Their Silent Claim

Lucy POV

This feels wrong. On every professional, ethical, and instinctive level, I know this is wrong.

As a therapist, I’m trained to help people, not walk into the lion’s den, turn a blind eye, and pretend I’m not knee-deep in a moral gray zone. And I absolutely, under no circumstances, do live-in clients.

But two million dollars is two million dollars.

Had I known who the job was for, I wouldn’t have shown up. Not a chance in hell. But now I’m here, sitting across from Grayson, mafia royalty, reigning king of silent intimidation, and his best friend Zade, who carries the same unreadable look of someone used to holding lives in their hands.

Grayson leans forward, resting his forearms on the thick wood of the table like he’s about to offer a business proposal and not a descent into madness. “I know you can’t repeat anything that happens here, confidentiality and all that. So if this isn’t for you, walk away. No hard feelings.”

His voice is calm, level, but every word hums with that subtle command people like him are born with.

I tilt my head. “You keep saying job, but this sounds more like surveillance. Or some kind of intervention.”

He smirks, the corner of his mouth lifting with practiced charm. “I need you to see them in their natural habitat. Not in a sanitized office where they can play nice. They don’t play nice. I want you in the house, living here. Watching them. Talking to them. Figuring out why the hell they can’t go a full day without dragging someone new into their beds.”

“You make them sound like celebrities.”

Grayson laughs, low and amused. “Teen girls don’t squeal for them, no. But they get attention. A lot of it. And they’ve got a reputation that draws more women in like moths to a goddamn bonfire. Apparently, they’re great in bed. Makes it worse.”

I arch a brow. “And what exactly do you hope to gain?”

Before Grayson can answer, Zade steps forward from where he’s been silently leaning against the far wall. “To figure out what’s wrong with my brothers. What’s changed. They used to be reckless, sure, but now it’s chaos. I wake up to half-naked women making coffee in the kitchen, my wife’s ready to kill me, and I have to explain that it wasn’t me who brought them home.”

I already know who they’re talking about, Jax and Zak. Identical twins with identical reputations. I’ve heard the rumors, though I’ve never understood the fascination. Brothers? Two men? I barely have the patience for one.

“And when you say live-in,” I ask cautiously, “what exactly do you mean?”

Grayson doesn’t hesitate. “You stay here. For at least a month, maybe two. You live in the house. You observe them, see what triggers the behavior. Watch how they treat the women. Talk to them. Track any patterns.”

I cross my arms. “As long as I don’t have to witness them actually with the women, fine.”

“That’s not what I’m asking,” Grayson says quickly. “I don’t want you in the room while they’re screwing around. But the aftermath? Yeah. The drinking. The talking. The way they act with the women once the clothes are back on. All of that matters.”

I sigh, already regretting every step that brought me through this door. “It could just be that they’re enjoying themselves. Not everyone wants to settle down at twenty-something. Some people need more time to grow up.”

Grayson groans, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. “Enjoying themselves? Friday, they brought home three women before lunch. Had their fun. Sent them home. Went to work. Came back with two more after drinks. Five in one day, Lucy. That’s not enjoyment. That’s concerning. And I’ve got a past, I’m not judging. But even I think that’s excessive.”

Zade snorts. “And I’m sick of getting texts from girls saying my brothers broke their hearts. Or worse, both brothers. They pull some switch game or take them together, I don’t even know anymore.”

Despite myself, I laugh. A dry, disbelieving sound. This job is going to be an emotional minefield, no boundaries, no blueprint, and no easy wins.

Still… two million.

“Alright,” I say, my voice steady even as my instincts scream otherwise. “I’ll do it. But if I see one naked woman before coffee, I swear to God I’m out the door.”

Grayson’s grin is slow and smug. “Welcome to the family, Lucy.”

And just like that, I step over the line I swore I’d never cross.

God help me.

I sit on the edge of a leather sectional that probably costs more than my car, hands clasped tightly in my lap as I glance between the three men around me.

Grayson lounges across from me, ankle resting over his knee, a drink in one hand though I’m pretty sure he hasn’t touched it. Zade sits to my right, silent but sharp-eyed, like he’s constantly listening for the threat no one else hears. And Joel, the youngest of the brothers, if I remember correctly, leans back on the arm of the couch, spinning a gold coin between his fingers with casual indifference.

They don’t say much. Just let the silence hang while the hum of low music from the hallway fills the space.

I don’t know what I expected. Maybe something more formal. A game plan. Ground rules. But instead, I sit here like some nervous intern waiting for the bosses to decide if I’m worth keeping.

And then I hear them, footsteps coming down the stairs, two sets, unhurried and heavy, followed by the clicking of high heels and the faint giggle of a woman who’s still tipsy from last night.

The twins arrive like a storm front, slow-moving, loud, and impossible to ignore.

Zak is the first to appear, shirtless, grinning, and saying something low to the blonde beside him. She’s draped over his arm like a scarf, eyes glassy with sleep or something stronger. Jax follows, also half-dressed, tattoos winding down his chest like vines choking something beautiful. His brunette is already adjusting her dress, swaying slightly as she bends to kiss his cheek.

“Bye, baby,” she purrs.

“Mm. Text me… or don’t,” Jax replies, patting her hip before watching both women stumble their way out the front door, laughing like there’s no such thing as regret.

Then both men turn and see me.

Zak’s gaze slides to me first, curious, then amused. Jax follows a heartbeat later, one brow raised in lazy interest.

“Uh…” Jax drags the word out like he’s savoring it. “New maid?”

“No way,” Zak says, flashing a grin as he drops onto the arm of the chair closest to me. “Too buttoned up. Too... judgey. She’s got that ‘I’m here to fix you’ look.”

“Smart man,” I mutter, lifting my brows but keeping my tone cool. “Maybe you can be taught.”

Grayson clears his throat, slow and pointed. “This is Lucy. She’s not your maid, or your one-night cleanup crew. She’s a licensed therapist.”

“A therapist?” Jax echoes, already laughing. “That’s what this is? You hired a shrink?”

“Not a shrink,” I correct. “A behavioral specialist. There’s a difference.”

“Yeah, a couple extra zeroes on the invoice,” Zak says, nudging his twin with an elbow. “How much did they pay you for this? Or are you doing it out of pity?”

“I’m doing it because two grown men somehow manage to behave like hormonal frat boys trapped in a never-ending college party,” I say, smiling sweetly. “And because someone’s footing the bill for me to live in a mansion while I watch you both unravel.”

Jax laughs outright, flopping into a chair like he’s settling in for a show. “Grayson, seriously? You hired a babysitter?”

Grayson doesn’t move. His voice comes quiet, but with that familiar edge that makes even the air still. “I hired her because I’m done watching you two destroy everything good around you. This isn’t about control, it’s about figuring out why neither of you can go a single night without treating someone like a temporary distraction.”

Joel mutters something under his breath about needing popcorn.

But Zak just shrugs, unconcerned. “You’re wasting your money, bro. We’re not broken.”

“And we’re sure as hell not about to cry on her couch about Mommy issues or whatever,” Jax adds.

I lean forward, meeting both their gazes head-on. “Good. Because I don’t do tears. I do truth. And you’ll find I’m much better at digging than you think.”

For the first time, Zak’s grin flickers, just for a second.

Grayson smirks, satisfied. “She’s staying. Try not to scare her off on day one.”

“Don’t worry,” Jax says with a slow smile. “She’ll be running by day two.”

He doesn’t realize how much I love a challenge.