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As soon as the words leave Bree’s lips, the room descends into chaos. Everyone is talking and yelling all at once, and there’s not a single person in the room who seems happy with her decision. Because there’s so much noise all around me, it’s difficult to make out who is saying what.
A loud whistle cuts through all the deafening noise, silencing everyone. Bree has her fingers to her lips, a stern expression on her face. “Look, I know this is not a popular opinion, but if you keep quiet long enough, I’ll explain everything.”
There’s the odd mutter of people talking under their breaths, but generally, we all wait for Bree to elaborate.
“As you know, when we captured Whitlock, we made a deal with him. If he gave us information on The Aristocracy, and he helped us get into the auction to free Teigan, we agreed we would not kill him, and we would help him flee the country,” Bree starts, and I can’t help but gasp when I hear my name mentioned.
Evan freezes beside me when he sees me tense up. Without saying a word, he places his hand on my knee, squeezing slightly. His movement is covered by the table, so nobody can see his gesture. I turn my head a little to look at him, but he’s staring straight at Bree. The warmth of his hand on my knee gives me more comfort than I expect, and I focus on that feeling as I listen to Bree.
“Unfortunately, Whitlock has more than held up his end of the bargain. He gave us all the information we needed to get into the auction, and as a result, we were able to bring Teigan home safely. He’s also given us a lot of information about both The Sheriff and The Baron. When we combine his informationwith what we already know, we have enough to be able to put a plan into motion to take both of them down, plus all the others who bought Lots at the auction.”
Bree pauses and looks around the room, waiting to see if anyone will comment. I’m shocked when it’s McKenna who speaks first. “Doing a good thing when his life is on the line doesn’t excuse all the other fucked up things he’s done.”
Her voice cracks at the end, and I can see the unshed tears glistening in her eyes. Finn reaches out and takes McKenna’s hand in his, a fierce look crossing his face as he turns to Bree. “She’s right, and you know it.”
Bree nods her head with a sad smile on her face, suddenly looking so much older than she is. “I do know that. But I also know that I keep my word. If my promises mean nothing, what does that say about me as a leader?”
Silence stretches around the room as we all take in what Bree’s saying, and suddenly, I feel really sorry for the young girl sitting opposite me. She may have chosen this life, and she’s actually bloody good at it, but it’s times like this that remind me she really has the weight of the world on her shoulders. The decisions she makes influence more than just her, and I should imagine that sits heavily.
With a deep breath to try and calm my nerves, I speak up. “Please don’t feel like you have to do this because of me.”
Everyone turns to look at me, and suddenly I feel like an intruder in a family meeting. Before, when I was just sitting here quietly, I could fade into the background and pretend I’m not here. But as all eyes turn to me, I can’t hide.
Evan squeezes my leg again reassuringly, but it’s not enough. I need more of his strength, so I reach down and clasp our fingers together. Holding hands, I grip his palm hard, drawing strength from his warmth as it spreads across my skin.
Bree shakes her head, her bright eyes latching on to mine. “This isn’t because of you, Teigan. I would have offered so much more to get you out of there, and I know Evan would have, too.”
At the mention of his name, I turn to Evan again, and this time he’s looking at me. His bright emerald eyes are fixed on me, and I’m shocked by the intensity of his gaze. “She’s right. This isn’t on you. We would have offered him anything to get you out of there.”
He squeezes my hand as he speaks, and my heart starts to race. This time, it’s not because of anxiety. The heat I feel coursing through my veins is something else entirely. It’s like all the people in the room fade away, and it’s just the two of us, connected by our clasped hands.
“I’m assuming you have a plan, Boss Lady?” Kian asks, pulling everyone’s attention back to the subject in hand, breaking the bubble me and Evan just found ourselves in.
“I do.” A sadistic smile crosses Bree’s face as she continues. “I said I wouldn’t kill him, but I didn’t make any other promises. Whilst I will honour the agreement I made to release him, and help him get set up abroad, I never agreed that he wouldn’t be punished for what he’s done. I plan to make him regret the day he ever made a deal with me.”
“I like the sound of that. Tell me more,” Ryleigh says excitedly as she leans over the table, resting on her elbows, causing both Liam and Evan to groan.
We all sit and listen to Bree’s rather disturbing plan, and with each detail she explains, I become a little more scared of the redhead. “I know everyone wants to play a part in this, but we can’t all be there. So, I’m going to make this a ‘ladies only’ event, since we’re the gender he’s wronged for so long. It is, of course, completely optional, and you do not have to attend. McKenna and Belle have already confirmed with me that theywill be there. Mia will not. So, Freya, Ryleigh, and Teigan, it’s your choice.”
All eyes flick between the three of us, waiting for us to respond, but before any of us can, Liam speaks up. “No fucking way is Ryleigh going. We agreed she couldn’t be part of any family stuff until after she finishes university,” he snaps, fixing his wife with a glare.
Bree simply rolls her eyes. “Relax, Caveman. If she chooses to be there, it will be in an observation capacity only. She won’t be getting her hands dirty.”
Ryleigh lets out a huff. “Stop treating me like I’m a fucking child, Liam. You are not my father,” she growls.
“No, but I am,” Desmond responds, speaking for the first time as he leans forward to rest his elbows on the table. “You made me a promise, Ryleigh Paige, that you wouldn’t get involved with this stuff until after university. We let you attend the meetings so that you don’t feel left out, but we have a deal, remember?”
Ryleigh narrows her glare at her father, before throwing herself backward in her seat in a huff. “Fine. I will sit this one out. Happy?” she growls.
“Ecstatic,” responds Desmond sarcastically.
“Okay, and what about you, Freya?” Bree asks, turning to look at the quiet blonde sitting beside Kian.
She shrinks a bit as all the attention falls on her, grimacing slightly. “I think he deserves to be punished, but I don’t need to be there. He hasn’t wronged me enough personally for me to feel the need to attend. If that’s okay?” she adds on quietly at the end.
“Of course that’s okay, sweetheart,” Kian says, wrapping his arm around Freya’s shoulder as he pulls her into his side.
Finally, all eyes turn to me, and just like Freya did, I can feel myself shying away from the attention. I look over at Evan,but he’s the only one in the room not looking at me. In fact, he appears to be trying his hardest to look elsewhere, even when I squeeze his hand for support.
