Double Or Nothing: Gemini (Zodiac Alphas) Read online

  "No, let's cheers to you and me reconnecting," he said. "I get a birthday every single year, but it has been six years since I've seen you."

  “Fair enough,” I said, giggling. “Here's to us.”

  "Yes, to us." He clinked his glass against mine, and we each took a sip. Before I could say a word, Castro grabbed my hand and began walking me back across the yard. "I want to introduce you to some of my friends."

  We stepped up to the original group he'd been talking to when I'd first arrived.

  “Everyone, this is my beautiful and amazing friend, Katie,” he said.

  The group of men turned to look. They all appeared just as put together as Castro was. Every one of them had nice clothes on and were well-groomed. They smiled as soon as they saw me and reached out their hands to shake mine.

  “Katie, these are some of the doctors I went to medical school with,” he said. “They surprised me this morning by showing up to my parent's front door. Apparently, my mom had been in cahoots with them and told them about my party.”

  “We wouldn't have missed this guy's party,” one of them said. “How could we? We're practically brothers with how much damn time we've spent together in school. I know Castro doesn't like to brag, but has he told you that he graduated top of his class? Beat me by two percentage points.”

  I laughed. “Really? No, he didn't mention that. But it doesn't surprise me. He finished high school the same way.”

  “You guys are embarrassing me now,” Castro said, chuckling. “I just got lucky, that's all.”

  “Luck had nothing to do with it,” Castro's buddy said, slapping him playfully on the shoulder. “You're a goddamn genius. That's what really happened.”

  “I don't know about that,” Castro replied. “I'm just grateful to have had the opportunity to even go to medical school. You know, if it wasn't for my amazing parents, I wouldn't have had the chance.”

  My God, I've never known anybody so humble and grateful for his success, I thought. How sweet is he? He's like the poster child for perfection. I wonder if he's single. Maybe it's time I should start figuring that out because he seems like the type of guy I'd move across the country to be with. He'd be worth it.

  “Speaking of my parents,” Castro continued. “Katie, did you get a chance to greet my father? He was asking about you.”

  “I haven't seen him,” I said. “Rosa let me in, but I didn't notice your dad anywhere.”

  “He's over by the grilling, cooking up some burgers,” he said. “Are you hungry?”

  I shook my head. “No, not really. I'd love to see your dad, though. It's been a while.”

  “Come on,” he said, taking my hand once again. “Let's go.”

  Castro was quickly making himself out to be the biggest gentleman I'd ever met in my entire life. I'd dated several men during my years in San Francisco. Some of them had been really great, too. They'd treated me well and never said anything negative to me. Castro was nicer and more affectionate than any of them. He didn't seem to mind holding my hand as we walked through the party and it was like he really enjoyed introducing me to people. He made me feel like a princess, which was something that no other man had ever really made me feel like.

  I could seriously get used to this, I thought.

  We headed over to the grill, where we found Castro's dad. He was a tall man with olive skin. His fluffy gray hair complemented his eyebrows, which looked like thick caterpillars above his eyes.

  “Dad, I want you to say 'hi' to someone,” Castro said.

  His dad spun around and smiled as soon as he saw me. “Now that is a face I have not seen in a long time.”

  “Hey there,” I said, shaking his hand. “You look well.”

  “I wished I looked half as well as you do!” he said. He laughed loudly, causing his belly to jiggle like Santa Claus.

  “Well, thank you,” I said. “It's just because I have a tan. There's lots of sun out there in California.”

  "I'm a little jealous of that," he replied. "Rosa mentioned she ran into you at the store yesterday. It sounds like you're going to be here for a few days."

  “Yep, that's the plan,” I said.

  “I'm really glad you ran into Castro, too,” he said. “It's nice to you see you guys together again. I remember you and the two boys running around out by the creek during the summers. Feels like yesterday, but I suppose it was a little longer ago than that.”

  “Just a little,” Castro said, with a chuckle. “I remember that too, though, Dad. You used to have to make Paolo and I come in when it got dark. I'm pretty sure we would have stayed outside playing all night if you would have allowed us to.”

  “Yeah,” his dad said. “Paolo was such a sweet kid back then.”

  There was an awkward silence as soon as he'd finished the sentence. He stared off into the distance for a moment, as though he was deep in though. Then he finally snapped out of it.

  “Anyway, it's really good to see you again, Katie,” he said. “I hope you hang out for a little while. I've got lots of food to cook right now, but I'd love to hear more about what you've been up to a little bit later in the day.”

  “That sounds great,” I said. “I plan on sticking around for a while. I'd like to catch up with you, Rosa and Castro. Plus, I'd like to see Paolo if he ends up coming.”

  “I'm sure he'll show,” Castro's dad said. “Well, actually I'm not completely sure, since I'm never completely sure it what that kid chooses to do. But he hasn't missed a birthday party yet, and I don't think he's going to miss his twenty-fifth one. I still have a little bit of faith in the boy.”

  “We'll let you get back to cooking,” Castro said.

  Then he took my hand once more, slipping his fingers between mind so that they interlaced. We walked to the back part of the yard where a wooden bench was. It faced outward toward the farmland that stretched for miles beyond the home.

  “Should we take a seat for a bit?” Castro asked.

  “Sure,” I said.

  We sat down, but Castro kept his hand in mine. He looked over, smiling at me with those beautiful blue eyes of his. I could have gotten lost in those eyes right then. It was strange because for years I'd thought only of him as my friend. Now, though, something inside of me stirred. I found myself deeply attracted to him, but not in a platonic way. Castro wasn't the boy that I used to know. He was a full-grown and gorgeous man, who obviously knew how to treat a lady. It might have just been an unfulfilled girl crush coming to the surface, but it really seemed like there was something between us.

  “Thanks again for coming today,” Castro said. “It means a lot that you took the time out of your short vacation to come see me.”

  “No problem,” I said. “I'm happy to do it. I kind of felt like it was meant to be that I ran into you yesterday.”

  “I was thinking the same thing!” he said, energetically. “I've thought about you a lot over the years. I always wondered what you were up to and how you were doing.”

  “Really?” I asked.

  “Yes, really,” he said. “You were a major part of my growing up. I feel like we came of age together. You can never fully forget those people, you know? They're a part of you forever, because of the influence they had. You're definitely one of those people for me.”

  "I feel the same way about you," I said. "In some ways, you and your brother taught me more about life than my parents did. Speaking of your brother, I noticed your dad didn't seem too fond of him any more. I feel like I'm missing something. Has Paolo changed that much? It seems like everybody I've talked to about him just kind of dodges the subject."

  Castro nodded. "He's changed a lot. I think the reason people don't want to talk about him, is that they're embarrassed. I know that's the case for my parents anyway. My mom for sure. She saw me as the good son and considered Paolo to be the black sheep of the family."

  "Well, what has he done?" I asked.

  “He's just been in a lot of trouble after high school,” he said bluntly.


  “With the law?” I asked.

  “Yes, with the law,” he said. “Look, I don't want to sit here and talk bad about my brother. He's still Paolo, and underneath everything, he's still a great guy. I think he's just gotten confused about the path he wants to take in life. Either that or he really is just the complete opposite of me. Maybe that's it. Maybe that's what happens with twins.”

  “I don't think so,” I said. “I'm pretty sure that twins usually turns out fairly similar. I've ready stories about twins that get separated at birth and then reunite fifty years later, only to find out that they've ended up on the exact same career path and married similar types of people.”

  “No kidding?” he said, raising his eyebrows. “Well, then Paolo and I are definitely not that.”

  It was driving me crazy how nobody would just come out and give me any details about Paolo. Castro had finally told me something, about how Paolo had been in trouble with the law. However, that was pretty vague and only made my curiosity stir even more.

  “Let's not talk about my brother any more,” Castro said. “I'm sure he'll show up any minute and you can ask him all the questions you want directly. I just don't feel right talking about someone behind their backs.”

  I nodded slowly. “Okay. I understand. We don't have to talk about him.”

  Castro smiled warmly, then tilted his head, gazing up at the sky.

  “Life's weird, isn't it?” he said. “One minute, everything is so simple. You're young and living your life as though the days will never end. Then it all gets complex. You move away, go to school, start a new life. But then you come home, and for some reason, it all feels simple again.”

  It was fun to listen to him. He was so poetic and imaginative. It was alluring, and I found myself hanging onto every word. I could have sat there all day and just listened to him. It was like hearing poetry.

  “I like simple,” I said. “I like how this feels.”

  “Me too,” he said, shifting his gaze back to me. “This, right here, whatever this is, feels good.”

  “I agree,” I said.

  We gazed into each other's eyes, and it was like time stood still. I felt myself melting into him, unable to control the magnetic pull that drew me his direction. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to taste those perfect red lips of his. Sure, there were plenty of people at the party that would see, but I didn't care. I didn't know most of them anyway, and they didn't know me. Plus, I was only in town for a few days.

  It's just a kiss, right? I thought.

  We leaned toward each other. Our lips touched, sending a tingling electric shock of excitement through me. I pressed forward a little more, allowing myself to let go. It seemed like we were just started to really get into the kiss when the roaring sound of a motorcycle filled the air. It was so loud that it drowned out the country music that had been playing.

  Castro broke the kiss but kept his gaze locked onto me for a moment. My lips were tingling now as I spoke.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  We both looked behind us. The engine sound got louder and louder until it became piercing. We couldn't even hear the music now. All that filled the air was the popping of the motorcycle engine, which sounded like a gun going off with each fire.

  “I have no clue,” Castro said. “Guess we should go find out.”

  He stood up from the bench and took my hand. We began to make our way across the yard. My heart rate sped up, so much so that I could hear the blood whooshing past my eardrum with each pump.

  We'd hardly made it ten steps before a man came around the side of the house on the motorcycle. Everybody at the party turned to look. It would have been impossible not to. Not only was the bike loud, but the man on the top of it had an energy that just seemed to demand attention.

  Whoa, I thought. Who is that?

  Castro and I stood there, watching as this guy drove his motorcycle right across the lawn. He didn't seem to give a shit at all about the fact that he'd interrupted the entire party. In fact, he couldn't have appeared more nonchalant about his behavior. With his dark sunglasses on and the cigarette hanging out of his mouth, it seemed that he didn't care what anybody was thinking about him right then.

  Still, for whatever reason, my panties became wet. Just looking at this guy turned me on. He was the poster child for what a bad boy should have been. Not to mention, he was gorgeous. His hair was shoulder-length and almost jet black. Its sheen reflected the sun as he put the bike into “Park” in the middle of the yard.

  My eyes moved down his body. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt and dark jeans, which hugged his muscular physique. Covering both of his arms was an array of tattoos. They didn't look like the kind I'd seen on men in San Francisco, though. Those guys had all paid professional artists to do theirs, and they looked more like paintings than anything else. These particular tattoos, though, looked like they all actually meant something. There was writing, phrasing and even Roman numerals up and down his forearms.

  I squinted to try to read the tattoos on his knuckles. From where I stood, it looked like the ones on his right hand read “EVIL” with one letter on each finger. I couldn't read what his left hand said, though.

  Oh, my God, I thought. This guy is fucking hot, and I'm not even sure why I think so. He's not my type at all.

  He finally turned off his motorcycle, bringing the party back to a normal sound level. He sat there for a moment, taking another drag from his cigarette. I couldn't tell where he was looking because his dark sunglasses did such a good job of hiding his eyes. For some reason, though, it felt like he was looking my direction.

  Probably just wishful thinking, I thought to myself.

  I couldn't look away. It was like I was hypnotized by whoever this was. I watched every one of his movements as he put the kickstand down on the motorcycle and got off. He took the final drag off of his cigarette. Then he carelessly flicked the glowing cigarette butt to his left. It hit the brick house and fizzled down into the green grass.

  “Castro, who is that?” I asked, gently tugging on the sleeve of his shirt.

  “That's Paolo,” he said, without hesitation.

  Holy shit. No freaking way, I thought, and the front of my panties got just a little wetter.

  Chapter 5

  “That's Paolo?” I said, trying not to speak too loudly.

  Castro turned toward and nodded. “The one and only.”

  I looked at Castro for a moment, then back to Paolo. I did this a couple of times, trying to piece together how in the hell they had turned out so strikingly different from each other. If I'd seen them walking side by side down the street, I would have never been able to tell that they were identical twins.

  Paolo strolled across the grass, making his way toward the grill where their father was still cooking. A couple of people walked up to greet him. They seemed to know who he was and were happy he was there. However, Paolo didn't share the same sentiment. He just gave them a quick nod and a half-assed handshake without even slowing down his stride.

  My mind was whirling.

  How can that possibly be the same boy that I knew all of those years ago? I asked myself. I know that people change, but do they really change that much?

  Castro was still standing next to me, his hand in mine. I was starting to understand why nobody wanted to talk about Paolo. Just from seeing him for a few moments, I could already tell that he didn't fit in with the rest of the family any more. In fact, he stuck out like a sore thumb. I'm guessing the entire town of Badger felt the same way about him.

  I watched as Paolo greeted his father with a one-armed hug. They exchanged a few words before he headed back across the grass. Rosa ran up to him, and the two embraced, while Castro and I just stood there. My heart was thumping in my chest even louder now. It only became more intense as Paolo turned away from Rosa and headed straight toward us.

  “I can't believe that's him,” I whispered. “Seriously. How is that possible?”

  “Be
lieve it,” Castro replied. “It's him.”

  Paolo walked up. His steps were long. His pace was fast and fluid. It seemed like he closed the gap between us in just a second or two. The next thing I knew, he was standing directly in front of us.

  “Hey, little bro,” Paolo said, finally lifting his sunglasses up. He placed them on the top of his head, which helped to hold his long hair back over his ears.

  “I'm only your younger bro by two seconds,” Castro said, with a laugh. “Don't forget that.”

  The two exchanged a quick hug, while I stood there trying to keep my jaw from falling on the ground and my panties from melting off of my body. When Paolo released the hug, he took a step back. Then his gaze went straight to me. I swallowed so loud that I could hear the gulping sound.

  “Hi,” I muttered, but it was so quiet that hardly any noise came out at all.

  He stared right at me, his blue eyes intense and questioning. I couldn't maintain eye contact with him for long. It was like I had to look away, forced into submission by nothing more than his stare.

  “Who's this?” he asked, his voice deep. It was almost like a growl. He even sounded completely different from his brother.

  “I'll let you take a guess,” Castro said. “You actually know her already.”

  "I doubt that," Paolo said. "I've been in the clink for the past six months. I don't know anybody anymore."

  The clink? I thought. Isn't that slang for jail?

  I looked back up at him and smiled meekly. “Your brother is right, Paolo. You do know me.”

  He squinted his eyes a bit, looking at me as though I must have lost my mind or something. There was a few moments of pause and then suddenly, his expression relaxed.

  “Sorry, you don't look familiar,” he said blatantly. “I give up. Who are you?”

  “Katie,” I said. “Katie McGlass.”

  For a second, it seemed that even my name didn't bring back any memories for Paolo. He just stood there with his arms crossed over his chest and his weight shifted to the side. Then, something flashed in his eyes.

  “No fucking way,” he said. “Katie? Little Katie McGlass?”