched her little nub between his two fingers.

  “Lakon, Baby,” he said. When she didn’t respond, he pinched a little bit harder. “Call me Lakon,” he growled.

  She gasped. “L—La—Lakon,” she moaned.

  “That’s it, Honey,” he growled. “That’s my Baby. Come for me, Mya,” he ordered.

  He plunged a finger inside of her. Pumping, he added a second one and before he knew it she was climaxing around his hand. As his fingers plunged, he could feel how tight she was. She hadn’t been with anyone in a long time.

 
; He removed the fingers from inside of her and, automatically, put them in his mouth. This drew a growl from deep inside of him.

  Her smell, her taste, all overwhelmed him. He tightened his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. If he hadn’t been trying to show her she could trust him, he would have taken her right there in the closet.

  He ran his hands over her naked bottom and tilted her head back for a kiss. He forced himself to help her adjust her pants and put her clothing back together. She still clutched his shirt, shaking.

  “La—Lakon?” she whispered into his shirt.

  “Its okay, Baby,” he soothed. “You’re okay,” he purred, tilting her face up to his. She looked up into his glowing eyes.

  “I tried to stay away from you but I can’t,” he confessed. “You and I are going to get to know each other much better, Mya.”

  “I don’t understand.” she choked.

  “Mya, are you afraid of me?” He still held her in his arms. He’d pulled her pants up and fastened them, and cuddled her against his chest.

  “Answer me, Baby, are you afraid of me?” he growled at her. She began to shake.

  “Mr.—I mean Lakon,” she hiccupped nervously, “I don’t want to be afraid of you. It’s just…”

  “It’s just what, Mya?” he asked her gently.

  “You’re scary,” she whispered.

  He lowered his head and licked her temple.

  “What makes me scary, Baby?” he asked, licking her cheek and pulling her closer. She giggled.

  “I guess that makes you not as scary,” she giggled again as he licked her ear.

  “Maybe I should do more of that, then,” he smiled, licking her behind the ear now. “Tell me what I do that is scary, Baby,” he asked again.

  “You’re very growly,” she said finally.

  “Let’s get out of this closet and talk about this a little bit, hmmm?” he asked her.

  Shyly, she agreed.

  * * * *

  Lakon Montgomery’s dressing room

  Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, Pa

  Lakon poured Mya a cup of hot coffee and showed her around his dressing room. It had a sizeable, well-lit mirror across one wall and a couch, an overstuffed chair and a coffee table taking up a large part of the room. There was a bathroom and a curtained off dressing area.