Page 38

I sought out Julian, knowing he was in the room with us. I found him sitting in a chair beside the door. He was hunched over, elbows on his knees, chin resting on his fist. There was a grayness to his skin that made him look drawn and sick.

I sat up in bed.

"Julian, I'm so sorry," I said in a rush, my voice trembling. "I never meant to cause you any harm. Please forgive me."

Abel's big hand landed on my foot, staying on top of the sheet. He slid it soothingly up my ankle and back down over my foot. Over and over again.

"That's not what I meant at all by that, pretty girl," Abel murmured quietly, his eyes intense and burning, fixed solely on me. "I don't know what I meant by that, but I do know I didn't mean to upset you. Everyone is on edge and needs to get some sleep."

I nodded absently before turning back to face Julian. "He's right. You should go and get some sleep... in bed with Quinton?" That last part I was still unsure of.

"I just wanted to stay and make sure you all were okay before I rested," Julian explained, before standing and stretching. He yawned so big his jaw made a popping sound. "Wake me up if you need me for anything. I'll be just down the hall."

He headed toward the door but stopped short when I called out his name. He looked at me over his shoulder, his eyebrow arched expectantly.

"Thank you for taking care of me and for taking care of them as well."

"We're family," he stated simply, as if it were obvious. "I'm always going to take care of you. It gives me great pleasure to do so." His eyes cut to Quinton. "Don't do me any favors, asshole. If you're uncomfortable sharing a bed with me then you can sleep on the couch or in my empty one."

Abel snorted before bursting into laughter as Julian strutted out the door as if he wasn't almost drained dry of all his energy.

"Umm..." I stuttered stupidly. "I still don't get it."

Abel laughed harder at my lost expression. "How do you not know?" he crowed. "I thought they all told you everything now. This is awesome."

I scowled at him, not finding anything awesome about this situation, except for maybe the sound of his beautiful laughter which was exactly what I needed to hear. It made my soul feel infinitely lighter than it had in days. I wasn't about to tell him that though.

"Maybe you wanna leave that for Damien and Julian to explain to her when they feel like it?" Quinton suggested dryly.

Abel shook his head and grinned happily at Quinton. "Nope, absolutely not. She has a right to know what goes on with her boyfriends. I thought we were all being honest with each other here, you said it was the only way we would be able to maintain a happy, healthy relationship between all of us. Now you want to hold out on her? I don't think so."

I was so confused and my head was starting to hurt.

"Someone just tell me what's going on here, then get out before you wake the others," I grumbled at them.

I didn't like it at all when people kept secrets from me. Just call me a hypocrite already, I don't even care.

"Julian usually sleeps in bed with Damien when they're home," Abel shared all too happily with me. He gave my foot a gentle squeeze before letting me go and standing up. "Wrap your pretty head around that one."

He sauntered out of the room, putting an extra sway to his hips that had my eyes dropping down to his ass and watching it as he walked away. I had to admit, only to myself of course, that he and Addison both had very round, lush behinds that I admired as often as they were presented to me. Which was basically every time they turned their backs on me.

Quinton laughed openly, and this time I did feel my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He'd just caught me ogling someone else's ass. And he thought it was funny. No, hilarious by the sounds of it.

Boy, had the times certainly changed. Where had my petty, jealous Uncle Quinton gone and who was this man who'd replaced him? Just how hard had that creep punched me in the face? Was this even real?

Ignoring his hysterical laughter, I asked, "Did he mean likesleepor sex?"

The thought of Damien having sex with Julian sent a happy tingle through me, straight down to my core. My nipples hardened as my head filled with images of the two of them doing really dirty things to each other. My imagination knew no bounds—really, since when had I become such a pervert? Hanging around nothing but guys had really changed things for me.

I looked down at my chest and found the sheet had pooled around my waist when I'd sat up and I was completely naked.

"Oh my god," I whispered in horror. How had I not realized I was completely naked and my chest on display for all in the room to see? And how had nobody said anything?

"We've all seen you naked before, baby," Quinton said in a sweet voice.

The bed beside me dipped with his weight as he sat down beside me.

Like the gentleman I knew him not to be, he lifted the sheet up, covering my breasts. My hands followed his and I took the sheet from him, clutching it to my chest.