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He’s not wrong. I trudge upstairs on weary feet and get undressed. I laugh without humor when I realize I’m still wearing my apron. It feels like days ago that I was worried about which apron to wear for the opening. That was my biggest problem then, and now everything’s just fucked up.
I can’t turn my brain off in the shower, and by the time I’m dressed and back in my room, I’ve worked myself up into being more anxious.
The men come in, changed into more comfortable clothes, and they take up positions in my room.
“You’re spiraling,” Dominic says.
“Yeah.” No point in hiding it. “But you heard them. They’re going to make my life hell unless you give them money. And I can’t ask you to do that. Not because of my mistakes.”
“You didn’t make any mistakes,” Tristan cuts in.
“But—”
“No,” he says firmly. “You were manipulated and lied to and then treated badly. Running away from that wasn’t a mistake. It was the only right choice.”
“And they’re probably just talking a big game, Pen, honestly,” Xavier offers. “They’re just bullies and grifters, trying to make a quick buck. They’re looking for an opening, a way to take advantage of the situation. I think they’re bluffing.”
I chew on my lip, unsure. “I don’t know. You don’t know them like I do. They can be incredibly cruel when they want to be. It’s like they get off on it.”
“Then we’ll handle whatever happens,” Dominic says. “You’re not in this alone, and we’re not going to let anyone hurt you. We’ll take care of it. And you.”
I nod, somewhat reassured by that. At least I have them on my side. This would be so much worse if I’d lost them.
They pull down the covers on my bed and tuck me in before getting in with me. They curl around my body protectively, like they can shield me from whatever comes.
I’m still afraid of what might happen, but at least there’s comfort in that.
In the morning, I wake up to the sound of voices.
“Are we taking their threats seriously, then?” Tristan asks.
“We need to assume they might follow through,” Dominic replies.
I know they’re talking about my old Alphas, trying to figure out how to handle them. It’s like a bucket of cold water being thrown over me, interrupting the comfortable warmth of the morning.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, burying my face in the pillow. They have enough to deal with without having to worry about this too.
“Don’t be,” Tristan says, burying fingers in my hair. “We promised to protect you from them, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
“I still think they’re bluffing,” Xavier points out. “But we have to have a plan just in case. That’s just good sense.”
I nod, still feeling crappy about it. All I really want to do is hide in bed and feel sorry for myself for a while, but I have to go to the bakery. It’s the day after the grand opening, the first real day of business, and after the fiasco the grand opening turned into, I have to be there to run things like normal. I can’t afford to let this slow me down.
I tell the men as much when they ask what my plans are for the day, and they nod, looking proud of me.
“It’s good business sense,” Dominic says. “But—if things get too intense, or you need a break, take one. There’s no shame in that.”
“Okay,” I promise. “I should start getting ready.”
We all go to get dressed for the day, and I tell the men I can just take the bus down to the bakery, but they insist on having Jonas drop me off.
“It’s out of the way,” I tell them as we climb into the car. Xavier and Tristan are on either side of me, hauling me in so I can’t argue too much.
“It’s not a problem, Ms. Penelope,” Jonas says, smiling kindly.
“See, it’s not a problem,” Xavier echoes. “Put your seatbelt on.”
I do, pouting a little, although it’s basically just for show at this point.