Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“She’s been through a traumatic experience, she needs support not the two of you to try and debase her.”
“Jesus,” Liam muttered. “Just what do you think we’ve been doing?”
“I wouldn’t know, since you’ve hidden it from me.”
“Put me down, Liam. Please.”
He set her down reluctantly. Letting her go wasn’t something he wanted to do. But she didn’t move away from him, just turned around to look at Regent.
“Please don’t be mad, Reggie. Please.”
Liam stiffened. If that bastard said that he was upset with her . . .
But Regent’s face softened in the face of his sister’s pleas. “I’m not mad at you. You know I could never be upset with you. I promise.”
“Don’t be upset with them either, Regent. We didn’t set out to . . . to deceive you. It’s just we figured you’d make them leave.”
Which Liam knew was exactly what Regent wanted to do. Although he’d likely have them leave in a body bag.
“Lottie, why don’t you go with Victor,” Regent said. “He’ll put you to bed.”
She leaned against Liam tiredly and he wrapped an arm around her. She held onto Nico’s hand.
“Reggie, I love you. But Nico’s right. I’m not a child. I needed . . . I needed to be coddled when I first came home. Needed it for longer than was probably healthy. But if I want to have a life then I have to be brave. I have to push the boundaries. I’m drowning. Every day, a bit more, I can feel myself drowning.”
“You just need some more therapy, that’s all.” His face was filled with a plea that Liam felt in his gut.
“I hurt myself again,” she whispered.
Regent froze. “What? When? Because of this thing with them?”
“No! Regent, they’re not the bad guys in this.”
“Are we?” Victor rumbled, watching them all intently.
“What? No! Of course not. I hurt myself because I was getting so frustrated because I couldn’t just do things. Things that are normal like going to West’s wedding! Like managing to take my nephew to the hospital without having a freaking panic attack.”
“You hurt yourself after that?” Regent’s eyes widened and he looked her over. “Where? How?”
“I didn’t that night because . . . because Nico and Liam found me. They helped me.”
“You should have come to me,” Regent said to Liam.
“You’re right,” Liam agreed. “I should have. Lottie and Nico wanted me to. But I didn’t think you’d be reasonable. And I’m not giving her up. No matter what you threaten.”
“You’ll have to give her up if you’re dead.”
“Regent, no! Don’t you get it? You can’t hurt them.”
“Why? Because you care about them? You’ll forget them.”
“Because I love them.”
Liam froze. He stared down at her head.
“You love us, pretty girl?” Nico asked, breaking the silence.
“I love you. Sorry about telling you like this.”
“No, no, this is . . . wow.” Nico moved in front of her, cupping her face between his hands, and ignoring her brothers’ noises of displeasure. Liam watched them carefully. He wasn’t going to let either of them hurt his husband or their girl.
“I love you too, pretty girl,” Nico told her.
“Yeah?” she asked, sounding almost shocked.
“Oh, yeah, I think I’ve loved you since the first moment I met you. That first time you smiled, everything else faded away for me. I knew you were going to be mine. One day.”
She let out a small sob, and Nico leaned in to kiss her.
“Fuck,” Regent muttered. “Are you seriously asking me to be okay with this? It sounds like you’ve wanted her for years!”
“When we first met her, we felt this pull toward her. Then when I realized she’d been kidnapped,” Liam let out a breath. “I felt fucking wild. All I knew was that I had to find her. And kill whoever took her.”
“Was she right?” Victor asked. “Were you there that night she was rescued?”
“Yes.”
Lottie was feeling spacey as Liam led her over to the sofa. He settled on the seat with Nico next to him then he pulled her onto his lap. She still held Nico’s hand. Her lips tingled from their kiss and her insides danced with warmth.
But it kind of felt like this was happening to someone else. As though she were seeing everything through a long tunnel. She knew it was partly because she’d just come out of a nightmare, and she was exhausted.
God, she was so tired.
“You can sleep soon, baby girl,” Liam told her.
“By herself,” Regent snapped, sitting across from them.
She stiffened.
“She’ll sleep where she wants to sleep,” Liam countered.
God. This wasn’t what she wanted. She got what Liam was trying to avoid, even though it hadn’t felt right. But this . . . the two of them snapping at each other. It was hurting her. She loved them both.
Maybe she should tell them that.
Sitting up, she glanced over at Regent.