I awoke to the bright sunlight and the breeze of the warm air on my face. Rows and rows of cornfields were laid out before me.

"Morning, beautiful." A deep, sexy voice awoke every nerve in my body, making me straighten in my seat.

"Morning." I glanced around and admired the endless rows of golden corn husks in the horizon and long grass speckled with wildflowers. "Are we there yet?"

"Almost. I stopped to take a little nap, which delayed us a bit." He lifted a playful eyebrow.

After he turned down the corner, the scenery transformed. Boarded up shops and graffiti on buildings lined both sides of the street. The farther we drove, the shadier my surroundings became. Overgrown weeds spanned neighborhood front lawns, bars on windows, boarded up homes.

"Not the best of neighborhoods, but Mom didn't want to sell the place we grew up in, even though we could afford to buy her anything she wanted."

"It’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” I said, half-joking, half-serious. Rosendell was clean and wealthy, and aside from the local soup kitchen volunteer event, I wasn't exposed to a lot, but still, if I needed to, I was sure I could handle my own.

"We're not in Rosendell anymore, Angel. This is the hood like you've never seen it. My brothers and I, we've earned a lot of respect in these parts. No one touches us or the house or messes with anything that's mine, and since you're mine ..." He threw a playful glance my way. "Are you mine?"

I leaned over and kissed his cheek without hesitation. "Exclusively and forever yours."

"Well then, no one will be bothering you, either." He pulled into a driveway, and as I stepped out of the car, I took in the quaint house, with its white windowsills accenting the gray siding and the white wooden fence that caged it in. The lawn was manicured with lilies and roses and hostas lining the pathway to the door. It seemed very well-maintained like it didn't belong on the block of outdated houses with barred windows.

"Ready?" Cade asked. "You get to sleep in my childhood bed where I filled all my teenage dreams with Adriana Lima."

I grimaced. "Okay, gross."

"But Adriana has nothing on Angelica Armstrong." His eyes danced with humor and he laughed.

"Mmhmm."

He popped the trunk, then gripped my fingers fiercely.

"So, I get to meet the infamous Jordan Ryder." When his jaw tensed, I added, "But Jordan Ryder has nothing on Cade Ryder."

He looked cautiously pleased. "And that's what I like to hear."

People were out on the street. Some wearing bandanas, others wearing the same distinguishable colors as though they belonged together. Cade made eye contact, tipped up his chin to the men and the women congregated outside and kept walking toward the house.

As soon as I entered the house, I let out a silent yet overwhelming huge breath out of my system.

Cade dropped his bag on the floor. "You're okay." He pulled me in and kissed the top of my head. "I'd never let anything happen to you."

I reveled in his hold, enjoying the way his lean body pressed against mine.

Hardwood floors gleamed from the sun shining through the windows. The walls were painted a neutral cream, and pictures hung on the walls, decorating the room in matching dark mahogany frames.

Cade reached for my hand and pulled me deeper inside. "Where’s everyone at?"

"In here," a deep voice rumbled from the kitchen. Laughter carried us from our destination in the family room and into the kitchen.

I took in the two good-looking men sitting at the table that could not contain them. It reminded me of full grown adults trying to fit in a grade school desk, their legs spilling over the chairs.

Jordan Ryder, actor extraordinaire, stood first to greet me. His eyes were a sharp piercing blue. His baseball cap tipped backward, and he was sporting a Dodgers T-shirt and jeans. He reminded me of a frat boy, but with tats that spanned both of his arms. I was used to seeing him in a suit on TV during those award ceremonies or shirtless on the big screen. I was a little starstruck despite myself.

"Angel!" Jordan cooed, which made Cade push me behind him.

"She is off limits,” he growled. “You can say hi from across the room. She's already starstruck stupid when it comes to you." I didn't know if Cade was joking or if he was being possessively serious.

Jordan stuck his hand out, and I peered at him behind Cade. "Hey, Angel. We've heard so much about you." He raised an eyebrow at Cade. "I'm Jordan." His five-star gleaming smile surfaced, the one that won awards, sold movie tickets, and I was sure bedded many women.

It didn't make my heart pitter-patter, but internally I was fan-girling a tiny bit.

"Nice to meet—” As soon as I put my hands in his, he tugged me forward and engulfed me in a big hug. "None of those formalities. We're practically family now. Cade hasn't brought someone home in forever." He tipped his chin, looking thoughtful. "Or ever, actually."

I patted his back. "Well, it's nice to meet you." He smelled terribly good like clean aftershave, but glancing at Cade's tight expression, I doubted that would be a smart move to voice my thoughts.

"All right. Enough manhandling my girl." Cade plucked me from Jordan's arms and kissed me fully on the lips. The girly girl in me gleamed at Cade staking his claim.

Cade gestured to the equally stunning man at the table. "And this is Wyatt."

Wyatt stepped forward, and I took in his over-six-feet lean frame. His dark, reddish brown hair flopped over his chocolate brown eyes. Wyatt rocked a little scruff on his chin, as though he was growing out a beard in a sexy lumberjack style. He took both of my hands in his. "It's great to finally meet you." His voice was evenly calm and sweet, a direct contrast to the other men in my vicinity.

Wyatt extended his hand and gestured to a seat by the table. "I cooked steak and mashed potatoes if you're hungry."

Cade slapped his back, his eyes appraising him. "Wyatt over here is our cook at home, while I'm the cook at the restaurant." When Cade pulled out the seat at the table, I sat down.

Their stature, their tats, their overall persona was overwhelming, overpowering, over-the-top. They looked like thugs in a nice, clean package, a walking contradiction. They weren't blood related, but there was no denying their family bond.

"We heading to Mom's now or going to get our ink?" Jordan asked, dropping his butt on the chair opposite me. "You getting one today, too?" He smiled again, and all I could think of was Tene and how she would die to know who Cade's foster brother was. I made a mental note to tell her all about our meeting later and rub it in.

"No, I'm afraid I'm tat free," I admitted sheepishly.

Cade slapped his brother on his head. "Don't be an idiot. When do you have to leave?"

"Tomorrow night," Jordan sighed. "My agent wants me back in Cali the day after tomorrow."

"How about you, bro?" Cade turned to Wyatt.

"I can stay for a while. I don't have to go back to filming for two weeks."

My stomach grumbled, and I picked up a fork and stabbed the steak and guided it on my plate. "You into making movies, too?"

Wyatt shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His stare went blank before he averted his gaze. "Um. Not really. More like directing documentaries or reality television."

"Don't be modest, bro," Jordan teased, knocking on the table. "This guy owns the BCB Network."

"Shut up, Jordan,” Wyatt muttered, his face turning a light shade of red. “I just work there, I don’t own it."

"Well, you're the only heir to Hendricks, so I'm sure if he keels over, you'll be taking over."

"Bill Hendricks?" My eyes practically popped out of their sockets. Bill Hendricks was the biggest media mogul in all of Hollywood. He owned multiple radio stations, TV stations, and, more importantly, he ran all the biggest cable networks.

"You're his son?" I asked again.

Years ago, Bill's face had graced the cover of every gossip magazine sold on every grocery aisle. Some titled Bastard Son. Some titled Heir to Hendricks Dynasty. I guessed this woman was paid a hefty sum to get interviewed about their multi-year affair, years back, that revealed that she had conceived a son. There was no way that she could get child support. Wyatt was way over the legal age, but some magazines had said she’d gotten paid over three hundred thousand for being on camera.

Wyatt's downturned eyes told me this conversation was over before it even started.

"Yup, Wyatt over here is a billionaire baby." Jordan playfully ruffled Wyatt's hair.

"Would you shut up already? Seriously. Shut the fuck up," Wyatt’s voice boomed.

When he stood, almost making his chair fly backward, Jordan stood and jerked back. "Dude, that's something to be proud of."

Wyatt glared at his brother. "Like I said, shut up already."

Cade stepped in between them, placing a hand on Jordan's chest. "Quit messing around. We need to figure out what we're doing for Mom."

The boys glared at each other, but in the next beat their faces relaxed, the fight fizzled and over.

"Balloons, cake, and tats? Like every year?" Jordan asked. "It's what Mama wants for her big day, and I've set it all up. We're all ready to go."

"Is today your mom's actual birthday?" I asked, turning to Cade.

"Our mom," Wyatt corrected. There was such joy in Wyatt's tone when he uttered those words.

"Yes, it is, and I can't wait for her to meet you." There was a twinkle of pride in Cade's eyes that made me swoon and blush and want to grab his ears and ram my lips into his.

"You'll love her. Mom is crazy fun." Jordan winked.

I marveled at the change in their moods and the banter between the boys as they talked about where they got the balloons and the kind of cake they ordered. They discussed getting cupcakes and the decorations and they wondered what tattoo they were getting today. Their easy banter and loud booming laughter was amusing.

"How about we get Angie's name this year?" Jordan asked, laughing.

My eyebrow lifted, and I reeled back, crossing my arms over my chest. "My name?"

"That's one name that's only going on my body and no one else's," Cade said, eyes hard and meaning no argument.

"We all got Candice's name." Wyatt stuck out his arm and embedded under the tattoos of Chinese characters was Candice's name, neat and discreet.

The table went silent for a second, and my stomach twisted at the loss of their sister. My thoughts flickered to our conversation in the car, the devastation in Cade's eyes, the destruction in his voice as he briefly relived his past.

"Where's yours?" I asked, turning to Jordan, curious.

For the first time since I had walked in the room, he stiffened, and his facial features dropped. "It's somewhere no one can see." His voice was curt and closed and warranted no more questions.

Candice was a sensitive subject, and I wondered if time would make it easier. I only hoped it would.

"Don't be a dick," Wyatt commented. "It's right next to his heart."

A heaviness spread throughout my chest. I wished I had just shut up.

"Whatever." Jordan stood, seeming vulnerable, and took a cigarette from his back pocket. "You want a smoke?" He offered Wyatt a cig, then me.

"No, I quit," I joked, trying to erase his sullen look, but it didn't work.

"I’m going outside, and when I come back, we can go.” I watched his retreating back walk out the patio door, all the while thinking Jordan Ryder still wasn’t over his dead ex-girlfriend.