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“Are you okay? You sound like you’re crying?” Livy asked.
“No,” I sighed deeply. “I’ll tell you when I get there though, okay?”
“Okay. Are you okay to drive?” She asked, and then I could hear Cole – another brother - in the background, demanding to know why I wouldn’t be okay to drive.
“Tell him I’m fine,” I assured her. “I’ll be there soon.”
I hung up and lowered the sun visor to see just how bad I looked in the little mirror. My eyes were red and puffy and my cheeks were blotchy from all of the tears. My make up was smeared down my face too. I did what I could to clean up with some Kleenex from my purse, but I was still a mess when I was done. Shrugging at myself, resigned to the fact I was a state, I started the car and headed for home. This time I at least knew I was going to a home filled with love and support for me.
CHAPTER 2
EVIE
“I’m here!” I called loudly as I walked into our family home and kicked off the heels I had worn to work that day. They were only low heeled pumps - the most comfortable smart shoes I could find – but they still hurt after a full day in them.
The delicious aroma of my brother, Matt’s, cooking surrounded me and I instantly relaxed a little, this house- my home- giving me a giant hug of comfort. I had lived in that house my entire life, surrounded by the love of my amazing parents, my brothers and Livy. It was my safe place and it always would be.
As I stepped into the hallway I came face to face with Cole. He was stood before me, his arms crossed over his chest as though he had been waiting there for me.
“Hey,” I greeted as he stared me down, studying me hard.
“You’ve been crying. What has that asshole done now?” he growled.
I stood staring at him as I tried to decide what to say. Tears filled my eyes as the pain of what I had witnessed hit me all over again.
“Sorry,” I squeaked as tears slipped free. I hurried to wipe them away, hating letting Cole see me falling apart, but I should have known better. In an instant Cole was before me, pulling me into his arms and holding me tight. He gave the greatest hugs, mainly because he was so big. When he held me, I felt completely surrounded by him and safe from the rest of the world. At almost six and a half feet he was the tallest of my brothers and also the biggest built too. From the outside he looked pretty intimidating, but I knew him to be a total teddy bear – at least to those he loved and cared for anyway.
“What’s going on?” I winced a little at the sound of Kyle’s voice. He was the second oldest of my brothers, and definitely the most over protective. He was fiercely defensive of his family and lord help anyone who hurt them. He was going to lose it the most at what I had to tell them all, and I knew Livy, my mom and I would have to fight hard to stop him from going after Dean the second he found out what had happened. “Evie?” I felt his hand at the small of my back and fought to gather myself before I pulled away from Cole and looked to him.
“I’m okay,” I tried to reassure him. He looked me up and down and froze when his eyes got to my hand. It was already bruising from the punch I’d landed and my knuckles were red and a little swollen.
“Start talking, right now,” Kyle growled as he grabbed my hand and studied it closer.
“You’re hurt?” Cole demanded as he looked from my hand to my eyes.
“Guys. I’m fine. Calm down,” I scoffed as I ripped my hand free of Kyle’s grip. “Can I at least wait until we’re all together? I don’t want to tell my tale of woe more than once,” I sighed.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Kyle pushed. His whole body was tense and rigid as he folded his arms over his chest. I knew he was fighting to contain his worry and anger.
“No. I’m good. Promise.” I reached out my hand and clasped his forearm, giving it a reassuring squeeze as I forced a smile.
“Come on. Everyone’s in the kitchen, and the kids are out back in the yard,” Cole wrapped his arm around my shoulders and ushered me through the house as he spoke, Kyle right behind us.
I couldn’t help but smile for real when we walked into the kitchen and I saw all of my huge, crazy family.
Matt was cooking, thank God! My mom tried hard, but was the worst cook. No matter what recipe she tried to follow, it always went wrong in some way, or she added some extra ingredients that made the meal inedible. Thankfully, Matt was an amazing cook though, and whenever we had a family meal he usually tried to persuade mom to let him prepare the food, in order to save himself and all of us.
“Evie, you’re here,” Livy declared as her eyes met mine. “Are you okay?” she asked as she looked me over with concern. She was in the kitchen with Matt, chopping herbs alongside where my brother stood at the stove.
“Rough day,” I shrugged in reply, not really knowing how to answer her question.
“What’s happened, honey? Have you been crying?” my mom asked. I turned to the sound of her voice and found her sat at the counter with my dad. Dad had his arm around the back of the stool she sat in and mom’s hand was on his thigh. They were still so in love after so many years together. That thought brought more tears to my eyes. I was never going to find that kind of love.
“What did that asshole do now?” Kade demanded as he rose to his feet from where he had been sat behind his laptop at the dining table across the room. Kade was a work-acholic. You never found him far from his laptop. He and Kyle were partners in a private security firm along with a family friend – Rob Shepard. I didn’t know much about it all, but I knew my brothers had made a real success of the business and that they were both completely dedicated to it and to every case they handled.
I sighed as I turned to the wall of glass doors that over looked the yard. I didn’t want to tell my family about Dean. I was embarrassed, if I was honest. I felt like such an idiot for ever taking him back after he cheated on me the first time. I should have listened to my brothers when they told me he was no good. I’d been such an idiot.
Xander, my oldest brother and the only one who wasn’t married to Livy, was out in the garden with his husband, Jake. They were sat at the table on the patio with their son, Riley – who was almost thirteen now, watching all of the kids running amok on the huge jungle gym my parents had erected last summer for all of their grandkids. Livy and the guys had four kids now. Tom was the oldest at thirteen, then there was Eliza who was eight, but already had the attitude of a sassy teenager. Reece was six, and the complete opposite to her wild, older sister. Lastly there was Leo. He was just two years old and had been adopted by Livy and my brothers the year before. Livy’s last pregnancy with Reece had been extremely tough and they all decided they couldn’t go through that again, so they started the adoption process to continue to grow their family. It hadn’t been an easy road for them. They had faced scrutiny because of their unorthodox relationship, but ultimately the adoption agency had realized what we all already knew – there wasn’t another family in the world more loving and caring than Livy and my brothers. They were wonderful parents and any kid would be lucky to be placed with them.
