Kai catches my eye sending awhat the fucklook my way. Yeah, I don’t get it either.
Every summer Finn comes to stay at our hotel while his father travels the globe on business, and every summer since wewere six years old, it’s been the same: we compete all summer long in a challenge of some sort. Some reckless, some downright dangerous, and all of them guaranteed to push us to our limits.
In the early, slightly more innocent days, it was stupid shit like who could steal the most food from the kitchens without getting caught and taking a beating from Cook. As we got older the stakes were raised to stealing from the guests – though the others never knew that I always dropped the majority of items back in the lost and found. And once we were old enough and our designations emerged – and ever since really – the challenges were purely physical. Sexual. Downright sinful.
The cards don’t make any sense.
“I knew I’d have to explain to you two twats how this works.” He sighs and leans forward in his chair, pointing to the two of hearts. “It’s poker, yes? We play all summer to collect cards and at the end, we each put forward our best five card hand. The best or highest hand wins.”
I narrow my eyes, knowing that I’m missing something. Finn’s a fickle, but adventurous and kinky, son of a bitch, so there’s no way he wants to waste our final summer together playing poker.
“So what’s the best hand?” Kai asks.
“A royal flush of course,” Finn counters without missing a beat.
“And how do we get one?” Kai presses.
“Well, each card represents a smaller summer challenge. You complete the challenge associated with the card, you win that card for your hand.”
Okay, that makes a little more sense.
My brother nods his head in understanding. “So the royal flush would be?—”
“The most difficult challenges to complete. Correct.”
“Alright. So what are we betting with this year?”
“A hundred grand buy in to play. Plus 2k a day each in the kitty to fund the creativity.” Finn’s grin spreads wide, a glint in his eye that’s more dangerous than mischievous. “Then there’s the prizes.”
Something about it sits wrong.
Not the challenge itself – we’ve done worse. Much worse.
But there’s a restless edge under my skin that wasn’t there five minutes ago. A prickle of something sharp and unfamiliar that makes it hard to settle back in my chair.
Like this summer isn’t going to play out the way it’s supposed to.
“Go on…” I say apprehensively.
“If I win, you sign over your shares of the Butler empire to me.”
“Done,” my reckless brother agrees before I can stop him.
“Koa, you too,” Finn adds.
There’s no way we can let that happen. Our great-great-grandparents built their legacy from nothing, and unlike my arrogant twin, who believes he can only ever win, I’m not about to risk losing it all on a bet. Especially a legacy that’s not mine to give away.
I shake my head and shoot my twin a hard look. “No deal, Finn. Pick something else.”
“Boo, you’re no fun. Okay, well if I get Kai’s I guess I don’t need yours, though it would have been nice to have the majority share to really stick it to Sol.”
Sol’s our older brother. Uptight, controlling, and every inch the dominant alpha. He wants little to do with the business, preferring to make it on his own as a university lecturer, but he still returns every summer to help at the resort. Begrudgingly.
He’s always on our asses about the fun we have and the way we choose to live our lives, telling us to pack up and settle down. Which is rich coming from him, the eternally lone alpha.
My plan this summer is to stay as far out of his way as possible.
“Never gonna happen,” I repeat, shaking my head. I won’t risk the Butler empire on a whim of stupid summer fun. “You’re not having either share. They’re not on the table for this.”