Page 35

Tyson and I stood side by side, hand in hand, while we faced off against those standing in line before us. Tyson, bless his soul, didn't seem intimidated by this in the slightest. More points for Tyson.

My twins weren't standing with the others. They were sprawled out on the couch. Their eyes were closed and there was a good chance they were sleeping. I knew those two would not have a problem with me being gone overnight with Tyson, and I knew they'd think this was all kinds of stupid. Trust, it went both ways, and my Salt and Pepper twins trusted me just the same as I did them.

Damien and Julian were seated side by side on two of the stools at the kitchen island, removed from the others. Now thiswasa surprise. Not that Damien was sitting over there, but that Julian was beside him and not standing at his usual place beside Quinton. I half expected to see Dash with them, but found him standing with the others. Well, that was a new development. And not one I particularly liked seeing. Dash usually kept himself removed from the others until he had to step in and drop some serious wisdom on everyone, usually on my behalf.

Dash, Quinton, Rain, Trenton, and Simon all stood together with their arms crossed over their chests, each one wearing their own versions of disappointment on their faces. All except for Simon, I noted. His face was carefully blank, and since I hadn't seen it like that before, I had no clue what it meant for me. It was expected from Quinton. From Rain, though, it hurt to see. I didn’t think he'd ever been disappointed in me before. Coming from Trenton it just made me feel like shit because I'd worked so hard to earn loyalty and friendship from him and his brother.

My heart sank at the same time I knew deep in my heart that whatever this crap was I absolutely did not deserve it. I'd done nothing wrong and I owed no apologies. If it had been one of the guys who'd taken off for the night, no one would have so much as questioned them.

Yet, here they all were for me.

Tyson gave a tug on my hand at the same time he took a step forward and slightly to the side. The new position I found myself in put Tyson slightly in front of me with our clasped hands held out behind us. I put pressure on his hand until he let me go, but he didn't move anything else.

Both protective and sweet, and still he was smart enough not to stand all the way in front of me. He knew I would abhor him blocking me completely. I had come a very long way, but even before meeting my coven I was able to stand on my own two feet. I got back up every single time after being knocked down. I was a survivor, and I absolutely did not need anyone to stand in front of me and act as a shield.

It was better than having him stand across from me, that was for damned sure.

"How nice of you two to return home," Quinton said in a nasty voice.

I had thought he'd be mad, but it appeared he was in a far worse state than mad. He'd gone off the deep end and was stewing in his rage. I'd left him to marinate overnight, and maybe I'd let him be for far too long. Now he looked ready to blow and I was in the line of fire.

Not good.

Any of it.

"Well," I drawled out, "we do live here, so you had to know we'd be home eventually. Though, I don't understand why that requires a meeting with the entire house plus my father. That seems a bit extreme if you're asking me. Then again, you're not asking me for my opinion, like usual, you're simply trying to force yours on me. Also, like usual."

Quinton's eyes shifted from his nephew and slid to the side, landing on me. The look he dealt me was so harsh I almost flinched the moment it landed on me.

"I'm not speaking to you right now, and you do yourself no favors by speaking to me," he ground out in a voice so low, so deep, so full of a dangerous emotion, that it sounded like each word had been ripped out of him in a way that was incredibly painful, so painful you could hear it clear as day in his voice.

I was right.

I'd let him be for far too long.

But I was also wrong.

He might blow, but this was his way of keeping me out of the line of fire. I should have known better. With Quinton, he could be an asshole, which he proved as fact by the way he’d just spoke to me, but he'd work his ass off to make sure I didn't get hurt when he exploded.

I had a feeling he was going to give the gift of that mess to his nephew. Which would be unfortunate for him, becauseInever held back when I exploded and I had no problem aiming that mess directly at him because I knew he could take it. I also knew that most of the time he even deserved it.

This was going to be one of those times. I could feel it coming over me and I didn't have the power to stop it.

Quinton freed me from his stare when his heated gaze slid back to his frozen nephew. He jabbed a finger angrily at him and leaned forward aggressively. "You've got some explaining to do," he ground out in that same painful voice.

I shook my head in frustration and opened my mouth to probably say something unfortunate, but closed it immediately when Quinton's eyes came back to me. He lowered his finger, leaned back so he was once again standing up straight, and barked out, "Don't even think about it."

"I don't get why you're making such a big deal out of this," Damien spoke up from his stool. "She's home safe and looks perfectly fine to me. You're being a dick to her and I don't like the way you're speaking to her. You should really stop before it's you whose mouth gets you in trouble and you find yourself with someone's fist in your face. Deservedly."

My mouth dropped open and my eyes widened in shock. This was the Damien I had first met. I'd forgotten how he could be, because once he’d decided he liked me he’d lost a bit of the haughty and all of the prick. He gave me nothing but goodness, and right now was no different. It was just that Quinton was now getting that other side of him.

Poor Quinton. When I'd walked into this room he'd thought it was me who was going to have a bad time, and it appeared the tides might be turning on him for the worst.

Quinton's body remained where he stood, but his head slowly turned to the side to look back over his shoulder toward Damien. I couldn't see the look on his face, but I knew it must have been unfriendly to say the least, and I knew normal people would have been terrified at seeing it.

Damien didn't seem fazed in the slightest. His ultra light brown eyes were clear and framed by eyelashes so thick they looked fake and made me want to pluck them off his eyelids so I could glue them onto mine. His cheekbones were hollowed out and helped aid him in his haughty look, even when he was going for normal.

"So now you're siding with her?" Quinton ground out between clenched teeth. I caught sight of a muscle ticking in his jaw and feared for Damien's life.