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The four of us arrive at the restaurant where we are meeting the others half an hour late. I have fucking needs and sue me, I needed to bust a nut and my girl was down so I had no choice. Well, that’s the story I’m going with and if any of them have a problem, they can kiss my ass.
“I can’t even look at you, how could you let him defile you.” I hide my laughter behind a cough. Leah shoots me a scathing look. Apparently, my hand didn’t do shit to mute the sounds coming from my girl, the moment we made it downstairs the look on my sister’s face told me they heard everything. Alexa snorts and huddles into my side. I wrap my arm around her as we begin walking toward the entrance of the restaurant. Darius slings his arm around Leah’s shoulder and pulls her in close. Seeing how much he loves her makes seeing them together easier.
“Did you give my sister shit for fucking him as well, or am I just lucky?” I tense, Darius’s eyes widen but Leah, she just scrunches her face up as she thinks on it for a minute before shaking her head.
“I guess you’re just lucky.” Darius and I are tense as fuck as we wait for the two of them to argue but clearly mentioning Cody isn’t a taboo subject for them. “Plus, Cody and him weren’t like how you two are, so it’s easy to rile him up now.” Both of the girls laugh, while I’m fucking stumped and have no idea what happened just now.
We follow the waiter as he leads us to the back of the swanky restaurant Saint chose. I’ve never been here before and honestly, the looks the other patrons shoot us tells me it’s one of those bougie places where money talks and bullshit walks. We round a corner and then I spot them. Beck stands from his seat the moment my sister breaks away from D and runs toward him. She flings herself at him, he catches her with a loving smile on his face. I don’t get their dynamic or what the fuck happened between them to make them as close as they are, but I know without a doubt that Beckett would do anything for my sister. Darius better hope he doesn’t fuck with her because it won’t just be me hunting him down now.
“Becky, I missed you!” Leah whines as he places her back on her feet, the loving look in his eyes stumps me. Beck was so closed off and unreadable but since Leah came back, she seems to have brought a whole other side of him out and I know he’s more open and talkative now because of… Val. I look past Beck and the guys to find Val sitting at the furthest end of the table with Dawson in the seat beside her. Her gaze is focused on the plate in front of her. She must feel my gaze on her, as she slowly lifts her head and our eyes lock. I pull away from Alexa and make my way around to the table toward her. The others stop talking as they all watch, I can feel Beckett’s stare drilling holes into the side of my head. If I hurt his baby momma, he and I will be throwing hands. Val slowly rises to her feet as I get closer, and clasps her hands in front of her awkwardly. I keep a foot of space between us. I see the guilt in her eyes and it fucking pains me to know I’m the reason she has been feeling this way for so long.
We stand here for a minute silently just looking at each other, the tension that was present a few seconds ago slowly starts to disappear. Tears begin to build in her eyes, her bottom lip trembles. “I’m so sorry—”
“Fuck,” I grit out, cutting her off as I wrap my arms around her tiny frame and pull her against me. She wraps her arms around my waist and buries her face in my chest as she cries. I hold her close, resting my cheek against her head just breathing her in. “I had no right, no fucking right at all to place any blame on you, Val,” I whisper low enough for only her to hear. She pulls back, but grips the front of my shirt as I cup her face and wipe away her tears with my thumbs.
“You had every right.” I shake my head but she pushes on, “I deserved it.” Bending down so we are at eye level, I get right in her face.
“No. What happened to Cody was a horrible freak accident. You never asked for that sick bastard to come after you. We knew there was a risk and if I had of answered that call, she might have been with us still.” Guilt laces each of my words, I know the guilt I feel about not taking her call will stay with me for the rest of my life and I’m slowly coming to terms with that. “I’m so sorry for how I’ve treated you. You have every right to hate me and never speak to me again—”
Val cuts me off. “I could never hate you, Corv.” Hearing that from her has a relieved sigh escaping me.
“If it helps.” Val and I both turn to face Alexa. “I smashed his car up and burnt it, then got arrested and called him to bail me out.” Saint and Crue snicker from their seats, while Beck tries to mask his laughter but fails. Darius and Leah both look anywhere but at me. I narrow my eyes at my girlfriend.
“You also trashed my house,” I add. She rolls her eyes and waves her hand in the air, brushing me off.
“Well, let’s not dwell on the past, eh?” Everyone begins to laugh at my expense and I’m not even mad about it. Alexa’s little joke broke the tension and I’m fucking grateful for that. We all claim our seats. I look around the table at my brothers, my sister, my nephew, Val and my girl, then smile. A few months ago I never thought I would smile again or feel happiness, but right here, right now, I can actually say I am happy!
Alexa
Sitting around this table with everyone and conversing with each of them easily is so strange. I’ve never felt like I belonged anywhere before, even with Cody. She was my sister and I always felt like a burden on her. She was always there for me whenever I needed her but I always felt like I was keeping her from her life. Even after Jason and I split, I went to CHU and she never said it but I knew me being there was a nuisance for her. That was her place and her friends and I didn’t belong but now, I feel like I finally found my place.
“Where’s Katie?” At the mention of Katie’s name, I focus back on the conversation around me, Saint and Crue both clamp their mouths closed and drop their gazes to their laps at Val’s question. Val looks around the table at each of us and I make sure to avoid looking at her, the shit Katie told me isn’t my news to share.
“Well, that was one way to make shit awkward,” Corvin chimes in. Awkward laughter sounds out around the table but Saint and Crue still refuse to speak. I debate on whether I should say something or not, when I think back to everything Katie has done for me, I sigh knowing I have to say something.
“You both need to call her before it’s too late.” They both snap their heads toward me. I keep my face free of emotion, Crue’s eyes narrow.
“She told you.” It’s not a question. I refuse to confirm his suspicion and remain silent, I feel the other’s gazes on me but ignore them as I focus on the two sitting opposite me. “Where is she?” I frown.
“What?” Saint and Crue share a look before turning back to me.
“We tried to find her at the hotel you said you booked, she was never there, Alexa. We tried to find her when we got back to campus but she had moved out of her dorm. We even tried to call but she blocked us.” My eyes widen, what the fuck is Katie doing and why is she hiding? Before our conversation can continue an older gentleman interrupts us. I recognize him as the man from the penthouse, he’s Corvin’s lawyer.
“Sorry I’m late, boys,” he says in a rush. He smiles at each of us girls. “Ladies.” We all nod and say hello as he pulls up a chair and sits at the other end of the table between Darius and Beck, then pulls out a manila file. “Okay, I have everything drafted. I just need Miss Sutton to sign, then I’ll be on my way to the police station.” I steel my spine and gape at the guy.
“What?” I rasp out. Corvin places a hand on my thigh under the table drawing my attention back to him. The look in his brown eyes begs me to listen before I lose my shit.
“Troy, want to give us a minute?” he says without taking his eyes off me. I hear the man stand up and walk away. Corvin looks around the room making sure no one is within earshot and I begin to worry now as his face takes on a serious look. “You know Troy is our lawyer.” I nod but still don’t understand where he is going with this. “Us all being here at this restaurant is an alibi.” My brows jump to my hairline. “We needed to be seen in public in case shit went south.”
“What are you trying to say, Reaper?” I ask warily. He looks around at the others before focusing back on me, he reaches out and cups my cheek.
“Troy is here because I need you to sign those papers.”
“Why?” I ask with a bite to my tone.
“Because we are suing Jason and his family for child pornography.” I gasp and recoil in my chair, his hand drops back to his lap and he quickly grips my hands in his to keep me in place. “Katie was able to track the original source of where the photos came from. You were sixteen and underage, Alexa. He sold those photos of you to…” He cuts his gaze to Saint. I follow his line of sight and guilt is written all over the jokester’s face.
