Bad Boy - A Stepbrother Romance by Caitlin Daire, Alyssa Alpha Read Free Book Online

was completely unexpected. Earlier, I’d been wondering what it would be like to have James as a future stepfather, but as it turned out, he already was my stepfather, and I had a new stepbrother to boot.
    God, why did my Mom always keep us in the dark about everything? She could be really flighty and selfish sometimes. I didn’t blame James at all; Mom had probably told him Grandma and I would be totally fine with them springing their surprise marriage on us, and he hadn’t known any better.
    “So what happens now? Where will we be living?” Grandma asked, pursing her lips.
    My stomach seemed to nervously flop around as I waited for Mom’s reply. I hadn’t even considered what we’d be doing in terms of living arrangements just yet. Even though our house in Hunter’s Point wasn’t the nicest place, it had still been our home for the last nineteen and a half years, and part of me really didn’t want to leave. Another bolder part of me was excited at the prospect of a new home.
    That is, if my Mom even wanted us to keep living with her.
    “Don’t worry, I won’t leave you two behind. We’ll be moving in here,” Mom said.
    “To the hotel?” I asked, my eyebrows shooting up. I’d known James owned the place, but I had no idea he lived here.
    “Yes,” she replied with a nod. “James and his son live here, because it makes more sense for them to always be close to the place in case something happens. So we’ll all be living here together as of next week.”
    “Oh. Okay,” I said. I didn’t really know what else to say. It seemed like the decision had already been made, and I didn’t get a say in any of it.
    I guess living in a hotel could be pretty cool. Room service, beautiful furniture in large suites, and wonderful views from the windows…not too shabby. Plus, there was a maid service, so my grandmother would be able to give herself a well-deserved break from all the housework she bothered herself with every day.
    Something caught my eye near the front end of the restaurant, and I looked over Mom’s shoulder to see an all-too familiar man walking over to us with an intense expression smoldering in his eyes. My stomach dropped with horror as I registered exactly who it was.
    No flippin’ way.
    It was Mystery Man from the other night, clad in tailored black pants and a light blue button-up dress shirt…which appeared to have blood smeared on the front. Beads of sweat formed at my hairline as he sauntered towards us, and a million and one questions flashed through my mind. Why the hell was he here? Had he tracked me down like some kind of stalker? And why on earth was he covered in blood ?
    Maybe I’d become paranoid from watching too many creepy serial killer documentaries on Netflix, or maybe it was just the blood on his shirt, but either way I immediately recoiled and pointed in his direction.
    “I think we should call security. That guy looks dangerous!” I said.
    “What?” James gave me a funny look before turning and looking in the direction of my pointed finger. “Oh. There you are!” he called out, forgetting my concerns and stepping out from behind our table.
    Um…what?
    He patted Mystery Man on the back before turning to us with a broad grin.
    “Ladies, this is my son, Finn. Finn, this is my new wife, Anna, her mother, Adelina, and her daughter, Rory.”
    Oh no…
    I stared up at them, completely and utterly dumbfounded as my Mom and Grandma said hello and shook Finn’s hand. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, and I couldn’t believe what was happening right before my eyes. Nope, nope, nope. This was some sort of crazy nightmare, right? He couldn’t be my new stepbrother. He just couldn’t be.
    And yet he was.
    Well, at least I knew his name now…
    “Nice to meet you, Rory,” he said, a glimmer of lust in his eyes as he turned his attention to me. “I can’t wait to become better…ahem…acquainted with you.”
    Seriously? After the other night, surely he knew the