“Grab one for me,” East said as he came in from the mud room, setting the bottle of whiskey on the counter. It wasn’t even half empty, meaning they weren’t drunk.

West followed, carrying the guns. He tipped his chin in my direction as he veered out of the room, probably to stow the weapons.

I’d seen pictures of the Wainright men in my files, but they were bigger in person. East had said he’d played football in high school and college. He’d have been big then, especially to get a scholarship for it, but he was probably even bigger now. I pegged him at six-four, two hundred twenty pounds. I’d watched him devour a sub sandwich at his father’s wake and imagined he needed lots of calories to fuel his tank.

South was shorter and leaner. Had more of a runner’s build, but could hold his own, I had no doubt.

West came back minus the shotguns. East had grabbed a beer for him and passed it off. They all had various shades of brown hair, but none looked much alike. None looked like North.

They were all staring at me, the center island the size of my kitchen, between us.

I had to wonder how guys this big couldn’t deal with Macon and protect their sister.

“You and North, huh?” West asked, looking me over.

Three brothers could be hard to win over, but I had a feeling they might be easier than North herself.

“Me and North,” I replied, not giving them anything more. I knew what I wanted from North—everything, especially after what we’d just done—but she wasn’t there yet. “My condolences about your father.”

They glanced at each other and laughed, took swigs of beer. “Yeah, thanks,” South offered, but he didn’t seem all that torn up. None of them did.

“Didn’t see you at the wake,” I commented, looking at South and West.

“North had it handled,” West said.

“You sure about that?” I asked. Having to deal with snoopy townsfolk solo didn’t seem fair. Or fun.

“We were on our way but East texted and said North shot up the place and shut the thing down. No one’s going to fuck with our sister.”

“Yeah, you don’t know our sister,” West added.

I didn’t, but I was starting to. If her brothers were giving her a hard time, I’d set them straight. I didn’t care that they looked like part of a national rugby team and could shoot a flea off a squirrel’s back.

“Do you?” I countered.

South bristled, his shoulders rolling back, his eyes narrowing. “What the fuck’s your problem? You come waltzing in here like you know what’s going on around here.”

“You’re her brothers. It’s your job to watch out for her.”