Twisted Love: A Prequel Read online

  Twisted Love

  Prequel to “The Smith Brothers” Series

  Brenda Ford

  Copyright © 2019 by Brenda Ford

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a piece of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

  If you are reading this book and book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Published: Brenda Ford 2019

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  Contents

  Blurb

  1. Brad

  2. Angelo

  3. Alex

  4. Nelson

  5. Oliver

  6. Wesley

  Author’s Note

  Stay connected with Brenda Ford

  Also by Brenda Ford

  Blurb

  Affairs, cougars, scandals… the Smith brothers have it all.

  None of them have a straight forward love life…even the ones that think they do.

  However, Brad’s 35th birthday sparks a change for all of them.

  Unraveling everything that they thought they knew.

  Angelo wants his brother to find love, ignoring his own issues.

  Alex is addicted to the girl he can’t have.

  Oliver is hopelessly in love with the girl next door, while Nelson eyes her mother.

  And Wesley… well, his mess is a permanent one.

  There’s no escaping now!

  1

  Brad

  “Happy birthday, bro!” Angelo smacks me on the back hard. “Thirty five years old. Who’d have thought it? I don’t think any of us believed you’d live this long.”

  “Dude!” my youngest brother, Nelson, jumps in. “Don’t be so insensitive.”

  “What? Why is that insensitive? I’m just saying…”

  “Angelo, if you don’t get what Nelson is saying then you need a smack,” Wesley joins in.

  As always, when we’re all together, there is an argument of some kind. I guess that’s what you get for putting six brothers in one room, which is why any birthday is a nightmare. Even if it’s mine, which should be far more dignified since there is a thirteen year age gap between me and the next one in line, Oliver.

  But this argument I understand. At least, I get Nelson and Wesley’s point of view. This is a particularly difficult birthday for me because our parents were also thirty five years old when that car crash killed them sixteen years ago, leaving me in charge of Oliver, who was only six years old at the time. Angelo and his non identical twin brother, Alex, who were almost five. Wesley who had just turned three and Nelson who was two.

  To say it wasn’t easy would be an understatement.

  Our mother’s brother came over from England to look after us for a while, but I still did most of the work. Then when I hit twenty one years old, everything fell to me, including the running of our father’s very successful marketing company.

  I have been busy as fuck. Life has been mental for as long as I can remember.

  “It doesn’t matter.” I raise my beer bottle high to shut them all up. “I’m not upset. Can we just have a nice evening rather than causing the same shit as always.”

  “Yeah, okay.” Alex pats me on the arm. “Instead of giving each other shit, we should be giving you shit since it’s your birthday.”

  “That isn’t what I meant…” I try, but of course, no one is listening in. They’ve got a common goal now and it’s to torment me. I better buckle up.

  “Yeah, I think we need to talk about your age, bro,” Oliver smirks. “Your age and the fact that you haven’t settled down. I mean, what other thirty five year old man do you know that hasn’t ever had a long term relationship before.”

  “Because I don’t have time!” I cry out.

  “Time is fucking bullshit. You have to make time. For the right woman, you got to.”

  “Well, maybe I haven’t found the right woman then.” I shrug. “Maybe it will come with time. Why the hell do you guys care anyway?”

  “You know…” Angelo joins in, using his trouble causing voice which puts me right on the edge. It seems that my attempt to get them to get the fuck off my back hasn’t helped. “I think I might know someone who’s perfect for you. Someone who’s hot enough that you will be interested forever, but also intelligent so you can have a conversation.”

  “Right, sure.” I roll my eyes dramatically. “And you just decided to tell me now.”

  “Well, there is one thing that you’ll use as an excuse to not date her, but I think you should look past that, for once and just give the girl a chance.”

  “Does she have an extra head or something? Come on, you know I’m not shallow.”

  “Then why haven’t you ever given someone a chance? And don’t say time.” Alex winks.

  “It does take up a lot of my time running the company and looking after you bastards.”

  “We’re all adults now. Even Nelson is eighteen years old. You don’t need to babysit us anymore. And don’t forget, Angelo and Oliver work for the company. We know that the business pretty much runs itself these days. You don’t need to panic so much.”

  “Alex, will you just stop it? I don’t want to think about it. I just want to have a few drinks and have a nice night with you all. Is that too much to ask?”

  Truth be told, I have been considering what it would be like to have a proper relationship these days. I’ve spent such a long time looking after other people that I haven’t really looked after myself, and it would be nice to do so. The idea of having a wife and a family of my own is exciting… but at the same time, I haven’t met anyone that fits into my life.

  I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for, despite my brother’s insistence I’m not shallow. That’s why I don’t ever tell them anything real about myself.

  “But we can’t have you hooking up with anyone like Maria again…”

  “Alex, leave it! I know that she went all crazy and stalker kind, but I won’t make that mistake again. She was supposed to be a one night stand, nothing more.”

  “Then there was Rebecca, and Sally…”

  “Okay, thank you.” I snort with derision. “I haven’t made the best choices, I will admit that, but my thirty fifth birthday is supposed to be a celebration about everything that is good about me. You aren’t supposed to be roasting me unless I ask for it…”

  “Brad, I’m serious about knowing someone that I think is perfect for you,” Angelo continues. “Why won’t you give me a chance to just introduce you? You already know her…”

  “If she was as perfect as you say she is and I already know her, then wouldn’t I be with her already? I’m not completely blind to everyone.”

  “No, because you always go for the wrong girls. Look, Brad, we want you to be happy.” My other brother’s nod, agreeing with Angelo’s concern. “We don’t want you to be lonely, and we want you to just open your mind a little bit…”

  “I don’t want to hear it.” I sink the rest of my beer in a heartbeat. “Let me just go out somewhere. I can’t sit around in the house and listen to you guys giving me this shit.”

  “Brad, you�
��re taking my intentions all wrong. All I want to do is help…”

  But I’m already out the door, heading to the night club, needing loud music and beer as a distraction from this nightmare. While I’m already struggling with my age and my life, I don’t need my brother’s piling on. Even if their intentions are all good.

  A beautiful woman grinds against me, making it obvious that she wants me. She has that cheeky glint in her eye and I know for certain that I could take her into the bathrooms and she would have my cock in her mouth for an instant, giving me a much needed release…

  So, why am I doing that already? What is going on with me?

  It seems that my age and the little chat that I had with my brother’s before is still affecting me, playing on my mind. All my brothers were given the chance to work for the family company when they got old enough, but Angelo was the first one to go for it. He was excited to work with me. Oliver enjoys it now, but he only came along when the times got tough. Me and Angelo are probably closer than any of my other brothers, so he knows me the best.

  I have to admit that I’m a little intrigued by this so called perfect woman that he has found for me. Is she really beautiful and smart? Could I have something in common with her? Because I know that so far I don’t with any of the women, just like I didn’t have it with Maria, Rebecca, Sally, or any of the other one night stands I’ve had. But then, I also have to worry about the factor that might put me off her. If he hasn’t introduced her to me already, or pointed her out since I ‘already know her’ then it must be bad.

  “Hey, handsome.” The stranger’s hand slides down my body where she cups my bulge without a moment of hesitation or being shy. “Are we ready to get out of here?”

  She drags her tongue along her painted red lips, trying to lure me in. There’s a part of my brain that is definitely up for it, the carnal, primal lust that wants to celebrate my birthday in style, but I can’t go through with that.

  “Er, no, I need to speak to my brother.” I push her off me. “I will… be back.”

  She yells something nasty for me as I leave, which only confirms that she definitely isn’t the woman for me, not that I needed the confirmation.

  No, what I need is Angelo.

  “Hey, buddy.” I grab my brother and spin him around to face me. The glazed overlook tells me all I need to know… he’s wasted. “You know what, never mind.”

  “Brad.” He grabs my arm and pulls me back to him. “You want to meet her, don’t you? The girl, I mean. You want to meet the person that I believe is perfect for you. Well, I will bring her to you on Monday morning…”

  “We’ll be at work on Monday morning…”

  “Yes, I will bring her to you then.” He shoots me a playful wink. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell the rest of the guys. I know it’s a bit… embarrassing.”

  “Well now it is!” What an idiot, what am I playing at? “Forget I said anything. Let’s just… I’m going home with that woman. The one over there who’s just basically asked me to have sex with her.”

  “No, Brad, you’re not. You don’t want to go home with her. You want something more, something deeper. I can see it in your eyes. We both know it.”

  Damn it, he does know me really well. What the hell is wrong with me? I’m changing. I just hope that it’s for the best…

  2

  Angelo

  “Good morning, Angelo,” Tami says brightly as she steps into my office with her usual skip in her step.

  She’s the one person who’s always excited to get to work no matter what. She loves it here at the Smith marketing firm, she’s almost as passionate about it as Brad… which is why I believe that he should give her a chance. I know that he’ll struggle, mostly because she’s over a decade younger than him, but I think they have more in common than he knows.

  I worry about Brad, a lot. He’s given up so much of himself to replace our parents, to be there for us and the company too. He wants to be everything for everyone, but he’s missing out on being a person himself.

  Our other brothers don’t see it as much as I do, they aren’t around him as much as me, but that guy needs someone. He needs something more than meaningless sex to keep him on the straight and narrow. To make his life complete. While outwardly, Tami doesn’t seem like she could be that girl because of her age, I’m sure she could. I’m certain that she will be everything he needs. That’s why today is the day I put my plan into action.

  “Hey, Tami… did you have a good weekend?”

  “Oh yeah, I had a great time. I caught up with some of my old college friends. I haven’t seen them in the six months since we all left.”

  God, she really is young, but I don’t doubt my gut feeling.

  “Well, that’s good to hear. I hope that you’re all refreshed and ready for the day because I actually have an idea.”

  “I thought you might.” She nods determinedly. “What do you need me to do?”

  “Well, normally, you’re my assistant, but today I want you to work with my brother…”

  “But Oliver works in the financial sector. I’m not that great with numbers.”

  “I don’t mean Oliver.” I pause, knowing that this is going to be a big ask. People think that Brad is moody because… well, that’s how his passion seems sometimes. “I’m talking about Brad.”

  I can tell by her face that she’s immediately freaked out by this idea. But Tami is a great worker, very ambitious too, and she will do whatever it takes to make sure she rises to the top.

  “Do… do I have to?” She stammers awkwardly. “I don’t think I’m the best person for it.”

  “Oh no, Tami Johnson, you are the perfect person for this job,” I do my best to reassure her. “Trust me.”

  She’s hesitant as she walks, but thankfully, she comes with me to Brad’s office. I do have to practically shove her through the door to get her inside. One day, these two will thank me for this, however bad it seems now.

  “Brad!” I declare with a smiling tone, trying to keep the mood light before it inevitably sinks. “I have someone that I need you to meet.”

  “What is it, Angelo? It’s Monday morning, I’m a very busy right now.” Brad spins and his eyes fix on Tami. I watch his face turn from confusion all the way to anger, which doesn’t bode well. “What the hell are you playing at, Angelo? This isn’t what I thought you meant.”

  “But Tami is perfect to work as your assistant today.”

  I emphasize the word ‘perfect’ to make him recall our conversation from his birthday. He asked me for help. Yes, he was a little drunk at the time, but I could see the genuine need there. He was desperate for me to help me. Well, here I am, doing just that.

  “Tami is too young to be perfect,” Brad argues. “So, thank you, but no thank you.”

  Fucking hell. Not only does he remember but he’s being incredibly rude about this! If he shuts people down like this all the time, then is it any wonder he’s still single?

  “You need to give Tami a chance,” I reply through gritted teeth. “Because she’s very capable. She’s intelligent and very hard working. She will make your day run a whole lot smoother. You might even have things in common if you just talk to her and find out more about her.”

  I sounds like I’m a sales man trying to get Brad to buy Tami, which sucks. I can’t even begin to imagine what she thinks about all of this, but I need to get Brad to be brave and give this woman a damn chance.

  “Angelo, I think it might be better if I just go back to my desk…” Tami offers, but I shake my head and silence her. Brad’s coming around already, mostly because of the embarrassing situation but that’s okay. It doesn’t matter what causes him to agree as long as he does.

  “Look, Brad, just let Tami work with you for a week. Go from there.”

  Brad nods sharply, not really giving me anything of a proper answer, but it will do for now. I’m sure that it will only take a bit of time alone for them to see how perfect they really are for one another, ev
en if they seem unlikely at first.

  I take a step backwards, exiting the office and leaving them in peace so the magic can begin to work itself out. With a smile, I grab my cell phone out my pocket and I call my twin. He’s always my immediate go to when anything dramatic happens. We’ve always had a bond, I guess because we were in the womb together, but we grew even closer when our parents were killed. We might have only been four at the time, but we seemed to immediately have an understanding that we needed one another more than most children. It wasn’t that we were alone, exactly, it’s impossible to feel alone with five brothers, but what me and Alex have is different. Oliver always calls it a ‘twin thing’.

  “Hey, Angelo!” Alex yells over the sound of his band practicing.

  I don’t really get the music they do, it certainly isn’t to my taste, it’s too loud and obnoxious, but they’re growing in popularity every single day. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were one of the rare bands that actually made it.

  “Hey, Alex, do you have a minute? I just wanted to talk.”

  “Er, hold on. Wait a moment. Let me go outside.” As I wait, I take a seat at my desk, still feeling that happy glow from what I might well have just started. “Right, that’s better. What’s going on?”

  “I just introduced Brad to Tami.” I tut loudly as I’m greeted with silence. He does know about my plan; I have told him. “You know, the girl I think is perfect for him? Well, I’ve just started the ball rolling.”

  “Oh right…” He doesn’t sound as pleased as he should. “You are meddling in his love life now?”

  “Well, he isn’t exactly doing a great job of sorting out his own love life, is he?” I laugh loudly. “He needs a push in the right direction.”