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Theo was behind us, his eyes wild and uncertain as we walked outside. I knew it was only a matter of minutes before Easton was at our back, but I was not about to get kicked out of this club and bring more attention to Tori.
If her name held as much weight as I thought it did, that would only reach her father and cause more problems, or worse, reach the fake fiancé he’d set up for her.
We’d barely made it to the car when footsteps thundered behind us, the bouncer yelling and brushing his shoulder off where he’d been shoved into the wall.
Easton’s nostrils were flaring like an angry bull, his head down as he stalked toward us. It would be intimidating if I didn’t know him so well. My fists were up, waiting for him. If he wanted a fight, I’d fucking give him one.
“Get her out of here,” I told Theo but he ignored me and put himself between us. Easton started to move around him and I shoved the beta gently toward our mate again. Thankfully, this time, he took the hint.
“I suggest you calm the fuck down, Easton,” I said evenly as he came toe-to-toe with me. His face was so red that it was starting to turn purple. In all our years, I don’t think I’d ever seen him quite this angry.
“You knew the rules. What the fuck did you think you were doing?”
“Those were never our rules, Easton. They were yours,” I countered. “What I do with my mate ismybusiness. Not everything requires a fucking vote.”
“It’s all of our business,” he growled. “You know where we stand.”
“Again, I know whereyoustand. Don’t turn this into a group decision when you made them alone without considering our thoughts.”
The alpha was so far gone that he couldn’t even see how badly he was tearing us apart—his own brothers, best friends, the ones who’d had his back his entire life.
“Enough of this. You’re not fighting over me,” Tori said, shoving me aside. It was surprisingly gentle for how angry she was. Easton’s anger faded a fraction when she stepped between us.
“This has nothing to do with you,princess,” he spat her nickname out like a curse, and I clenched my fists again, flexing them to stop myself from punching him and causing more damage.
“If it had nothing to do with me, then why are you saying ‘princess’ like that? Like it’s the worst curse you could possibly think to call me?”
“That’s because it is,” he said with a dark chuckle as he stepped forward. “Why don’t you just go run along to the fiancé that your father bought for you? Imagine being so pampered that you were handed everything in life and just expected us to fall at your feet like one of your money-bag suitors.”
“I never asked you to, Easton,” she growled. She was meeting him fire for fire, and damn, it was a sexy sight. It had every instinct in me ready to throw her over my shoulder and take her home and... well, that probably wouldn’t be a welcome reaction.
“I’m surprised you haven’t called my father yet, told him exactly where I was,” she said with a bitter laugh.
“That’s not a bad idea, princess. I’m sure he’d pay more than whatever your siblings give us.” His smile was wide and wicked.
“Fuck you, Easton. You’re crossing too many lines. This is done.”
“Oh, I’m sure he would,” she said, ignoring me as tears started to track down her face. “There’s always been a bounty on my head, and he’s never afraid of making deals. The first deal was with a supposed fiancé. His business was worth more than my own safety, did you know that?”
Easton started to speak but she wasn’t done yet, anger flaring even hotter as she continued, jabbing a finger in his chest with each new point.
“That same man broke into my apartment. Imagine my horror waking up to someone leaning in my face, telling me all the vile things he planned to do to me.”
“Tori,” Easton tried but she let out a growl.
“He also tried to do those things but alcohol made him slow and I managed to escape. Do you think my dad was going to protect me against that? No. In fact, that’s who he’s planning the wedding with—the same damn man.”
Theo moved closer, hovering nearby but Easton had her full attention now and this gorgeous, beautiful, jaded omega was going to break him before she was done.
“Actually, you probably think just because my family had money that automatically means I deserved it, right? That I don’t deserve the freedom to tell an alpha no. Money may have bought your protection, Easton, but I sure as fuck didn’t have any before now and I don’t want yours now.”
“That’s not what I said,” Easton started, but his anger had faded into an awful shock. I had a feeling this wasn’t over, that he wasn’t going to give in just like this because the man was too damn stubborn for his own good, but it felt like she was finally getting through to him.
“He’s also the same man that treated Ellie like crap our entire lives, the one who demanded that Micah turn out just like him. You can act like my life was full of privilege, but I can promise you that it was a prison. Money always comes with strings, and I was expected to dance because of it.”
“Tori,” Theo whispered, his voice as fractured as I felt at hearing the full brunt of her story.
“So, keep thinking I’m some weak, cheap princess who wouldn’t know how to appreciate anything in life. I’d rather be alone for the rest of my life than be with someone like you, Easton. You’re as bad as the alphas who have abused me my whole life. I don’t know why I thought you might be different.”
