And I barely knew anything about him except what I’d learned from the workup on him. I knew about his family. That he went into the FBI. I pretty much had his bio until he was twenty-seven, when I’d seen him at his family’s barbecue. The rest I got from the report. He’d worked at the FBI until a few months ago. Fired. Laid off. Something like that because of disciplinary action.

That didn’t seem like the Jed I knew. But he worked for Marshall now. Shady characters flocked to shady characters.

But Jed wasn’t shady. Was he? Nothing he’d said while we were together made me think that at all. Perhaps the opposite, too honorable. Was I falling for a guy like Macon? Was I replacing one asshole in my life for another? Was he giving me attention because he wanted something from me? I’d asked him that over and over and every single time he’d gotten pissed. Then chipped away a little more at my secrets. Even the dirty, kinky ones. While he kept his quiet.

Except he’d said he wanted me. All of me. That I was his. That my pussy was his. He touched me in so many different ways. Arms wrapped around me protectively. An ass spanking to get me to talk. A pussy spanking to remind me who was in control. Fingers skillfully finding my g-spot with the need to satisfy. His dick fucking me to make me submit, to dominate, to rule.

I’d signed the contract with Marshall. If that was Jed’s sole motivation of coming to the wake, which he’d admitted, then he’d be done with me. I’d know all of it had been for a reason other than… than what? Love?

I finished my shower and went about getting ready for work. By the time I was dressed in another crisp dress and matching heels, I’d pushed away thoughts of why Jed wanted to be with me, because I was afraid of the truth. I’d survived Macon. I wasn’t sure if I would survive Jed.

I found my brothers in the kitchen, clearly waiting for me. East and West were sitting on stools at the far end of the island drinking coffee. West had on a ratty t-shirt and East was bare chested. They looked hungover. Maybe they were.

South was dressed. Jeans and a white snap shirt. He held two travel mugs and handed one to me.

I stopped in my tracks, but Eddie went over to East and nudged him for a pet.

“What’s this?” I asked.