Free The Best Thing Yet by McKenna Jeffries and Aliyah Burke Page A

don’t know you bought the Tahoe so when we drive back I have lots of space so I won’t feel cramped. It wasn’t needed, boy. I’m fine.”
    “And you’re going to keep that way. Now go into the house and supervise,” Tim said, turning his back on him.
    Jorge hit him across the head with the pillows. Tim spun.
    “Just fluffing them against your hard head. I’ll go check out the house.” Jorge smirked and walked away.
    Tim sighed. “That stubborn goat will be the death of me.”
    Arissa pulled down a box and said, “He’ll keep you young and on your toes.”
    “You’re not lifting that. Go to the house with Jorge.” Tim plucked the box out of her arms.
    He passed it to Jackson. Arissa frowned.
    “Come on, Rissa. We feeble women folk have been banished to supervise.” Deyon beckoned.
    Arissa glared at Jackson and Tim as she went to join Deyon, sitting at the table under the shaded porch on the one side of the house. Jorge came from in the house with a tray. He placed it on the table and shared the iced tea. Jorge sat and sipped his tea. They watched as Tim and Jackson sweated and unloaded the truck. They called out directions, ignoring the looks and grumbling.
    “They wanted us to direct. I bet you they will be sore later.” Arissa snickered.
    “Serves them right,” Jorge said.
    “Nah. They are big, manly men,” Deyon said dryly.
    They looked at each other and laughed.
    Relaxing in the chair Arissa said, “Thanks for letting Jackson and I live here with you.”
    “No prob, Rissa. It’s a lot of house for one person. I rarely let anyone stay in the two apartments on the second floor anymore.”
    Arissa frowned. That was news to her. As far as she knew, Deyon used the apartments to house the models she flew in for her shows. They stayed in the apartments, which had their own separate entrances just inside the front foyer. The centre door led to the main house where Deyon lived. The other two—one on the right and other on left—led to the second floor apartments. The main floor had beautiful, high vaulted windows with seats built in and lots of space, since that was what Deyon had wanted when she’d had the house built. It wasn’t just her living area, it was partially her design studio where she worked on some of her projects. With the ground floor space it made the two apartments over it very spacious and they had some of the same features. The whole house was a visual and physical oasis.
    “Why?”
    “One of the male models who I’d invited to stay in the apartment thought I wanted him in my bed. Crazy fool broke into my house then got all huffy when I said hell no. He couldn’t imagine that I didn’t want him,” Deyon said.
    “No. What did you do?” Arissa asked.
    “Showed him my gun. Then when he didn’t think I was serious I got out my other gun and tranqued his ass. Then called Leo. He was huffy about my brandishing my weapons, as he put it. He knows I have a permit to carry them. I almost darted his butt too, but resisted seeing as he is your family. Leo took my guns and the knives. Fucker.”
    Arissa started to laugh.
    “You were right to do that, Deyon,” Jorge said.
    “You know it, Jorge.”
    Arissa calmed down then asked, “So what did you get to replace them with?”
    “The same type of guns and the tranq gun too. But then I saw this sweet pistol crossbow and had to get it. Made sure to tell your grumpy butt brother about my new weapons.” Deyon took a sip of her tea.
    “What did he say?”
    “After lecturing me for what seemed like forever, he called your brothers and cousins and they came over and had a grand old time trying it out. Of course, you know Lis wasn’t about to be left out. She rounded up the women and came over. We had a fabulous cook-out and tried out my new weapons.”
    Arissa shook her head. “It’s a good thing your closest neighbour is miles away.”
    “Hell, when they saw the crowd coming they came over too. They brought the booze.”
    “Sounds