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“Tom?”
Austin sighs. “What? You trusted them to take care of things? Gwen did too, and look at what they did to her and Quinn. Just because you’re their scent match doesn’t mean they’re good alphas.”
“I’m sorry, Denise. We were low on money, and I lost a bet...” Tom trails off.
Denise seethes but gathers herself enough to scowl at Brady. “Fine. We’ll forget this ever happened.” Her eyes cut to me. “Just like they forgot about her.”
“You fucking bitch,” I growl, rushing forward and cracking my palm across her cheek. It should feel good, but if anything, I feel worse because she grins at me, eyes sparkling in victory.
The guys may have gotten away with assaulting my dads, but she’s still won.
Clenching my fist, I resist the urge to hit her again and shake my head, not bothering to give her any more of my pain or hate. I’m nothing to them. Mustering the last of my dignity, I step over my dads, who are still on the ground, too afraid to get up, for fear of getting hit again.
“Come on,” I tell the guys. “Let’s go home.”
Brady parksoutside of the beachside mansion, and we all sit in silence together, or rather, they sit, wondering what to do next. I’ve been trying not to cry, but more than a few tears slipped past my control.
“How did you know that about their house?” I eventually ask.
Brady meets my eyes in the rearview mirror. “I’ve been keeping tabs on them for years.”
My forehead wrinkles, and I glance at his brothers, but they don’t seem surprised. “Why?”
“At first, I wanted to make sure they’d stay away from you and your mom. And then I realized that they were hurting you, and I... I don’t know how to explain it without sounding crazy.”
Austin sighs. “And I might’ve mentioned Reggie changing his phone number and what it did to you.”
Brady nods. “I knew where they were living and what they were doing, but that’s when I dug into everything. My PI found out about the gambling problem. I found out about their property taxes and then, yeah. Does it bother you?”
Somehow, he knows more about my dads than I do, and that feels wrong, but Brady did what he did to protect me, even if he didn’t realize it at the time. That something he doesn’t know how to explain has everything to do with his alpha nature. He might’ve been resisting the pull of our scent match, and yet he couldn’t help himself.
“No,” I admit. “I’m only glad it’s over.” I swipe at my damp cheeks and take a steadying breath. “Maybe we should go inside and talk.”
“You can’t break up with us,” Dylan blurts.
I shake my head. “I’m not breaking up with you,” I reassure him. “We do need to make plans for how to deal with our situation and our parents. If my dads’ reaction is any indication, I think it might be best to, uh, keep it on the down-low for a little while. I’ll cover my marks and use the descenting lotion. Not to hide it forever,” I say in a rush. “Just to give them time to ease into it.”
“I don’t want to hide it,” Austin murmurs.
“Me either.” Dylan sounds a little hurt, and I hate it.
I chew on my cheek and drop my gaze to my lap. My intention wasn’t to cause them pain. I don’t know if my heart can handle another parental rejection. I know my mom loves me, but how do I know where her limits are? I’ve never tested them. I’ve always been good and followed the rules. What if this is the thing that pushes her over the line?
“I think Quinn is right,” Brady says.
I release a shaky breath and lift watery eyes to the rearview mirror.
He nods and continues. “It won’t be forever, but we can’t drop this into their lap right when they get home for a few reasons. They’ll be so happy when they get back, and I don’t want to ruin the memories. There’s an important case coming to the firm. And Quinn isn’t ready. I think we should respect that.”
“Ugh, that all makes sense, but I want it noted that I will hate every second of it.” Dylan tosses a look in my direction from the front passenger seat. “And I’m still going to sneak into your room and fuck you senseless.”
“Dylan,” I say with a laugh.
“And if you think I’m going to stop cooking for you”—Austin unbuckles me and drags me across the back seat—“you’re wrong, pretty girl.” He rubs his cheek over mine. “And then I’ll find a way to make you dessert.”
My cheeks flush, and I turn and capture his lips. “You guys are trying to distract me.”
Admittedly, it’s working. They make me feel invincible.
