24. Juliette
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
juliette
Whatever he’s about to say, it’s gonna hurt. I don’t need to be a mind reader to know that. I literally watched his face transform from open and happy to a cloud of mixed emotions.
“Hit me with it, Kash. I’m a big girl. I can take it.”
His nostrils flare, his fists clenching at his sides before he reins himself in. His espresso is heavily tinged with cocoa, the scent making my mouth water, but I pretend I’m not the least bit affected because we just barely solidified our friendship remodel. I’m not going to risk fuckin’ that up.
“Your father offered to buy me out of my pack.”
I blink, then blink again, sure I heard him wrong.
“I’m sorry. Did you just say?—”
“He wrote me a check with a whole bunch of zeros in an attempt to get me to leave my pack and keep me far away from you.”
My heart, only recently healed, feels like it’s breaking all over again.
Even now, Daddy is trying to control my life, with no thought to what I want or what’s best for Charlotte.
In his selfish attempt to protect me, what he fails to realize is that he’s really just covering his own ass, and I. Am. Done.
With fury flooding my veins, I spin and start to make my way toward the house. I don’t make it more than a few steps before Kash’s arm bands around my waist, halting my progress. I bat at his hands and try to get away until he lifts me off my feet.
“Calm the hell down. Where do you think you’re stormin’ off to?”
“Put me down, Kash!” I snap.
“Not until you take a deep breath. You ain’t gonna accomplish nothin’ if you go in there madder than a bull.”
He’s right, but that doesn’t put out the raging fire in my veins. Taking a few deep breaths to at least attempt to get myself somewhat under control, I stop strugglin’ and Kash sets me down. He spins me around until he’s gripping my shoulders and staring into my eyes.
“Now, what exactly do you think you’re going to do?”
“I’m putting a stop to his interference once and for all. Just like I should’ve done all those years ago.”
He shakes his head, lips parting before he slams them shut again. Finally, he just says, “June bug, I can’t let you go in there alone.”
I surprise us both when I step forward, throw my arms over his shoulders, and hug him like I’ve wanted to since I was ten. He only hesitates for a moment before his arms finally wrap themselves around me.
Shit. I didn’t realize just how good it would feel to be clutched like a precious treasure in my old friend's arms. Back when we were kids, we regularly comforted each other like this, but by the time it probably would’ve started to become something more , he wouldn’t touch me with a ten-foot pole.
Ignoring my instinctual reaction to the Alpha holding me, I squeeze him tight.
“I may not have been able to stand up for what I wanted all those years ago, but now, I’m a grown-ass woman and I’ll be damned if I let him hurt you again.” When I pull back, I cup both sides of his flushed face. “Do you hear me, Kash Ford? You’re my friend, and I protect what’s mine.”
Staring into his eyes, I realize just how much power I wield where he’s concerned, and I promise from this point forward to handle that with care.
Letting him go, I leave him speechless in the driveway as I stalk up to the house and through the front door.
I don’t give a damn if my boots are leaving tracks of dirt on the wood floors.
I’ll make sure Gran knows exactly who should have to clean up the mess, and it won’t be me.
“Mason Callahan!” I shout, anger making my voice especially fierce. “Show yourself!”
“Juliette?” he calls out from the back of the house. “I’m in the kitchen.”
My growl echoes through the foyer as I go to face off with my father once and for all.
When I enter the kitchen, I find him and Mama sitting at the breakfast bar while Gran flips something in a pan on the stove.
She pauses when she sees me come in, taking one look at my face and turning off the burner so she can focus her full attention on me.
Wyatt and Beck took Charlotte into town for dinner, and I’m grateful I won’t have to censor my words because what I have to say is best served extra spicy.
I’m sure I look slightly deranged, but I don’t give a damn. I stalk straight up to Daddy, who looks shocked at the intensity of the rage coursing through me. When he spins on the stool to face me, I step closer and jab him right in the chest.
“You have meddled in my goddamn life for the last time! Do you hear me?”
Mama gasps, her hand landing on my daddy’s forearm. “Juliette, what’s this about?”
“Tell her, Daddy. Tell her what you did.”
“Sweetheart, I don’t?—”
“When the Lord was handin’ out brains, it’s like you thought he said trains and passed on by ‘cuz you don’t like to travel!”
His brow furrows at the insult. “What the hell are you talkin’ about?”
“How about the money you offered Kash to leave his pack.”
Gran and Mama gasp, covering their mouths.
“Mason, you didn’t!” Gran snaps, recovering from her shock faster.
There’s a slight flush working its way up my daddy’s throat. “Now, it isn’t what it?—”
“You gonna sit right there and lie to my face?” I growl.
I’ve heard plenty of Alphas make that sound as a warning, but coming from an Omega, it’s an odd combination of plain ol’ fury with some fuck around and find out mixed in. Like a dare…times a hundred.
“Juliette…” He sighs. “Look, I’d do just about anything to make sure you never have to endure a second of Jack Ford's hatred. Even if Kash ain’t plannin’ on courtin’ you, his pack is, and Jack won’t give a damn about the details. He’ll rain hell down on all of you.”
I nod, pretending like I understand, when in reality I’m just giving myself a second to cool down. Otherwise, the sheriff might be cartin’ my ass off to jail for murder, and orange isn’t my style.
“I suppose that’s your excuse for why you offered a percentage of Callahan International to Pack Latham then as well, right?”
Mama’s head whips toward her husband, disappointment and disapproval firing up in eyes that are an exact match to mine. “Mason, tell me she’s got that wrong.”
“That boy’s porch light’s on, but no one’s home,” Gran mutters.
“He can’t, Mama. That’s straight outta the horse’s mouth, and the reason I immediately called an end to our courtship.
” I swallow down the hurt bubbling to the surface.
“Apparently, I am nothing more than a commodity for Daddy to use as he sees fit. Cut me off from my best friend under the guise of protecting me. Offer to pay a pack to court his pitiful daughter. Then outright try to buy off the one person who has been hurt so many goddamn times by your meddlin’, without even a second thought.
You are no better than the man you’re so-called protecting me from. ”
He visibly blanches. “Juliette, just let me explain?—”
“No, Daddy. I won’t listen to another word you have to say.
This time, I’m makin’ my own decisions without any input or influence from you.
I choose them . I will be their Omega. And as of right now, Kash and I have mended our broken friendship.
I hurt him so badly all those years ago, and it damn near tore me apart.
I won’t allow you to do that ever again.
Stay out of my life and out of my way, or you won’t like the repercussions. ”
I don’t wait for excuses or even a response.
Stomping back through the house, I make my way out to the truck just as the sun starts to set in the distance.
I’m honestly relieved Kash didn’t hang around.
Knowing him, he probably took off to gather reinforcements—namely to call and tell Beck his Omega has lost her damn mind and started a war with her father.
For a second, I consider hopping on Calamity and heading over there to see if the trio is back from town yet, but I decide I need to take some time for myself first. They don’t need to constantly see me looking like something the cat dragged in.
Climbing up onto the tailgate of the ol’ Chevy, I pull my knees up and wrap my arms around them as I stare off toward the far rear of the property, taking deep breaths and exhaling. Not even all the pretty pinks and purples tinting the summer sky can make this better.
The one thing that keeps playing through my mind is all of the years I wasted being angry at my best friend.
I ruined something that had the potential to be great.
Just tossed it in the firepit and watched it burn, even though I didn’t do it intentionally.
As the first furious tear falls, I drop my forehead to my knees and give in to a good cry.
By the time the waterworks have stopped, night has almost fully descended.
Swiping the back of my hand across my nose, and with it way more snot than I expected, I clean it off on the back of my jeans.
I mean, they already hold a healthy amount of grease and some good ol’ fashioned spit. How much worse can it be?
“Finally found you, little mama.”
Beck’s voice startles me, and when I catch sight of him backlit by the dying sun, I almost think I’m imagining him. But then he steps closer, and I catch a hint of blueberries as his gaze finds mine across the space between us.
“Hi, handsome.” I let my legs slide out and dangle off the edge of the tailgate.
Without hesitation, Beck’s warm palms land on my knees, shifting my legs until he can step between them.
Then they slide up my hips, drawing me closer.
Accepting the invitation for what it is, I turn my hat backward, throw my arms over his shoulders, and bury my face into the side of his neck.
We stand there like that for a while, just soaking up each other’s presence.
When we finally pull apart, he stares down at me as the stars in the sky start to twinkle and lightning bugs come out to play, winking on and off around us.
“Kash told me what happened. Said you went to confront Mason.”