Page 97 of Oathbreaker

Another mutter.

One I hear. One that almost everyone hears.

Except for Frankie, thankfully.

Because she’s gotten up to get her remote control car.

“See?” she exclaims, running back and shoving it in Willow’s face. “It goes really fast.”

Willow smiles, glances over at me, teeth nibbling at her bottom lip. Then she looks at Frankie again. “Will you show me how fast it can go?”

“We gotta do it in the front yard,” Frankie says solemnly. “The grass in the back yard is too thick.”

“Let’s do it,” Willow says. “I need to walk off all that good food anyway to make room for dessert.”

“Yay!” Frankie yells, running out of the room.

Willow follows at a far more sedate pace, pausing only to squeeze my shoulder. “Breathe, honey,” she whispers.

I cover her hand with mine.

Then nod.

She smiles then slips from the room.

I wait until I hear the front door open and close then turn to Dash. “You’re out of line and you need to stop.”

“What you need to do is stop pretending you three are just a happy family,” Dash grits out, spinning in his chair, his angry face close to mine, his hazel eyes flashing.

“We’re not pretending. We’re trying to figure things out and it’s not perfect, but it’s making me and Frankie and Colt happy so you need to deal.”

“You need to protect yourself,” he grits out.

“From what?” I snap, throwing my hands up. “The man who loves me?”

“From when he leaves you again!” he growls. “Because that’s what he does. He fucking leaves and doesn’t give a shit about the fucked-up disaster that he leaves behind!”

I flinch.

Because it’s me he’s talking about.

I’m the fucked-up disaster that was left behind.

Atlas opens his mouth. Banks shifts in his chair. Royal starts to stand.

But Colt is faster than any of them, stabbing his finger in Dash’s direction. “You. Me. Back yard.” A beat. “Now.”

Thirty

Colt

Briar can be quick when she wants to be, but I’m quicker.

“No,” I say gently when she grabs my arm. “He and I have to work this out.”

“But you’re still healing,” she whispers worriedly.

“I’m fine. Trust me. And stay here.” I lightly press my lips to hers and then stalk outside in the direction Dash went.