Chapter Eleven #4
Everyone’s faces were blank, except for Bas and Chloe. Their heads were darting around like fireflies blinking, trying to see all of our expressions.
“Oh, hell, darlin’. What did he do to you?” Brent asked, trying to step around me to go after Peter, who was starting to calm down.
“That’s master-fucking-mind.” Stash bent over and started laughing while I wrestled to keep Brent back.
“What did he do?” Cole asked very softly, eyeing Peter, clenching and unclenching his fists. Oh, heck. I could barely keep Brent back.
“I’m not that bad.” Ally pouted, crossing her arms.
“Now, that’s fucking funny,” Stash gasped. I think he was about to fall on the ground and roll around he was enjoying himself so much.
Zane was eyeing Peter silently. Murky, murky depths in those haunted eyes.
“WHAT. DID. HE. DO?” Cole demanded, taking a large stride forward.
I had to distract them. There would be lots of blood otherwise. I didn’t think the restaurant owner would appreciate that.
“Cripes, people. If I lost the wager, I was going to quit the company and leave immediately!” I said as loud as I could, since I didn’t have a lot of oxygen left at this point. Brent’s got moves that I hadn’t seen before.
Silence.
“WHAT?” Brent and Cole hollered at the same time.
Well, that worked. I stepped back and bent over, hands on my knees, and took in a few grateful gulps of air. Maybe I could start working out with Chloe. I would have to ask her. This was ridiculous.
Cole’s hand landed on my back, and in circular motions, he rubbed. “Did you seriously need to fight with her that hard? You said yourself that she’s hurt. She wasn’t up to that!”
“I didn’t hit any of her bruises, you fuck. I would never hurt her!” Brent pushed Cole.
Cole pushed back, one handed, since he still rubbed softly.
“Will you two shut up, already?” Peter spoke for the first time since he understood what was going on. I looked up at him and slowly straightened. He didn’t look so mad anymore. Just confused. I could imagine. I had messed with his brain.
His eyebrows pinched together and his shiny dark head gleamed in the overhead lights when he stared down at his feet, thinking hard and stating softly, “Brent shoved you. Cole shunned you. Stash verbally bashed you. Zane physically threatened you. Cole sexually assaulted you. And you said that he and Brent pushed their way into your bed last night.” His eyes met mine then.
“What did I miss? Tell me why we aren’t leaving right now? ”
Each man physically tensed as their name was called out and their charge was given. I had better explain, especially because they were looking at each other with a little bit of deadly in their eyes.
I smiled kindly at him. “You missed a lot, Peter. I made those things happen or altered what you believed you were seeing. I got inside your head.” I tapped my noggin.
He blinked, and then demanded almost politely, his upbringing showing, “Please explain.”
I nodded and did as he asked, ticking each occurrence on a new finger.
“One, Brent. I make a fool of myself and ramble on from time to time. We’ve known each other forever, which you didn’t know, so when he gently shoved me away to get me to stop, I made the shove look a lot worse.
Two, Cole didn’t shun me. I purposely aggravated him while he was busy with work and I moved the bags, which only you saw.
When I interrupted him again for a glass of water, only you knew why.
Three, I knew how much Stash would hate having his camera ruined and I purposely picked it and waited until everyone was gone and dropped it on purpose.
Yes, he yelled, but if I would have said anything in my defense he would have stopped.
Four, well, what Zane did, I instigated that too.
I asked him about the one thing I never should have and got the desired effect from it.
I knew he would react that way to simple prodding and purposely egged him on.
Five, Cole did not sexually assault me.” I coughed and blushed.
“I also provoked him into kissing me and made it looked forced from your view point – fake pushing and kicking.” My face burned bright.
“And, lastly, six. You were past the point of understanding. What you heard was taken out of context in your mind. They might have been in my bed, but they didn’t force themselves on me. ”
Silence.
Someone coughed.
“You’ve been busy today,” Cole murmured against my ear. His arm slipped around my waist gently, pulling my front flush to his while he stared at Zane.
Brent pressed behind me and bent down, asking in a whisper, “Did Zane hurt you?”
“No.” I answered quickly. Heck yeah, he had hurt me.
What I had pestered him about was enough to make any sane person lose it when the wound was still so obviously open.
Was I going to get Zane in trouble? No. “He was provoked badly and cruelly, like I said.” I glanced at Zane, whose eyes were completely guarded.
“I won’t ever ask or speak of that again.
I wasn’t positive before. Now I am. I’m sorry. ”
He turned away. I would too.
“Your tables ready now,” the hostess stepped into our large circle of silent watchers.
She hesitated as if she felt the waves of emotion drifting differently off of each of us, her voice stuttering, “W-won’t you come this way?
” She headed off down an aisle quickly. I didn’t think she really wanted us to follow. But, we did anyway.
“How did you know what would make me go crazy?” Peter asked quietly as we walked to two enormous booths. Brent put a hand on the small of my back, pulling me closer and Cole casually stepped closer to Peter. Guess, they didn’t think he would like what I said. Maybe I should take the hint.
I studied him. Goodness, this was killing him.
I sighed. The truth will set you free. “Your mother was either a single mom that loved you dearly and worked way too hard to keep you two afloat.” He stared, his eyes squinty.
“Or possibly your dad was abusive to your mom before she left him and took you with her to raise you right and worked too hard.” He flinched.
I rubbed my temples and whispered, “I’m sorry. ”
“How did you know?” he questioned softly after a moment. The lost look on his face didn’t match his enormous physic. I needed to change his downhearted mood. Even if he had asked for it and taken me on.
“Because, Peter, as I said, she raised you right. Good men can come from complete and loving households, but you…you take it above and beyond. You keep on doing what you do with women. It’s truly amazing.
” I reached up and pulled his face down and kissed his cheek.
I’m pretty sure I saw a blush starting when he straightened, even as he backed away from me, now wary.
I sighed and pushed away the old hurt. He really was all soft and squishy on the inside.
Some woman was going to hit the jackpot when she snagged him.
He cleared his throat, hesitating to sit down, “I would like to apologize and rescind my resignation…”
Cole cut him off and patted the remaining space available, stating kindly, “Sit down, Peter. We wouldn’t let you quit.”
Peter sat with relief before asking, “So what’s so damn bad about cooking with Ally?”