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He shrugs in reply, his oversized leather jacket swallowing his frame.

“Don’t make me hurt you.”

“Pip, you couldn’t?—”

Before he’s finished with his sentence, one of my arms is around his neck and twists his body until I can leverage it over my hip and onto the ground. “Should have moved,” I say with an annoyed sigh, standing over his writhing figure.

He groans and begs me, “Don’t tell Adal, please.”

Sliding right past him, I throw open the metal door, and my heart stops.

In the center of the malodorous room, tied to a wooden chair, is Ryan. Bruises of various colors coat his beautiful face. Blood seeps from several cuts on his bare chest, which heaves in breaths as if he can’t get enough air. His normally cheerful eyes look exhausted. I’ve never seen them so dull.

The stench of urine and feces hovers like a fog, and I wonder how long my brothers have been up to this torture, though I don’t see any instruments lying about. Perhaps they only used their knives.

Nico leans against the far wall, smoking a cigarette as Adal runs his hands through his short black hair and paces in front of my boyfriend.

Adal freezes when he spots me. “What in the actual fuck, Pip? What are you doing here?”

“Oz, get her out of here!” Nico yells at the same time.

“Pink cheeks… It’s okay. We came to an understanding,” Ryan says, but it’s clear his mouth has been busted so much he can barely enunciate the words.

I raise my Glock toward Nico. “Let him go.” With a wave of the barrel, I point toward my lover. “Nico, untie him now.”

“Oh, come on, Pip-squeak. You wouldn’t shoot me.”

Narrowing my eyes, I tell him, “I absolutely will.”

Adal stands between us and extends his hands out to his sides. Like he’s going to convince me to lower the weapon. Not happening.

“Pippi. Seriously. This guy is no good. He forced you to suck him off, recorded it , then ditched his appointed so he could torture you. Even gained Mom and Dad’s trust to do it.”

The way he puts it makes sense on one level. “I-I can see that.”

“Yeah…so put down the gun. He’s going to agree to let you be appointed to someone else.”

My eyes whip over to Ryan’s, but he can only shake his head.

I rush to stand between his thighs and gaze down at his face. My hand threads through his hair softly, brushing some off his forehead, and he closes his eyes at the touch. “Did you agree to that?”

He glances between Nico and my brothers. “No.”

Adal growls with frustration. “He’s going to fucking agree.”

Did Ryan go about things in the wrong way at first? Yes. Is he disturbed in ways I never knew someone could be? Sure. Has he manipulated his way into my heart? Absolutely.

But he’s also passionate, caring, loving, and would do anything for me, I know. He’s the one person I feel most myself with. The one who would go to war to allow me to do something on my own, just to say that I did it.

I spin on a heel and face the three men in front of me.

“That was a private video between me and my boyfriend. I’m a grown woman and this is my decision .

You can’t tell me what to do anymore. Not you, nor Dad, nor Oz…

Only Ryan.” I say it with confidence, then shake my head slightly.

“Well, I may not listen to him, either, but I’ll allow him to try because he’s my Viscount. ”

“Him?!” Adal points at Ryan with a shaky finger.

“Yes. I choose Ryan.”

Nico snorts and asks, “Why?”

“Because…” I kneel in front of Ryan as his face warms at the sight of mine. “I love him. I love you, I do.”

The light shines again in his eyes, which makes mine water. I swipe at my nose so I don’t cry. Not in front of my brothers. The only one I feel strong enough to share my tears with is the man sitting in front of me.

Adal shuffles between us, shoving me back as Oz yells something indiscernible at him. Nico steps between Adal and me while trying to get to Ryan. I elbow my oldest brother away from me and shove the barrel of the gun in his chest.

“Pippi, put the fucking gun down. You’re not with him anymore. Oz, take her out.” Adal whips his head to the side and instructs his best friend. “Just fucking kill him and be done with this shit.”

Nico eyes me for a moment, then reaches for my love. I slide my aim to his shoulder and squeeze the trigger.

The loud blare deafens all of us as the bullet penetrates Nico’s arm. He falls back, blood oozing down his bicep as he clutches it with his other hand. “Pip-Squeak?” His voice is fragile, a look of pure bewilderment transforming his face. “You shot me!”

Adal holds his hands up, and Oz shuffles a step behind me.

“Pippi, what the actual…” I’ve never seen Adal look so terrified when I aim the Glock at his chest.

“You’re not in charge here anymore.” Do I feel remorse for shooting Nico? Only slightly. But I need to get Ryan out of here safely.

Oz presses his gentle hand on my back and glides it down to my wrist. “Pip, please?”

My hand trembles as I war in my mind whether to let him have it or not.

“She fucking shot me!” Nico cries.

“That’s a good girl, Pen,” Ryan praises as a tiny smile twitches his lip.

“We don’t need to hear from you,” Adal barks, his arms still high in the air.

With a huff, I release the weapon to Oz, who discharges the one from the chamber and slides out the magazine, stuffing it into his pocket.

“You know we can’t hurt Ryan. It would cause a war that none of us want. Besides, Dad wouldn’t like it if we killed Pippi’s husband,” Oz says quietly. “I think we should let him go.”

Adal sighs heavily and tosses his hands behind his neck. “Fine. Untie him.”

Oz and I hurry to the chair and work on the bindings with shaky fingers.

Ryan’s large body can barely stand when he’s freed, and I steady my shoulder under his arm, trying to help him shuffle away. He grips my waist close and hangs on me with most of his weight.

When we get to the door, he pauses and turns toward Adal to say, “You just made Thanksgiving dinners super awkward.”