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“Bet they took that well,” Cameron commented. He had appeared as we all sat down to eat, but he had remained very quiet all night and I knew why. He’d lost his twin brother during their last deployment and Hunter had mentioned that he was struggling to cope with the loss. I felt for him. I had lost teammates myself overseas and that had been devastating. I couldn’t even imagine how it would feel to lose flesh and blood.
“They weren’t happy, but it wasn’t like they could deny anything. I told them if they bother you again, I’d make sure the press gets a hold of those images,” I explained.
“They won’t like that. Frank doesn’t like being backed into a corner,” Maddie worried.
“There’s nothing he can do. I told him if anything happens to me, my attorney will release the images. They have nothing left to threaten you with.”
“He’s right, sunshine. We have all of the power this time,” Kai agreed.
“Edward agreed to sign the divorce papers and to give you full custody of the children. He won’t put up a fight,” I assured Maddie.
“Oh, thank God,” Maddie whimpered as tears slid down her cheeks. She started to sob and slammed a hand over her mouth to quiet the sound.
I moved to go to her, but Hunter grabbed her and pulled her into his lap before I could move. He held her against his chest and soothed her just as I wanted to.
“It’s okay, baby. It’s over now. He can’t hurt you or the kids ever again,” Hunter told her and I tried hard not to audibly growl at the realization I was too fucking late. The way he was holding and comforting her was so much more than friendship. Cam stayed across the table watching them, but the way he looked at Maddie – it showed the way he felt. They all wanted her. It was so obvious and it was killing me.
“Thank you Nico,” Maddie sniffled as she looked up and met my eyes. “You have no idea what this means to me. I w-was so scared he’d take my children from me.”
“I would never have let that happen, Maddie,” I told her firmly. I’d have killed the fuckers if I needed to.
“Us neither. No one is taking them from you, baby,” Hunter agreed as he held her tighter. Kai reached over, placing a hand on Maddie’s thigh to comfort her further and it was the final straw. I couldn’t witness any more.
I leapt up so fast my chair crashed to the floor behind me with a thud, making everyone pause and look to me.
“Sorry,” I uttered as I turned to pick up the seat and tuck it under the table. “I’m going to head to bed. It’s been a long day,” I added as I fought not to look at Maddie between the two of them again.
“But you gots to have some cookies, Nic Nic,” Willow cried as I started out of the room as fast as I could.
“Save me some for tomorrow, please princess,” I called to her, and I just heard her agreed before I turned the corner and ran up the stairs.
I was a mess by the time I got to my room and slammed the door closed. It had only been a week, but I was already too fucking late. The three of them wanted Maddie and they knew her way more than I did. They’d known her as a kid. They’d also had a week alone with her and it certainly seemed that week had been productive.
I was too damned late, I told myself as I lay back on the bed and buried my hands in my hair with frustration. I’d left it too long. I should have told her before. I should have told her how I felt about her months before, when it truly hit me. I’d been a coward and now I was too fucking late!
I could fight for her, compete with the guys to show her all I could offer her, but I didn’t have it in me to do that. She seemed happy there. Willow was happy there and they had more to offer than I did. Sure, I had money and I could give her and her kids a good home and a comfortable life, but I clearly didn’t have as much money as these guys. I couldn’t offer her a mansion like the one we were in.
I dragged myself up from the bed and headed into the bathroom to start the shower. I was too fucking late! Maybe I’d just have to face that fact and accept Maddie couldn’t ever be mine. I hated it, but I wouldn’t ruin what she had found if she was happy. I’d just stay and make sure she and Willow were happy. If they were, I’d leave and remain her friend. It would kill me, but I’d do it for her. I’d do anything for her.
CHAPTER 15
MADDIE
Nico was being strange with me. He had been staying at the house for three days now and I had decided he was definitely being weird.
It had started on that first night at dinner when he had run off up to his room early in the evening and not come back down again until the next morning. Ever since then he had barely spoken with me more than pleasantries.
He had spent most of his time entertaining Willow. He’d played in the gardens with her, swam in the pool with her, and even taken her out to the park and for ice cream that day, but he hadn’t invited me to come with them. In fact he had barely looked at me in the time he’d been there and I was just confused. I had thought we were friends. I had been so happy to see him after all of the uncertainty I’d been dealing with when he arrived, but now it seemed being near me just irritated him.
More confusion was the last thing I needed, since I was still wrestling with what the guys had told me a few nights before and trying to decide what I should do for the best. Nico had been a part of my indecision too, if I were honest. There had been a part deep inside of me that thought maybe Nico wanted to be with me and I had been worried I would lose him if I accepted the relationship with the guys. I knew how greedy that sounded, but I had feelings for Nico and I didn’t want to dismiss them, not when they felt so strong. Now it seemed that was non-issue, since Nico had made it very clear he wasn’t interested.
That still left me with my original worries about diving in with the guys though, worries about how hard such a relationship would be, and what it would be subjecting not just the four of us, but also my children to when we went out into the world. Not to mention all of my old concerns and insecurities about the fact that the three of them had abandoned me once and could possibly do it again. What would I do then? How would I explain to my children why they had been abandoned?
I groaned loudly as I slammed my head down on the cool kitchen counter. Willow had Hunter and Nico outside playing some game about lions and gazelles, and Kai and Cam were working, Kai in his office and Cam in his workshop, so I had some quiet. Quiet equaled thinking though, and that was the problem. There was too much going on in my head and it was giving me a headache!
“Here, sweet girl. At least cushion the blow,” Sam chuckled and when I looked up he stood before me with a cushion held out in offering.
“You weren’t supposed to see that,” I told him sheepishly.
