“I’ll have to discuss it with her when she wakes up.”
“Let me know.”
“Why? You going to take her case?”
“She’s going to be my daughter-in-law, so—”
“Don’t even think about it. You’re too tight with the Webbers.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning I’m being smart. I don’t trust you to destroy him the way I want to.” I lay it on thick. Whenever I tell her she can’t be trusted to do something, she goes overboard to prove me wrong.
“You gotta be kidding,” she mutters. “I’ll deal with Nelson.” She hangs up.
I strip down to my boxer shorts, then head out to the bedroom. My phone buzzes again. What now?
–Emmett: Is it true you beat the shit out of Nelson?
What the fuck?He went crying to my brothers, too?
–Me: I wouldn’t characterize it exactly that way. If I’d really beaten the shit out of him, he’d be too busy being hospitalized to complain to anyone.
I text that and slide gently under the sheets to avoid disturbing Grace. I paid an arm and a leg for this mattress, but the movement still might jostle her.
–Noah: What’s going on?
–Emmett: Grant and I were having dinner with Andreas Webber, and he got a call from Nelson’s wife. She was so hysterical, Grant and I could actually hear the conversation.
–Grant: It sounded like Hux broke something. On Nelson.
–Sebastian: I thought you were upset with Grace, not Nelson.
–Nicholas: He’s too civilized to resort to violence.
I thought the same until I saw Grace’s face.
–Grant: Why would Nelson’s wife accuse you like that though?
–Me: Maybe because I gave him a taste of his own medicine.
–Griffin: HE HIT YOU??????
His outrage is palpable through the text. Busy as Griffin might be with his academic career and triplets, he will find time to beat the shit out of anybody who touches one of us. He’s vicious, probably chews rusty nails daily to toughen up. And he’s always been grumpy—not even marrying the sunniest woman on earth has improved his disposition.
–Me: Not me, Grace. So I hit him back.
–Sebastian: What a piece of shit!
–Grant: Only once?
I can already see the next line before he sends it:What’s wrong with you?
–Me: Twice.
–Emmett: Should’ve broken his hand.
–Nicholas: Both hands.
