Read Lila's Thunder: The Almeida Brothers, Book One for Free Online Page A

voice--and he couldn’t think straight.   His eyes fell to the floor in an attempt to regain focus and caught sight of a tiny black blazer crumbled at their feet, recognizing it immediately.
    Jack followed Chase’s gaze and cursed under his breath before leaning down and sweeping up Lila’s blazer.
    Chase stared at the fabric in Jack’s hand in a daze, struggling with the knowledge of who it belonged to and why it was on the floor and not on her body. Looking up and catching the eyes of his older brother, Chase went blind. The bag dropped from his shoulder and before he could stop himself he’d lunged at Jack, grabbing the collar of his suit and yanking him violently forward until they were nose to nose.
    “Son of a bitch ,” Chase growled through gritted teeth.
    Jack held his head high, his breathing labored at the sudden negative contact. Jack didn’t want to fight, but he could feel his own anger rapidly seizing his heart. “This is where I work, Chase. This is my job.”  He didn’t know what else to say.  Seeing the look on Chase’s face left him nearly breathless. “This is my job,” he said, again, his eyes widening. He suddenly understood why Lila was so adamant that Chase never know about them.  Just the sight of her jacket on Jack’s floor had made him come undone. It had never been more apparent to Jack than it was right then, and he suddenly had the suffocating need to protect Chase from everything that was plaguing him.
    Jack’s eyes glazed over , and he opened his mouth to tell Chase how much he loved him, how he only wanted the best for him, but all that left his lips was an air of stunned silence. Once again his words had betrayed him, leaving him swimming in soundlessness and laying him bare.  He stumbled back when Chase suddenly released him.
    Jack watched him snatch up his book bag and charge out of the office, the entire building staring after him before moving their eyes back to Jack, expressions ranging from concerned to amused.  He took a heaving breath, thankful that the worst was over, and reached up to cover his neck with his hand.  In five minutes, including the minute and a half he’d spent trying to kill his older brother, Chase had said more words to Jack than he had in the last six months combined.  Jack clenched his neck a little tighter.
    He coul d feel his heart in his throat.

Chapter 3
     
    Two Years Earlier
     
    Chase sat alone on the couch in the living room of his Manhattan estate, leaning forward on his knees with his fists clasped in front of his lips.  His eyes slowly closed and a single tear fell down his cheek as he shook his head slowly, unaffected when a violent clap of thunder made the floor beneath his bare feet vibrate. A gold chain hung down between his clasped fingers, and he gripped it tighter as memories overwhelmed him.
    A knock echoed through the empty halls, and he leapt from the couch, his long limbs sprinting for the door and opening it in seconds.  The moment he saw Lila, standing at the door in a red rain coat, curls dripping wet from the rain, he stepped out into the unforgiving showers and took her in his arms, nearly lifting her off of her feet.
    “Chase.” Lila stood on the very tips of her toes, laughing.  He was sixteen, and he already had a good foot on her. If he were even an inch taller he would have lifted her clear off the ground. Where the hell had the time gone?  “Hey, I could have come inside, you know. You don’t even have shoes on,” she whispered, her smile falling when she realized he was shaking. “Okay, okay…” She rubbed his back gently.  “Let’s get you inside.  Come on, it’s freezing out here.”
    With hesitation , Chase released her, searched her eyes, and then made his way back into the brownstone, followed closely by Lila.  She closed the door behind her.
    Once inside the dark house, she removed her coat while taking in Chase’s bare back.  He had grown wider and stronger over the years.  It