Chapter 298

“Nothing happened, I assure you,” Steven says quickly. His eyes are still closed, but I can feel the panic in every line of his body as he holds me.

“It’s okay,” I tell him. Honestly, it wouldn’t bother me if something did happen, though I would have liked to be more awake from it. Right now, the most I can remember is some haziness about pulling Steven into bed with me. “Maybe just clarify for me what did happen?”

Slowly, Steven opens his eyes. He’s still embarrassed, not able to meet my gaze for long. He keeps coming back to it though, like it’s just as difficult for him to look away.

It’s difficult for me to look away, as well. It’s not often I get to look into his eyes without the lenses from his glasses being in the way.

“I was worried… I knew my brothers had each… propositioned you,” Steven says. “When you went to bed alone, I assumed you meant to be alone fully. So I took to guarding your bedside.”

Valiant, for sure. Unnecessary, absolutely.

If one of the brothers would have come to my side, that would have eliminated the necessity of my impossible choice. Unless… all of them showed up. Okay, maybe I am glad for Steven’s intervention.

“I, uh…” Steven’s cheeks burned even more fiercely red. “I was sitting at the edge of your bed, but… maybe you felt the warmth or needed something to hold onto. In your sleep, you reached out and grabbed me. You pulled me close.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t have it in me to let you go.”

Oh, Gods. So it’s true. The only one who embarrassed themselves here was me. I open my mouth to apologize, but Steven continues, cutting me off before I even begin.

“I didn’t mean to stay long. But… I was more tired than I thought. I fell asleep. I’m deeply sorry, Chloe. I can go now…”

He starts to pull his arms away. I quickly snatch them and pull them back, keeping them right where they are.

“I don’t mind this,” I tell him. “If you want to go, you can go, but if you want to stay… we can stay like this.”

His arms tighten around me once more. “I really, truly want to stay, but…”

He shifts slightly, and I feel a stiffness pressing against my thigh.

Oh. Oh. He’s rock-hard right now.

I do my best to ignore it. But it’s twitching. And knowing he’s getting aroused by my closeness is doing things to my body. I’m getting amped up, I can’t help it.

“Oh, Gods, Chloe. I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” I really don’t want him to move.

But he’s determined to, it seems. He retracts his hand. “I need to take care of this.”

He can take care of it here. I wouldn’t mind. And it wouldn’t be the first time.

Yet he seems way too embarrassed. He rolls away from me and pulls himself out of his bed. He stands up and then hobbles toward the door.

As soon as he opens it, the three other brothers are standing on the other side. All of them were peering inside with varying levels of interest. Beau was actively looking, bending far to see as much as he could. Neil was behind him, curious, but not insistent. Archer was in the rear, pretending not to look.

“Uh…” Steven says. “Can you please move out of the way?”

Beau laughs, but ultimately stands aside. Neil moves as well. Archer leaves entirely, disappearing up the hallway.

This is it. Forget everything else that is supposed to happen today. This right here is how I die. Of embarrassment. Mortification? I tried so hard to avoid this very scenario and now it’s still happened.

The other brothers think I have chosen Steven.

“It’s not what it looks like!” I call out as I scramble out of bed.

No one says anything.

Steven ambles over toward the bathroom.

Beau continues laughing.

Neil clears his throat and tells me, “We have to get ready now. We are leaving in one hour.”

“Okay,” I say. There’s more I want to say but no one stays to hear it.

Neil is right. We have to get ready. There are more important things to worry about right now than who is sleeping with who.

Downstairs, once I’ve showered and dressed for the day, I find Mom assuring Neil and Isaac that she will watch Mia.

“I’ll protect her as if she were my own,” Mom says with conviction. “And I swear we will not leave the house.”

“I don’t like this,” Isaac says, half to Mom, half to Neil.

Neil, as usual, has become the unofficial leader of the situation, taking charge of most things. Even Isaac is seeming to defer to him.

Neil hums as he glances at Wyatt standing beside his father. Wyatt has his arms crossed. He’s listening to the situation but not making any suggestions about it.

Isaac follows the length of Neil’s gaze.

“Wyatt,” Isaac says.

Wyatt looks at him. “Dad?”

Isaac straightens and turns to his son. “I need you to stay here.”

“What?!”

I understand now, why Isaac had to tense himself up for this conversation. This topic is like going into battle. Wyatt will not back down lightly.

“I’m going with you, Dad,” Wyatt says. “Someone needs to watch your back in there, and I just know it’s not going to be these assholes.”

“Hey!” I am affronted on the brothers’ account, as well as my own. I’d never let anything happen to Isaac.

Wyatt ignores me. “You need me, Dad. These guys are dangerous.”

Isaac shows infinite patience, listening quietly to his son. But then he shows infinite wisdom as well, by saying, “It’s because they are dangerous that I need you to stay here and protect your step-mom and Mia.”

Wyatt’s face scrunches up. He clearly doesn’t think much about this idea.

“Son,” Isaac says. “The best way to protect me is to protect them so I don’t have to worry. I know you will do a good job.”

“But, Dad –”

“Please, Wyatt. For me.”

Wyatt’s mouth hangs open a moment. His expressions twist from belligerence to worry to finally, quiet acceptance. “Fine.” He sounds resentful.

“Promise me, Wyatt,” Isaac says, firm.

“Fine,” Wyatt says again, louder though no less annoyed. “I’ll protect them.”

“Thank you,” Isaac says and places his hand on Wyatt’s shoulder.

Maybe I’m a mistrusting person at heart, or maybe I’ve been too often the target of Wyatt’s ire. Whatever the reason, I don’t fully believe him when he makes that promise, even though Isaac seems to.

Neil does too. I want to trust Neil’s judgement, but…

Wyatt has done too much harm for me to ever trust him.

So as I’m hugging Mom goodbye, and with the others distracted, I whisper, “Don’t let your guard down around Wyatt, Mom, okay? Not even for an instant.”

She pulls back to give me a curious, disbelieving look. She’s always wanted to believe the best in people, especially her stepson.

If I tell her even a fraction of the things he’s done to me, she would never look like that again.

I don’t want to ruin her perfect idea of her family. I just want her to safe.

“Please,” I say. “Trust me.”

She must be able to see the worry in me, because she says, at last, “Okay, Chloe. I’ll be careful.”

Unfortunately, even her assurances do little to ease my upset. Mom isn’t a warrior. Wyatt is.

I can only hope and pray that Wyatt keeps his word and protects my family.