Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Arbor
M orris keeps me clutched to his chest, like if he holds me firmly enough, he can protect me from all of this. His coffee scent is tart, betraying his anxiety or maybe anger. I’m too frazzled to pick up on exactly what each of them is feeling in the bond.
I’m pretty numb.
I can’t believe Adam hacked my email. It was the one thing I never gave him the password to. It dawns on me way too late that my cell phone was on his plan. He probably ordered a new phone with my old number to see if he could track me through any incoming texts. That email must still have my old phone number listed as a recovery option.
I made a completely new email for the phone I got with Hael, but I filled out that paperwork before we went to the wireless store.
And I thought I was so careful. A shiver runs down my spine. This day was always going to come. I just wasn’t prepared for it to be quite this soon.
The front door opens and closes.
Briar steps up beside me, but I’m still wrapped up in Morris’s arms. She keeps her voice soft and says, “That’s Keir. He’s got your dickhead ex under control. Don’t stress.” She pats my arm, and Morris growls.
At first, I think he’s growling at her, but he pulls me out of the way as a very tall man drags Adam into the room with a hand on his shoulder.
That has to be Keir. He yanks out a chair and shoves Adam into it before I can decide if I’m mentally prepared to see Gracie’s dad.
Adam looks like shit.
There’s no way to tell which one of them was responsible for beating the hell out of him, but both eyes are swollen, and there’s dried blood on the gag and on his cheek. His long sleeve shirt is ripped under the arm, all the way down the side, and I’m pretty sure his ribs are bruised too.
I don’t feel sorry for him in the least.
His hands are tied in front of him, but he uses his feet to push off as he tries to escape the chair.
There’s a heavyset older woman on the other side of the table. I’ve never seen her before, but she glares at Adam as he shoves the table into her chest in his attempt to escape.
Keir growls, grabbing Adam by the back of the neck. He hurls him into the chair and gets close to his ear, whispering something I can’t hear.
“Well, that choice was made for us. Arbor, feel free to leave at any time. We can always grab your signature after the fact.” Easton walks around the table, wraps his hand around the back of Adam’s neck, and slams his face into the table.
I jolt and gasp before I can hold back the sound.
“Let’s go upstairs,” Morris says to me. “They can handle this. You don’t need to see it.”
No, I probably don’t…but I want to.
I think I do, at least.
I’m not sure if that makes me a bad person, but I just don’t care. That man tortured me—emotionally, financially, spiritually, physically. In all ways. He tormented me until I felt like I had no choice but to escape.
When I first got to Maine, I convinced myself that it wasn’t that bad. I had bigger things to focus on, but being with Morris, Hayes, and Hael, I’ve seen how Adam conditioned me to do what he wanted. I missed so many things, or I blocked it out. That way, I didn’t have to face the truth of how bad it had gotten.
And I’ve always known it wasn’t great.
I remember how scared I was—terrified enough to run halfway across the country at almost full term with no support system.
“Not yet,” I say, swallowing around the lump in my throat. “I want to see this.”
Morris sighs, holding me even tighter. I swear it feels like he has the power to keep me together with just his love. Almost like he shoves his strength into my cracks to keep me standing.
“I was going to let Adam continue to live out his pathetic existence as long as he stayed put,” Easton says, shoving Adam’s face against the table and grinding his cheek in. “But you didn’t stay in Arizona. Did you, Adam?”
Adam wails, but he’s gagged.
Gracie’s cries come next, over the monitor in the living room, and I freeze.
“I’ll get her.” Hael slides around the table, grabs a bottle from the fridge, unplugs the warmer, and takes it with him as he leaves the room.
“Briar, why don’t you help me bring in the rest of the gifts?” Calder asks.
Hayes comes up behind me and runs his hand up and down my spine. “We really don’t need to see this. We can go too…”
My head shakes.
I want to know what this is about and who that woman is.
Hayes continues to stand close to my back as Morris supports my front, and together, it feels like a wall of safety wrapped fully around me.
Easton finally lets Adam up and says, “Vernie, are you all set with those papers?”
“Two sets of each.” She slides them across the table, and Easton plucks them up.
“I need a pen,” he says, looking at Keir. The tall man procures one, and Easton takes it. “See, Adam, you could have saved us a lot of trouble if you had just stayed the fuck away. Now you’ve become my problem, so we’re going to handle this permanently. The first set of papers dissolves any rights you may have to paternity—not that I believe you’re the child’s father—but we are ending any delusions you might have here and now.” He grabs the tie binding Adam’s wrists and tugs his hands up onto the table before placing a pen in his hand. “Sign the fucking document.”
Adam drops the pen and tries to scramble from the chair once more.
Keir takes over this time, and it’s not pretty. “I’ve already told you what I despise more than anything in the world. Do we need to revisit that conversation?”
My heart races. I know Easton plans to swap the test results, but what if they couldn’t gain access and that’s why he needs those papers signed?
“This is getting tedious,” Vernie says.
That old woman seems tough as nails, and I can’t help but wonder where Easton found her.
Keir uses his hand in Adam’s hair, pulling his head back at an awkward angle as he speaks directly into his ear.
Easton glances in my direction. “They always think they’re the biggest and meanest…until they meet someone capable of putting them in their place.” He shrugs and gets close to Adam’s face. “I will break every bone in your non-dominant hand if you don’t pick that pen up in the next three seconds. After that, I’ll have Keir stab you with it until your stance on signing those changes. Face facts, Adam. You’re no longer the most ruthless person in the room, and time is ticking.”
Adam snatches the pen, even though it’s awkward with his hands bound. He signs the top paper and slides it aside, using his palm, before signing the next sheet.
Relief washes over me like a tidal wave. But I’m also worried about what will happen when they release Adam and he calls the police. His family has money to throw at any problem, and I start to wonder if they even intend to let him go.
“You’re not done yet,” Easton says, collecting the papers Adam just signed. “This set is the business transaction we discussed on the way here.”
Adam starts to fight again.
“There it is…” Hayes curses under his breath. “This was never just about helping us.”
Easton laughs darkly. “I prefer to think of it as a bonus for being a good brother. Unless you’d like to refund the twelve grand for my flight? I’m only joking. Consider this my wedding gift to the happy new pack.” He gestures at his packmate. “Keir…”
Keir slams Adam against the table so violently, a crunching sound fills the air. Blood streams from Adam’s nose, and I finally decide that I’m done.
“I want to go upstairs with Hael now,” I say, burying my face in Morris’s T-shirt.
“Before you go, would you like to offer Adam any parting words?” Easton asks.
My head shakes. “No, just make sure he knows that if he ever puts his hands on a woman again…” I shrug. “I bet you can come up with scarier consequences than I can. I really want to hold my baby right now.”
Easton nods.
If I hadn’t experienced him firsthand, I never would have believed the twins when they said their brother was a full-blown psychopath.