Beast Within

02| Invitations

KAIA'S P.O.V.

"It was a lucky guess." He winked.

I was saved when a customer called me over, asking for a glass of rum and coke. Handing the lady her drink, I reached for the towel on my shoulder and wiped down the small mess I'd made while making the drink. I tried to not think about that guy from earlier. Maybe it was a coincident that guy knew my old name.

Unlikely, my thoughts snickered.

I shook my head and tried to focus on something else. Scanning the space around me, I looked for my cousin.

She'd walked in about an hour ago. The last time I checked up on her, I saw her catch the attention of a guy with inky black hair and a sly grin to match. My eyes widened when I spotted where she was now. Or precisely what she was doing.

The back of her head was to me, but I didn't need to see her face to know what was going on. The stranger's hands coiled around her body, drawing her in closer as the kiss deepened. Jamila wasn't the kind of person who made-out with complete strangers for the heck of it.

"Is that your cousin?" Winston asked, showing up out of nowhere.

"Uh, yeah. It is," I said as if it was nothing.

Winston was my manager. He had dated my cousin when we first moved into town, but it ended in heartbreak and deception. He hadn't informed her about the two kids he had in Harper Falls or the fact that his divorce from his wife wasn't finalized...

...or even filed yet.

"Is she dating him or something?" He snorted. "For her sake, I hope not."

"I'm not that sure." My brows knitted together as I tried to focus in on this guy. He had bright eyes and curly hair that was as black as the night sky. "He doesn't look all that familiar. Why do you say for her sake'? Do you know him?"

"He's Dario...Dario Blaine." He emphasized the last name.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I had only heard a few things about the Blaine family, but only in passing whispers in town. None of it seemed like solid facts, just stupid gossip. They were known around town as one of the most handsome bachelors in town. They didn't look related, so I didn't understand why all four boys bared the same last name. Everyone wondered why they didn't have girlfriends or wives yet.

I had secrets of my own. So, when it came to my questions regarding the Blaine brothers, I kept them to myself. I didn't need people pickup on my name or my identity.

There were four brothers in all, but no sign of a mother or father. They weren't biologically related—that was a fact, like I said before. They were different racial and ethnic backgrounds, ranging in height, some with ink against their skin - and others without. One looked like he was Far East Asian, another looked as pale as an Irish prince. Two of them had brown skin, but different hues—one was richer in contrast and had beautiful dreads. I had a feeling they were all adopted or something. But I wasn't going to be bold enough to ask such a question. Quite frankly, it wasn't my business.

"I've never met any of the brothers," I said honestly to Winston. "Well, actually. I did run into that one brother with the tattoos."

"Was his name Nolan?" Winston informed.

"I wouldn't know if that's his name or not. He wouldn't speak."

He nodded. "That's definitely Nolan. The guy doesn't talk."

"To anyone?"

"He doesn't talk at all. I've never heard him speak." He flickered his eyes over to where my cousin and Dario were. "You know what I think is extremely odd about all of the brothers?"