#Heart (Hashtag #6) (11 page)

The room spun, but I held my ground and stared at him levelly.

“Motherfucker!” Braeden roared and started forward.

I made an alarmed sound, and Drew grabbed him and held him back.

“How dare you say that shit to her? You have no idea what she’s been through!” Braeden raged, struggling against Drew’s hold.

My brother’s jaw clenched and he maneuvered so he was between B and me like he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold him back.

Zach’s father gazed at Braeden, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. “There he is. The man capable of murder.”

A cold chill slivered down my spine.

“That’s enough.” Romeo cut in and stepped in front of us all. The calm yet commanding tone in his voice was final. “This is
my
house and you are not welcome here. Get the hell out or I’m going to call the police and have you arrested for trespassing and harassment.”

“My entire life,” Zach’s father spat at Romeo. “They’ve taken my entire life from me!”

If Zach had been his entire life, then I felt sorry for him.

“Out,” Romeo rumbled and shifted his stance to that of one ready to use physical force if needed. And he had the muscle to back it up. Romeo wasn’t someone a person messed with. He was too levelheaded, too calm, and far too capable for someone to challenge him and win.

It struck me how we all stood there. B in front of Rim, me in front of B, Drew beside us, and Romeo in front of us all.

We were all protecting each other, a family bound together by love and loyalty.

It made this entire situation seem so much less scary.

“This isn’t the last you’ll see of me!” Zach’s father cried, and Romeo grabbed him by the back of his neck and literally hauled him to the door.

The man didn’t fight against Romeo. He just allowed himself to be dragged away.

“I’m building a case against you. Both of you!”

I stiffened.

Romeo flung open the door and shoved him out into the snow.

“You haven’t heard the last of—”

The sharp slam of the door cut off the rest of his threat.

“What the fuck was that?” Romeo spat, pinning B with an incredulous stare.

“My God, he’s lost it!” Rimmel said. “He’s turning into Zach.”

I shuddered, and Drew reached for me, pulling me into his side.

Braeden’s silence wasn’t something I was accustomed to, and I turned my head to look at him.

He and Romeo were standing there staring at each other like they were the only two in the room.

It wasn’t odd; it happened a lot.

The bromance and all.

The look on B’s face… the all-encumbering bleakness, the way he looked as though he were truly afraid he might lose it all.

“I think…” He began.

I gasped. I knew exactly what he was thinking, what he was going to say. The nightmares hadn’t just been about me after all.

I hadn’t been the only one involved in the crash that night.

“Braeden,” I said, trying to convey my understanding, my absolute support in that one word.

He his eyes softened on me and the love I knew he had for me shone through.

But then he looked back at his best friend. “I think we should probably talk.”

Romeo held up under the weight of the words, the practical admission from his best friend. Hell, if anything, Romeo seemed to draw himself up tighter, as if he were preparing for some kind of fight.

I think maybe he was.

But the fight wasn’t just going to be his.

It was going to be all of ours.

Our family was being threatened. Our future.

I stepped away from Drew and slid my hand into B’s. The way his fingers tightened around mine was an answer that Braeden felt it, too.

Romeo nodded once, then declared, “Family meeting.”

Rimmel

Well, this was new.

Romeo just announced a family meeting like we were all in trouble and about to get our punishments doled out.

I might have laughed if this morning hadn’t been so horrifying.

There I was just hanging out in my too-big sweats, enjoying my uncombed messy hair, and making coffee for everyone when all hell broke loose in the form of a man beating on the door!

Okay, he rang the doorbell.

But it was still super insistent.

I’d know Zach’s father anywhere. Even the little I’d seen of him at the hospital after my attack and then again at the closed court hearing was enough to burn this man’s face into my memory for life.

I’d almost felt sorry for him when I first opened the door. He looked terrible. A far cry from the put together, strong attorney I’d come to recognize. He was in shabby condition, and to be honest, he kinda smelled.

It turned my stomach.

It reminded me of the day Romeo met my father. How we’d walked into the house and he’d been a mess and drunk.

But the pity I felt for him didn’t last long.

The things he’d said this morning, the accusations he so violently hurled at the people in the room.

Wow.

And Braeden, my BBFL, the guy I loved almost as fiercely as Romeo (okay, just as fiercely but in a sisterly way), how he looked standing there, shocked, caught… almost like a deer in headlights when Robert accused him of murdering Zach, pierced my heart.

My goodness, he looked as if he couldn’t even defend himself.

That B didn’t stick around long, though, at least not completely. The way he leapt forward when Robert accused Ivy of murder was the B I knew.

And umm, what kind of man accused a woman who almost died and was Zach’s victim more than once of murder?

It was far, far too early in the morning for this.

“Call Trent,” Romeo barked at Drew like he was a drill sergeant. “Tell him to get his ass over here.”

Drew blinked in surprise. Surely he was used to Romeo’s bossy ways by now.

Romeo, who had gone back to studying B, must have felt Drew’s reaction and turned back. “He’s family, ain’t he?”

Drew nodded.

Okay then,
Romeo gestured by lifting his arms as if to invite any more comments.

I bit my lip and suppressed a smile. Romeo being all bossy was kind of hot. Well, when it wasn’t me he was bossing. I didn’t like being bossed.

“Smalls, get over here!” he demanded.

I sighed loudly. So much for not being bossed. His hotness just went down a notch.

“Don’t you talk to me like that, Roman Anderson!” I demanded back.

He started muttering something about stubborn women and stalked over in front of me. I expected some kind of lecture or order like he gave Drew, but instead, I found myself firmly against his chest.

His hand delved in my hair and his fingers massaged my scalp in the best way. I forgot to be annoyed and relaxed into his bare chest. He leaned down against my ear. “You okay? Did he say or do something to you before I got down here?”

He was worried.

And this was the power of Romeo.

No one else could be so pigheaded, so bossy, and so protective all at once and then totally make up for it by being heart-meltingly thoughtful.

My arms couldn’t resist slipping around him and hugging close. “I’m fine,” I whispered against his chest.

His muscles constricted where my breath hit his skin.

“Are you sure?” He pulled back to look down at me.

I nodded. “Braeden was down here almost the minute I opened the door.” I glanced in his direction. “You know how he is. I barely got a good look at Robert before Braeden was in front of me.”

Braeden gave me a look that said he wasn’t sorry, and I smiled. “I’m not mad at you, B.” I teased.

He grunted and a small smile played on his lips. “No one messes with my sister.” He said it lightly, in his usual way, but I saw the shadows dance in his eyes.

Romeo seemed satisfied and his face softened. “I think my hand is caught in your hair.” He pulled his arm like he was trying to get out of a trap. “Seriously, baby, what the hell did you do to yourself?”

I poked him in the ribs and gasped. “You’re terrible!”

“Aww, baby, don’t be like that,” he drawled, dripping with charm. “I love your hair. Except when it tries to eat my hand. I need it for football.”

I stomped on his foot (not hard enough to hurt him) and stepped back. “I can’t believe I agreed to marry you!”

Ivy laughed, and Romeo pretended I offended him.

Please. It would take a lot more than that to offend him.

“You can’t change your mind now, woman. We set a date.” He grabbed me back and kissed me. I let him ‘cause I liked his kisses.

Braeden made a sound, a cross between a growl and a gasp. “What the fuck is this!”

Everyone turned to stare at him.

“Where the hell are your pants!” He gestured toward Ivy and her bare legs.

Clearly, he’d snapped out of wherever he’d gone.

Ivy lifted up the oversized shirt, and Braeden about had heart failure. “Don’t be showing your lady bits to everyone!” He gasped and moved to shield her.

Ivy rolled her eyes. “I’m wearing shorts, bonehead. See?” She pointed at the shorts she definitely was wearing. “You just can’t see them because your shirt is so long.”

“Accused of murder
and
my girl is trying to show off her goods. I need to go back to bed,” B muttered and wiped a hand over his face.

Romeo laughed.

Drew turned back to the group and held up his phone. “Trent’s on his way.”

“Why don’t we all take five? Rim can comb her hair, Ivy can put on pants—”

“I’m wearing pants!” she yelled.

Romeo chuckled. “Put on pants we can see, princess.”

“I need orange juice for this,” she declared and went off to the kitchen.

Braeden looked at me. “Why the fuck is she so into orange juice lately?”

I shrugged and followed Ivy into the kitchen.

I poured a mug of coffee while Ivy poured a glass half full of juice. We both leaned against the counter and took a healthy sip of our drinks and sighed.

She looked pale, and I pointed it out.

“It’s not every day the father of the guy who raped you barges into your house and accuses you of murder.”

I bit my lower lip. I couldn’t imagine how she must feel right now. And just after yesterday when she told me she was finally feeling stronger emotionally. I felt angry with Robert for coming here and trying to rip apart Braeden and Ivy’s life.

“I’m worried about him,” Ivy confided, her voice dipping low. I knew she was talking about Braeden; there was no one else that would put that look of concern on her face.

I opened my mouth to say something and then stopped. I didn’t like the thoughts and words bubbling up inside me.

“B’s going to be fine. We’ll all take care of him,” I assured her and stepped to her side. She was gripping the juice like it was her lifeline.

“Come on. I need help brushing my hair.”

She smiled.

“Maybe I’ll put on some pants. Maybe I won’t.” Her voice was devious.

“Well, if the boys don’t have to wear shirts to the family meeting, why should you have to wear pants?” I mused.

“You know you wanna see my muscles, Blondie,” Braeden quipped, overhearing our words as we walked through the family room.

“Oh, is that what you’re calling them these days?” She batted her eyelashes innocently.

“Burned,” Drew drawled.

“Better run, sis. Don’t want you to get caught in the crossfire,” Braeden said and rushed at us.

Ivy held the glass in front of her. “Don’t spill my juice!”

“For the love of God, woman,” Braeden muttered, but he backed off and slung an arm around her shoulder gently. “Come on. Let’s me you… and your juice go get dressed.”

I forgot about combing my hair and dropped into Romeo’s lap. He took my coffee and drank some of it.

“He seems better,” I said about Braeden. “A little less… freaked.”

Romeo’s mouth turned grim. “Oh, he’s freaked. He’s trying to hold it together for Ivy.” His voice lowered. “This isn’t good, Smalls.”

“I know.”

But just how bad this really was remained to be seen.