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Thinking back to that night, I remember Meagan making a scene before storming out of the diner. “She was going on about how we had what was coming to us, and she couldn’t wait until we were put in our places,” I explain.
“That doesn’t sound out of character for Meagan,” Wes states.
I think harder, placing who was in the diner and her words before she left. “She said, ‘I hope you assholes and that stupid bitch get everything coming to you. You all fucking deserve the hell that’s about to rain down on this town.’ Then disappeared through the door. Brian was there that night. I remember him staring so hard I was tempted to ask what the fuck he was looking at. Then I got a call, and Meagan was dead.”
“Not just any kind of dead. She was baked alive, and her lips were sewn shut,” Sebastian adds.
“Snitches get stitches or some shit like that,” I mumble.
Owen’s fingers drum on the table. “What if it was Brian? He’s been behind a lot of shit and has gladly positioned himself at Sam’s side.”
This feels like a more plausible scenario. I wouldn’t put it past Samantha to order the death and dismemberment of people, but she doesn’t strike me as the get-her-hands-dirty type of girl—she’s too fucking prissy for that shit.
“Still no luck on locating Brian?” Wyatt probes.
I shake my head, “No. At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was dead.”
“He wasn’t last week, at least,” Owen quips. “He and Senator Baker were both apparently giving Samantha the lamest fuck of her life.”
My lips draw tight at the image. Yuck. “Not something I needed to know. In fact, I could’ve gone my entire life without knowing that,” I quip.
“And I could’ve gone my whole life without seeing Brittany’s face buried between Sam’s legs,” Owen retorts, and I have to fight not to lose my dinner.
Whirling my computer around, I change the subject. “I’ll look into the murders again and see if there’s a link to Samantha. Sebastian, can you and Wes work to find the damn gynecologist that was supposed to put the implant in Ariah’s arm? We need to figure out why she didn’t follow Sam’s plan.” Finally, I turn to Owen and Wyatt, who are already grinning from ear to ear. “I need you two to?—”
“Double-check with Thomas and ensure Ariah’s security is up to par,” Wyatt blurts, completing my sentence.
“Fucking smartasses,” I mutter.
They both chuckle. “Yet you love us anyway,” Owen jests.
Refusing to entertain their bullshit, I stand and head upstairs. Once I’m settled, I turn on my monitors and do what I’ve done every night since she’s been on campus—watch.
Ariah’s in bed, her hand on her growing belly as she reads.
I turn on the sound only to find she’s not reading, just talking.
“You two will be loved so abundantly. I only hope your dads will get their shit together. Even if they never want to be with me again, neither of you deserves to ever be shunned. And I’m going to let you both in on a secret—I know they love you both already. They’re all just too thick-headed to realize it.”
She’s too fucking good for us.
A lump clogs my throat, threatening to cause a panic attack.
“I’m going to tell you about each of your dads—they’re all uniquely special and will always hold a place in my heart. Your daddy Wyatt knew before I did that we were meant to be together. He believed enough for the both of us.” Her voice cracks, but she continues. “Lev is a quiet force. He’s the strong, silent type, tempering the boisterous personalities. I know he thinks I’m not paying attention, but I see him.” She whispers the last part, looking up as if she knows I’m watching.
I listen as she ticks off the reasons she loves us, using her words to push down my rising panic. Instead, I allow her words to urge me to work harder so we can get her back.
24
ARIAH
“We never loved you. You were just too stupid to see that,” Wyatt sneers, and the tears pooling in my eyes fall.
Obnoxious, loud laughter fills the room. “Did you really think someone like you could ever be who we wanted?” Owen seethes. “Look at you. You’re pathetic.”
“But the babies,” I try to reason.
“Those abominations aren’t ours, and you know it. Stop trying to pretend otherwise. We all know you would spread eagle to anything with a dick hanging between their legs,” Sebastian snaps.
