Chapter 29 Rebel
Rebel
Idrop the cowboy hat on my head as I pass the bedroom Riot and Kelsey are sharing. While the costume options were endless, I went with the Western theme with the idea it might gain brownie points with Summer’s brothers.
With how hellbent Owen is on trying to get rid of me I suspect it won’t help. But at least I’ll look good when I try my hand at staying on the mechanical bull.
Rogue, who was on his way to meet Ivy when I came in, is dressed as a cop like he was for Bianca Del Ray’s Halloween Birthday Bash Bonanza. The only reason he dragged it out a second time is to remind me I was wrong about Ivy back then.
Riot’s door is closed, muffling the voices inside, although I can make out enough to note that whatever they’re talking about sounds serious. I’m about to bang on it when there’s a thump from the other side of the panel.
Perhaps now isn’t the time.
Two more thumps follow before Riot says, “I’ll tell my family tonight. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to share what we have with the rest of the world.”
“But she’s driving me crazy. All her posts on her socials. She wants you,” Kelsey says, her voice raised. “Everything she posts alludes to you and her being together. People are buying into it.”
“Tell me you’re not buying into it.”
“I trust you. But I hate her,” Kelsey says. “All this makes me feel sick.”
His voice grows low and husky and feral. “Sick with jealousy, candy head? Feeling territorial?”
The conversation stops. I hear a low moan. “Riot.”
I smirk as I walk away. I am going to give him shit about this when he finally tells us they’re together.
The two bodyguards in the next room are playing cards when I walk past. They’re probably subjected to listening to the two of them go at it a lot.
The older one pulls a card from the ones in his hand and sets it face down on the table. “My starter bike. It was a black and silver Suzuki Katana. She was a sweet ride.”
He’s not wrong about the sweet ride. I have one in my garage. I pause. “Hey.”
He looks at me over his cards. “Yes?”
I’m not sure what I want to ask him. “Ever ridden a Triumph Rocket?”
“Once or twice,” he says. “Is that your ride?”
“I have a selection,” I say. Rogue and Riot do too. “Tell Riot to find me when he’s done.”
“Will do,” he says as I walk away.
Burke strides across the driveway as I jog down the steps.
“Found him yet?” I ask when we cross paths. Music floats out of the barn as guests mingle inside and out front, decked out in costumes or Western getups.
The brothers were still looking for Stains when Rogue, Riot, and I came back to the house to get ready.
Our security team also got involved in the search.
Including Riot’s bodyguards, who are attached to him at the hip.
Which makes me ask the same question West kept asking about the goat earlier. Why?
What is our little brother not telling us? Other than he’s in love, of course.
Burke grimaces. “It’s not looking good for poor Stains. With the light almost gone, the search is going to have to be put on hold until morning.”
“That’s unfortunate.” We made a good pretense of looking for the goat for a couple hours after West took it to the pit. Long, excruciating hours where we anticipated the brothers figuring out that we already knew what happened to the goat. To decide to explore the pit. To find the body.
For all hell to break loose.
But it didn’t.
I’m an asshole for asking Burke about the goat. He’s the one brother I don’t think hates us. I could tell him, and we could work out how to break the news to Owen. But Owen hasn’t been reasonable so far. Expecting him to start now would be stupid.
And it sure as hell wouldn’t help us work out who was behind it. A subject Rogue, West, and I decided would be best kept between us and our security team for the time being.
“We’ll find him,” I say, praying we don’t. There’s no way to explain hiding the evidence without looking like the psycho who mutilated the poor animal. It’s important to Rogue and Ivy that this wedding goes smoothly.
“You want to hope so.” He humphs. “Otherwise, Owen is going to blame you. And he can hold a grudge like you would not believe.”
“Of course.” He’s going to blame me anyway. I’m not sure anything can salvage the chance of a relationship forming between Summer’s oldest brother and me.
Whoever killed the goat could stab the prick a couple times before I stepped in to help at this point.
Someone killed the goat. That’s the part that sours my stomach. The part that sends a spike of adrenaline through my veins.
These people are my family and friends and someone among them could be unhinged and quite likely dangerous.
Alec is still evading the cops, and his hatred for us runs deep. After last year, anyone who isn’t inner circle looks suspicious to me, but I’d finally started to relax. Today’s events have me back on the edge.
“I hope Kia will be impressed that I hold the record for mechanical bull riding in Devil’s Bend,” Burke says, and I’m grateful for the change of subject.
“Only if I don’t steal it from you.”
“You have no chance.” His chest puffs up and his green eyes sparkle. “I’m the best.”
I’m distracted by the sound of a vehicle heading up the drive. A moment later, Rochelle’s bodyguard parks my rental and jumps out. He opens the trunk and starts unpacking suitcases. He handles the bags like they weigh nothing, but his movements are laced with tension.
“I’m going to get ready,” Burke says. “I bought a new shirt. I’ll see you up there.”
The back door of the car opens.
I run my gaze over Summer the way I always do. My heart about stops then and there.
Holy shit, my kitten is a smoke show in sheer black lace and lingerie. All her grabbable, squishable curves, those parts of her that are my absolute favorite, are showcased to perfection. And those boots. I need them wrapped around my hips like I need to remember to take a fucking breath.
My mouth waters.
I get a glimpse of the less sheer shorts hugging and outlining her round ass when she looks back to Ro, who climbs out next. I’m going to need to steal her away at some point this evening for a slow dance under the stars. Let my hands explore every sexy inch of her while I hold her close.
“Where are your clothes, little?” Jett demands as he and Owen round the corner of the house. “Did you lose them somewhere?”
Her face falls.
The fuck he said that to her. And that half smile tells me he thinks softening it into a joke should have lessened the sting.
Owen strips out of his flannel. He shoves it at her. “Put this on. And then go inside and change.”
Her bottom lip sticks out stubbornly, her eyes glistening with emotion. “I’m fully dressed, Owen. I’m not going to change.”
“It’s underwear. I can see your underwear.” He waves the material in his fist at her. “Put this on.”
Fists bunched, I stalk toward them. I’m done with this bullshit. It’s time these backward brothers of Summer’s learn a little something about how to treat a woman. Especially their sister.
“What are you trying to say, Owen?” She gets in his face before I can, pushing the flannel into his chest. “Why don’t you come out and say what you mean. You think I’m a slut, don’t you?”
“No.” His eyes round as her words sink in. “It’s—”
“If I dress like this, I must be asking for trouble, huh? You think I’m a slut like everyone else in Devil’s Bend does.
But do you remember what I was wearing the night you saved me?
Do you remember how the hem of my dress skimmed the floor when I didn’t have shoes on?
Or that it had a high neckline and long sleeves?
If I show my ankle, is that too much skin?
Or was it my elbow? My wrist? What fucking century do you think we’re in, Owen? ”
His lips flap but he doesn’t argue back. He appears deflated. Like he realizes she has a point, and he’s a prick. “Little, I…”
I wrap my arms around her and gently tug her away from him. “You okay, red?”
“Fine.” She sniffs as she starts to relax.
Rochelle and Tex are lingering a few feet away, waiting to be shown their accommodations.
“Where can we put the bags?” Tex takes the opportunity to speak.
“Follow the path.” Jett points out the footpath that leads to the cabins.
“You’re in the first one,” Summer says.
“Thanks.” He picks up all the cases.
“Ro,” Summer says, then hesitates when she has her attention. “We should talk when you’re settled. Come find me?”
“Sure.” Ro squints but then follows Tex down the path.
I stare Owen down. The desire to punch him in the face is barely controlled, but I confront Jett instead. He might not have meant to, but he instigated the whole thing. “You have no idea how damaging what you did is, do you? You think you’re protecting her by shaming her?”
“That’s not what I was doing.” Jett appears sheepish. “It’s not what I was trying to do.”
“You know we only want to make sure you’re never hurt that way again,” Owen says.
“But maybe we’ve gone about it the wrong way,” Jett tacks on.
“You will never speak to her like that again. Am I clear? You might be her brothers, and you might have looked after her when she was a kid, but she’s mine to protect now. And if I have to protect her from you, I will.”
She pushes my chest. “Rebel, you don’t need to—”
“I do. They need to understand you deserve better. So will our baby girls. Your brothers either need to step up, or they won’t have a place in our lives.
” I turn to them. I don’t want Summer to cut them out, but I won’t allow her to be subjected to the level of toxic bullshit they’ve displayed here.
“Don’t make me have to do that. I don’t want you to regret not having her or our children in your lives. ”
“Are you going to tell us to apologize now?” Owen asks.
“Do I need to?”
“No.” He softens as he stares down at Summer. “Little, I can admit when I’m in the wrong.”
“We can,” Jett says.
“You should wear what you want,” Owen rumbles. “Without us or anyone making you feel bad about it.”
“I’m sorry too,” Jett says. “Can you forgive us?”
“That depends.” Summer steps forward. “Do you think you could also stop giving my boyfriend such a hard time?”
“Sure. We’ll accept Hollywood…” Owen’s lips twitch and curl. “If he steps up and asks you already.”
“That’s none of your business.” They don’t get it. They think they’re entitled to an opinion, but they don’t get to make that decision. Summer is the only person whose opinion matters.
Summer lets out a frustrated scream. “Stop it, Owen. If he wanted to ask me, he would.”
“You’re having his babies. He should make you his wife.”
“What if I don’t want to marry him?” She stamps her foot.
My heart plummets. It’s something I’ll get over if that’s the decision she makes, but the idea of being able to call her my wife is something I’ve never wanted so much.
“You’re not happy, little,” Jett says. “We figured it was because you wanted to get married. You always used to love wearing your white princess dress when you were little. Do you remember? You pretended to marry your stuffed animals.”
Owen’s features soften. It’s the first time I’ve seen any tenderness in him. “You’d pick all those wildflowers and carry them around like a bouquet. Sometimes you’d make Henry be the groom.”
“I’m not okay here.” She blinks back tears. “And it has nothing to do with Rebel.”
“Then what?” Owen asks.
“You have no idea how hard it is for me to come home, knowing there’s always a chance I am going to run into someone I knew back in high school. You have no clue how it feels to be exiled from the town you grew up in. I lost my mom, my friends, my family, and my home.”
Pain flickers on Owen’s face. “We’re still here.”
“I know that.” She wipes at her eyes. “And I miss you all. I think about coming home more often. But I can’t. I just can’t. Not when they all still live here. Going about their lives like they never did a damn thing. Duke is the mayor, for God’s sake, while I’m still being called a slut.”
“You ran into Duke?” Jett demands.
“No,” Summer says.
“Which of those fuckers did you run into in town?” Owen asks darkly. “And why didn’t you ask one of us to come with you?”
“I shouldn’t have to ask one of you to protect me,” she snaps. “That’s the point. I shouldn’t hate coming home. Or need to be careful where I go. Or worry about what I wear.”
Jett and Owen both cringe.
These Heart boys are going to have to learn.
“Won’t happen again,” Owen says.
It better not.
She huffs out a frustrated breath. “I need a minute.”
“We’ll go back to the house.” Rogue and Ivy will understand if Summer and I need to skip the party.
“I want to be alone,” Summer says.
“Yeah, sure.” I watch her walk off. All the way up the stairs and into the house, the door latching behind her. She’s told me about what happened to her, but it feels like she left a whole heap of detail out.
The brothers wear matching scowls.
“So, who is Duke?” I ask.
“Duke Whitmore,” Jett says darkly. “He was her high school boyfriend.”
The lines etched in Owen’s forehead are deep. A nerve in his jaw jumps. “The fucker was one of the boys who assaulted her.”
“I’m sick of her being scared to come home,” Jett says. “I miss her too much to go another couple of years between visits.”
We might finally have something we can be on the same page with. “What are we going to do about it?”
“We’re going to pay Duke a visit,” Owen says through gritted teeth. “Like we should have done back then.”
“Why didn’t you?” I would have. I doubt anything could have stopped me.
“Summer begged us not to,” Owen says. “She was our priority.”
That would have made me stop too. She’s the only thing that kept me in check when that prick tried to take advantage of her the night Burke showed up in L.A.
“But that’s done now.” Owen cracks his knuckles. “It’s time we have that talk.”
“Count me in,” I tell him.
From behind us someone clears their throat. “Mr. Maddox?”
Next to our head of security is a man I’ve never seen before. He’s tall and dressed in a wrinkled navy suit that looks like it’s travelled quite the distance.
“Where the hell did you come from?” Owen rumbles.
How long has he been standing here? Long enough to hear the plans we made to do something about the guys who hurt Summer? We didn’t say anything incriminating, I don’t think.
“Sorry to interrupt. I’m Agent Lane,” the stranger says as he slips a badge out of an inner pocket and flashes it to all three of us. FBI. He looks at Owen, then Jett.
His gaze flares when it lands on me, and his head jerks back. His brows squish together. It happens. People who don’t know me think they do and don’t like me. I’ve had worse reactions from people on the street.
Whatever his problem with me, he seems to snap out of it almost instantly. Either that or he has a good poker face. “I need to talk to Riot Maddox. I’ve been assigned to his case.”