Claimed by my Brother’s Best Friends (Alyssa) novel Chapter 41

Nikolai

"Between you and me...what is King's endgame with Alyssa?" Mason's question catches me off guard as we pull into King's driveway.

I glance at him, narrowing my eyes. "Why are you asking?"

He stares ahead, avoiding eye contact, his tone uncharacteristically soft. "I can't stop thinking about what she said earlier. I just want her to be...happy."

Seriously, what's been going on with him? He's usually so laid back, but lately, there's almost something almost possessive about the way he talks about Alyssa. I'm starting to entertain the ridiculously insane idea that he wants her again.

"I don't know what his intentions are," I admit, uncertainty creeping into my voice. "But he won't hurt her."

King may be emotionally fucked up, but I have faith that he'll do right by her.

If not, I'll have to step in.

We step into the house to find King on the couch, Zuri nestled comfortably in his massive arms, suckling on her bottle. The sight tugs at something deep in my chest—a mix of envy and something else I can't name.

"Hey, pretty girl," I greet her. Zuri's head snaps in the direction of my voice, and she immediately spits out her bottle, reaching up for me. I swear, I'll never get used to it. I've always fantasized about coming home to kids screaming "Daddy," running to jump into my arms.

This is the closest thing to it.

My feet move before my brain catches up, and I find myself crossing the room to scoop her up. Her small body curls into mine, and my chest burns with emotion—like it does every single time.

"Did you miss Uncle Niko?" I ask softly as her hand curls around my finger. For a moment, everything fades away—it's just me and Zuri. This fragile life that, in a span of a week, somehow means more to me than I ever expected.

But then King's voice slices through the moment, bringing me back to reality. "Where the hell have you guys been? I expected you back an hour ago."

His voice is low but sharp, his eyes swirling with barely-contained irritation.

"Gray insisted we go out to dinner with them," Mason answers before I do, rolling his eyes. "I guess it was their way of showing appreciation for being their taxi all day. As you can imagine, it was torture."

I hated every second of it. Not just because I despise Christine with every fiber of my fucking being, but I missed Alyssa and Zuri. I wanted to hurry back to them, but Gray insisted we stay.

He didn't once mention what Alyssa said at the table. Instead, he kept prying about why King is so interested in his sister staying here. He said King's behavior was off, even for him, and he wanted both Mason and me to keep an eye on him and report any troubling behavior.

I didn't have the balls to tell him that King has been fucking her since the night she arrived. I couldn't betray my brother like that. That would be a death sentence, and I'd probably be the one forced to kill King for him.

Besides, I'm just as guilty. I want her too.

It's like high school all over again. Back then, King and I both wanted her—that's where the pact came in. But we're not boys anymore. We're grown-ass men, and this time, we're both going to have her.

As Mason disappears down the hall to King's library, my eyes sweep the room just to make sure I didn't miss Alyssa. "Uh, where's Alyssa?" I ask hesitantly.