Page 73 of Our Little Dove

“I’m sorry! I texted Kieran when you hung up on me. I need your help. Please, just hear me out and answer my questions then I’ll go,” she whines. I notice her red cheeks and the streaks of makeup that has all but dried on her face.

Fuck, she looks just like she did when we made our video. No. Don’t fucking go there. She is not the same innocent little Dove from before that night.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Kieran whispers as he steps up to block me from getting closer to Alex. He must sense that I want to hurt her. I tear my eyes off her and find Kieran’s but the look in his eyes has my fury burning brighter.

“Why are you protecting her after what she did?” I yell as I push him backwards with my hands on his chest. He stumbles back and the look of sad confusion he gives me, grips my heart in immediate guilt.

“What? Like what you boys did tome? I may have taken it a bit far but at least your video never made it online, unlike mine!” Alex screams as new tears flow from her eyes. “We all fucked up here! Just help me! I—I’ll owe you!” she cries.

Kieran and I look at her in a brief moment of silent shock when the words leave her mouth. “Hmm, you must really be desperate,” I say, watching her break.

What a beautiful sight.

“Please,” she sniffles, unable to look at us. Kieran turns to me with a serious look, and I huff out a sigh, nodding to his silent request:“Let’s hear her out.”

“Fine. You win, Darlin’,” I whisper to him before stepping around him and heading toward the leather seats in the waiting area. “You two coming?”

Kieran follows my lead and takes a seat next to me while we wait for Alex. “Sit. You have our undivided attention,” Kieran says and the hint of sarcasm in his tone has me smirking.

I’m proud of him for standing up to her. Hell, he even stood up to me earlier. I can’t wait to fuck him again when she leaves.

Alex wipes away her tears before taking a seat near us. She takes a few heavy breaths, and I can see the chaos of her mind swallowing her whole.

“Do you know anyone else who works for Hush?” she starts, clearing her throat. “Their names…”

Kieran and I share a look and he responds with his brows drawn in confusion. “No, everyone at Hush is contracted to remain anonymous in case the content ever made it to the cops. Signing an N.D.A. is the first thing they ask you to do when you become a creator for them.”

“Why do you ask? Did you recognize someone?” I ask, my curiosity piqued. She flashes me an annoyed glare as she shakes her head. “No, I—um, I heard something about someone close to me and I just can’t wrap my head around it,” she admits. The betrayal in her eyes almost make me feel bad for her.

Almost.

“Who?” Kieran asks.

“My friend…” she starts before I cut her off.

“Molly Bensen?”

“Yes, Molly. Anyway, she was dating my cousin and they broke up because she caught him making payments to Hush. Why would he be making payments? Is he working for them or is he paying to watch?” she stammers. Her voice hitching as she spits out the questions as fast as I imagine her heart is beating.

“How the fuck are we supposed to know, Dove?” I ask. She looks from me to Kieran with unmistakable pain in her teary eyes.

Aww, does miss Alex Peterson not like our nickname anymore?

“Did she see or notice anything else? Like the payment reference?” Kieran asks her. She sniffles a few times beforeanswering. “No, I don’t know, but when I called him and asked if he works for Hush, he hung up on me,” she explains.

Kieran turns to me with a questioning expression. “What do you think?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper. I shrug at his question, but it doesn’t sit well and I chew my lip as I mull it over.

I lean back, running a hand through my hair as I think about what Alex just told us.

Could her cousin be involved with Hush?

The thought sends a cold shiver of unease down my spine.

Has he seen the video of his delectable little cousin?

“We need to find out more about your cousin,” I say, breaking the heavy silence that settled between us. “Joel, right?” I ask and she nods.

Kieran hums in agreement, his jaw clenched tightly. Alex looks at us with a newfound hope in her eyes, grateful that we’re willing to help her despite everything that’s happened between us.