A Mate for the Alpha and His Brothers Read Online Free PDF Page A

you, Naftali,” she repeated as she left.
    “You’re welcome.”
    “I’ll take you up to the apartment now, and you can leave your coat there while we have lunch.”
    Elsie knew she’d have to tell him lunch wasn’t going to happen, but she’d wait until they were at the apartment to do that. There was no need to embarrass herself in front of the other workers here.
    They took the elevator to the fourth floor and walked to the very end of the hallway. Brayden punched a number into the security pad there and opened the door for her. Elsie took two steps into the room and stopped. It was an apartment like her family had lived in when her father had lived with her mother and her. A big living room with huge windows to the outdoors, a proper kitchen, and a hallway with several doors off it. Likely they had a real bathroom as well.
    Even more than that, she’d been promised a bedroom of her own. Her own most recent bedroom was little bigger than a shoebox. It had a twin bed and a chest of drawers, and that was all. Not that she needed more space than that. She’d sold everything that would raise any money after all. But she remembered spacious rooms like this. There was such a sense of freedom here.
    Brayden took her into a room that was spotlessly clean. He flung open the closet door, and the closet was empty.
    “You didn’t need to move all your things out. All I have is this coat,” she said.
    “I hope that soon you’ll have a lot more things. We’ll buy you clothing and whatever you need.”
    “No you won’t. I’m very, very grateful for the room here and the job. But I’ll pay my own way, thank you. I don’t need clothing, or lunch. I need to save every cent I earn so that I can bring JJ out of that neighborhood before The Fixer finds out I’ve given the dagger back. JJ’s life will be in danger once that happens. I wouldn’t have left him if I didn’t think we’d have a few weeks’ leeway. The Fixer doesn’t usually act fast. It might even take several months for him to find a new buyer. But I’ve only paid one month’s rent on the apartment, so that’s my time limit. I have one month to earn enough money to pay for JJ to go up north and to pay for his food and accommodation there while he goes to school.”
    “You don’t have to do it all yourself. We’ll help,” said a voice from the hallway.
    Elsie stepped to the side where she had a better view out the doorway and saw a second man quite similar to the first. But where the first one, Brayden, was serious, the second one had definite laugh lines beside his eyes. He was also a fraction taller, but probably not a full inch, and maybe a few pounds heavier. But again, not a lot. Five, no more.
    Elsie laid her coat on the bed and crossed her arms over her chest. She really wanted to stay here and work, but these men had to know she was serious. “You aren’t listening to me. I will work for my wages. I will not just take things from you. I’m very grateful to be here, but if you won’t let me do things my way, I’ll have to leave. Do you understand?”
    “You’re a feisty, prickly little thing, aren’t you? Come out to the kitchen, and we’ll have some lunch and talk properly.”
    Elsie’s tummy rumbled at the thought of food. But it couldn’t possibly be lunchtime yet. Besides, she’d already had two wonderful cups of coffee today. She’d be fine until evening. She opened the coat and took her wallet and passport out of the pocket and slid them into her jeans pocket. She checked the cell phone, but there were no messages. She hadn’t expected there would be. No one would be offering her a job, and now she had the promise of work, anyway. She turned it off again and slid it back into its pocket. It’d taken her three days to make all these pockets, sewing everything by hand, but it was the only way she could think of to carry her luggage and still have her hands free and no backpack someone could steal while she slept.
    The men