Page 269
Temple recoils.
I step close enough to block Lyric’s view of her. “Temple has Briggs’s attention because she doesn’t treat everything he is, like an inconvenience.”
Lyric’s mouth opens.
I lower my voice. “Be very fucking careful what you say next.”
She looks toward the path Charm took. “Charm still deserved to know.”
“She deserved to hear it from me when I was ready to tell her. Temple deserved the same choice. You didn’t give a shit about either of them. You saw two women you could hurt and reached for the sharpest thing you knew.”
“I didn’t make Ryan keep it from her.”
“There was nothing to keep. Charm and I weren’t together then and we aren’t now.”
Temple moves beside Rider’s empty chair and folds both arms across herself. I want to protect her from every person staring, but rushing to comfort her would only turn Lyric’s accusation into another humiliation.
Temple doesn’t need me to rescue her. She needs everyone to remember she did nothing wrong.
“When Rider brought Temple around, I told him immediately,” I say. “He assured me they had always been friends. I didn’t touch her again, hide anything from one of my boys, or interfere with whatever relationships she built after Detroit.”
Lyric glances at Briggs. “Apparently, that relationship includes him.”
Briggs laughs, but there is no humor left inside it. “You are standing here inventing a relationship between me and Temple while the man you just gave your number to is probably still inside the castle.”
“It was networking.”
“No. It was another lie.”
“I’ve already explained it.”
“You gave it a word you thought would make me sound controlling if I questioned you.”
Lyric rolls her eyes. “We’ve been through this.”
“Not all of it.” Briggs’s chest rises sharply. “How many?”
Her expression tightens. “What?”
“How many times did you cheat on me?”
“Briggs.”
“How many?”
“I don’t keep a record.”
His entire body stills. “That answer should’ve been none.”
“I didn’t sleep with everyone who had my phone number.”
“Everyone?”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“How many did you sleep with?”
Lyric’s face hardens. “We’ve discussed this.”
