Filthy Crown by Eleanor Aldrick

“Seems like you’re going to have your hands full with Pen,” Matt mumbles into his whiskey.

Jace snorts. “That’s an understatement if I ever heard one.”

The kids are now settled in their rooms and we’re in my den; the fire roaring as we all sit and sip our after-dinner drinks, all of us having opted for Matt’s private label, Tortured Crown whiskey. I let out a long sigh. To say that introductions with the staff went smoothly would be a lie. “I didn’t expect rainbows and sunshine, but hell, I thought with Pen being the oldest she’d be the easiest.”

Matt nearly spits his drink out. “A teenage girl? Easy? Man, are you out of touch with reality.”

I rub a hand over my face and sigh. “I guess so, brother. It’s just… the Pen I remember was so easygoing and happy. This Pen… She’s like a whole new person.” I groan, taking a long pull from my drink. “Hell, I didn’t even recognize her when she stepped out of the car. Thought she was someone with WRATH securities.”

I’d watched her long tanned legs step toward me, her dark brown hair flowing in waves down her back. She was stunning. She is stunning.

Not that my little princess wasn’t beautiful before. But she was just that. Little. With long lanky legs and a mouth full of braces, she was nothing more than my brother’s stepdaughter. A child.

But the girl sleeping upstairs resembles anything but a child. With her soft curves and full lips, the thoughts she elicits are all full grown.

My cock twitches, and I huff out a breath. Fuck, I’m screwed. I know I shouldn’t be thinking of her like this. It’s wrong. More than wrong. It’s illegal. She’s underage, and my niece for fuck’s sake.

Maybe a night out in the next town over will help push these sinful thoughts out of my head.

“So, Matt. Are you still up for babysitting?”

“Ha! It hasn’t even been one night and you’re already wanting out of parenting duties?” Matt shakes his head. “Anyway, I’m up for next weekend, though I think they’d probably benefit from stability.”

“That’s what I’m thinking too. That’s why you can come stay here during your time with them.”

Jace claps his hands together. “Hey, I can get in on the babysitting action, too. A weekend with Uncle Jace.”

“No!” Matt and I both shout in unison.

Jace holds his hands up in surrender. “Fine. Fine. Message received.”

“Good. Now that we have that out of the way, what’s your plan for getting to Hunter’s cabin?”

“I’m taking one of your trucks and driving up after breakfast tomorrow. The weather should be mild enough as we enter into the summer with the snow mostly gone.”

The ranch is located down valley, but Hunter’s cabin is an hour north on Bell Mountain. “Be careful. You know the roads aren’t fully clear until the dead of summer.”

“Ten-four, big bro. I’ll take two of the satellite phones with me and leave one up there with Hunter. There’s no way I’m letting him off the hook. If I’m forced to do weekly check-ins, then so is he.”

Matt grumbles, “It shouldn’t be a hardship to talk with your nieces and nephews, Jace.”

“Hey, that’s not what I meant. I love the kids. I’m just not a routine kind of guy. I’m more of a free spirit.” Jace lifts his drink, swaying it side to side.

Matt and I both groan. “Speaking of spirits, which one possessed Austin? It’s not like he didn’t know who he was getting into bed with. We’ve had our suspicions for a while now, and I think it’s safe to say that Las Cruces cartel is the number one suspect in our parents’ murder.”

Matt’s hand grips tightly around his rocks glass. “I think it’s time we brought WRATH securities in on this. We’ve been living with this for far too long, and with all of us going our separate ways, it’s been left to the wayside.”

Jace puts his drink down, lifting both palms toward us in supplication. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. I thought we left it behind us because that’s where it belongs. Dealing with local assholes is one thing, but this is a massive blood thirsty cartel.” He stands, pacing in front of us. “If our parents wanted to do business with them, they should have known what they were getting into. Same goes with Austin.”

There’s venom in my little brother’s words. A deep-rooted anger I rarely see in him has taken him over.

“Sit down, Jace. Nobody is going knocking on the cartel’s door.” Matt shakes his head, but I see what’s really bothering our little brother.

I stand and head over to him, placing an anchoring hand on his shoulder. “I get it. They left us here to pick up their messes. Their selfish actions didn’t take into account how those around them would be affected.”

Jace gives a jerky nod, his lips rolling into a firm line.

Keeping my eyes on him, I continue. “But we’re not selfish. Our hearts won’t allow us to move forward without holding those responsible for their deaths accountable. Right?”

Jace falls back into his seat with a whoosh. “Shit. Why do you always have to make sense?”

“I don’t, but I’m glad you think so.” I walk back to my chair, before looking at both of my brothers. “Are we doing this, then? Hiring the men of WRATH securities to look into this for us?”

“Fine. But just so you know, if one of you goes missing, I’m not sending in for a rescue.” Jace smirks before picking up his glass and taking a sip.

I shake my head and laugh. “Sure thing, brother. Sure thing.”

Coffee. I’m in desperate need of coffee.

Rubbing my temples, I shuffle into the kitchen as the sun begins to rise, its rays illuminating the space with a warm glow.

Success. Mary started a pot. I’m about to pull down a mug when a groan has me spinning around.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuuuuuck.” Pen is staring at a laptop screen, her brows pushed together and lips turned down into a scowl.

“Pen? What are you doing up so early?” It’s five in the morning and I’m usually the only soul moving around at this hour.

Her honey-colored eyes meet mine and it’s like I’m zapped with a current of energy.

“Mary let me borrow a laptop. It’s been over a week since I checked my portfolio and everything went to shit since I was gone.” She grimaces as if catching herself.

I feel my brows raise. “Portfolio? As in…”

She sighs, bringing both hands to her face before her fingers swipe up into her scalp. “Stocks. I day trade.”

“But you’re seventeen. Don’t you need to be an adult before you get an account with a brokerage firm?”

She raises a brow, clearly not amused. “I have an account under the UTM Act. Technically, Austin was supposed to be the one trading on my behalf, but he pretty much gave me free range.”

“Wow.” I just stand there holding my empty mug because, holy fuck. Here she is at seventeen, making serious money moves when all I cared about at her age was getting laid.

“Yeah. I’m supposed to gain full control in three months when I turn eighteen.”

I nod. “Does his… being gone, affect the account at all?”

Her little shoulders rise up in a shrug. “I figure as long as the transfer happens before the estate is closed out, I should be fine.”

I slowly nod, trying to make sense of everything she’s just dropped on me. “Okay. Well, I’m the one handling the estate, so I’ll look into that for you.”

She blows out a breath before getting up and heading toward the fridge. She’s wearing tiny sleep shorts, her round cheeks peeking out of the bottom with each step she takes.

Fuck.I swivel my head so fast, I practically give myself whiplash.

I cannot be looking at her ass.

“Thank you,” her voice comes out so small it has me turning back, my brows dropping and eyes narrowing.

“There’s no need to thank me. We’re family. It’s what we do.” Family. That’s right, you sick fuck. She’s family.

“But are we, though?” She takes out a tall glass filled with dark liquid and fills it with ice. Is that coffee? “Now that Austin is gone, we aren’t exactly tied together. I’m surprised you even agreed to take me in.”

My head rears back as if slapped. “What the hell? I would never turn you away, Pen. How could you even think that?”

She pours milk into the cup, her lip curling back in a sneer. “Gee, maybe because you abandoned me four years ago?”

What. The. Fuck.

“Pen, I—”

A shrill scream cuts through the house, both of our heads swinging toward the sound.

Before I can ask what the hell is happening, Pen drops her glass and runs out of the room. “Amanda! I’m coming, baby!”

I quickly follow, my mind racing with all possible scenarios. Did she fall? Is she hurt?

God, it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours and I’m already a shitty guardian. Maybe they should have gone to Matt instead.