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“Security’s on their way,” she warns, but there’s a tremble in her voice that tells me she’s not used to this kind of violence, not here in the hush of recovery rooms and beeping monitors.
“Good,” my father spits out, the word laced with venom as he stands over Conrad, who’s pushing himself up, jaw clenched against the pain. “I’m leaving anyway.”
“Jim, please wait?—”
The nurse reaches out, but he shrugs her off like she’s nothing, like we’re all nothing.
“Levi, Conrad, Grayson,” he says, saying the names like final judgments. “Effective immediately, you’re no longer employed by the university.”
I gasp, gripping the thin hospital blanket until my knuckles turn white. This can’t be happening. Not now. Not because of me.
“Dad, please—I love them. All of them.”
“Love doesn’t negate the scandal this will cause,” he replies. His voice is softer when he speaks to me, but he’s barely even able to look at me. And the anger returns full-force as he looks at each of his friends. “Stay away from my daughter.” It’s a command, a growl almost, loaded with decades of protection turned sour in an instant.
“Sir, you need to calm down!” The nurse’s plea is drowned by the sound of heavy boots thundering down the hallway, the cavalry coming too late to prevent the wreckage left in our wake.
“Come near her again, and I swear—” His threat hangs unfinished as men in uniforms swarm the room, hands grasping at the air around him.
But he’s already turning, already walking away, leaving us in a storm of disbelief and the bitter tang of blood and fear.
His footsteps echo, heavy and decisive. The door slams with a finality that vibrates through the sterile hospital room. My father’s gone.
“Wait!” It’s a plea torn from my throat, but it’s too late. He’s walked out of my life like I’m a stranger, not his daughter. His disapproval is a tangible force left hanging in the air, a storm cloud ready to burst.
“Damn,” Grayson mutters, rubbing the back of his neck, tension etched into his broad shoulders.
Levi’s arm wraps around me, his hold both protective and comforting. His heartbeat thrums against my side, a steady rhythm in the chaos.
“Are you okay?” Conrad asks, eyes searching mine, a bruise already blooming on his jaw where my father struck him.
I nod, but it’s automatic, and the gesture feels empty because my insides are a tangled mess of fear and defiance.
“We’ll figure this out,” Levi says, his voice a low rumble, conviction lifting each word. “Together.”
“Right,” Grayson adds, stepping closer. “We didn’t come this far to give up now.”
Their strength bolsters me, their presence a balm against the sting of rejection. We’re a unit, untraditional and misunderstood, but unbreakable.
“Okay,” I breathe out, finding resolve in their unwavering support. “Okay, we face this together.”
The beep of the heart monitor punctuates our silent vow. The consequences loom, a mountain we have yet to climb. But as I look into the faces of these three men—my men—I know we won’t turn back.
No matter what comes next.
49
BRIELLE
The door swings open with a creak that echoes the unease knotting my stomach. I step into the house, the scent of rich leather and faint cologne wrapping around me like an enticing yet unfamiliar embrace. My heart is a confused symphony of beats, each thud resonating with the memories of Dad’s harsh words and the soft hum of liberation.
“Hey, Brielle!” Grayson’s voice pulls me from my reverie, his smile warm like the afternoon sun as he emerges from the kitchen, a dish towel slung over his shoulder. He’s the rock, always steady, always there.
“Look who’s finally here,” Levi chimes in, his tone light but his eyes scanning mine with a doctor’s precision. He’s the brain, insightful, always thinking three steps ahead.
“Welcome to our humble abode,” Conrad adds with that signature smirk that seems to know more secrets than it lets on. He’s the flame, flickering dangerously close, threatening to ignite something within.
“Thanks, guys.” The words tumble out, a weak attempt at normalcy. I shuffle further inside, the walls adorned with abstract art and shelves of books feeling both alien and comforting.
