Series: Shame On You Series by Willow Winters
Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51495 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 257(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51495 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 257(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
If he loves me, we can figure out the rest. Cause I’ll be damned, but I love him too.
He grips the headboard with one hand so he can fuck me harder. Our gazes lock while he takes me, his other hand coming up to grip my chin.
Declan changes his angle so my clit gets more contact. The pleasure in my nerves makes it too hard to think about everything that’s happened. It takes me to my safe place.
“Yes,” he says, and I realize a few seconds later that it’s because I’m going to come. Pleasure rocks through me so intensely that my toes curl.
I can’t think much of anything when he kisses the side of my neck. Declan stays inside me while he wipes the tears from my cheeks.
“I’ll fix everything,” he promises again. “Don’t cry.”
I don’t say anything because I can’t promise I won’t cry. I probably will.
Declan
I swear to God that fucking grandfather clock in the corner of Carter’s office has the loudest fucking tick. My brothers take their seats—Carter behind his mahogany desk with the curtains drawn behind him, Jase to my right in the wingback chair that matches mine and sits across from Carter, and Daniel by the fire, staring at it rather than us. The fucking clock ticks away, reminding me of how quickly time moves.
How mercilessly it takes from us. There’s never a moment of silence.
The fire crackles and snaps, the heat brushing against us as Carter pours a glass of whiskey into his crystal tumbler.
He offers the bottle to Jase, who declines. Daniel takes him up on it, pouring a glass for himself then a second one for me. Fuck it. I stare at the amber liquid for only a moment before downing it, letting it burn all the way down. The tumbler hits the desk a little too hard, but that doesn’t stop Daniel from pouring me another.
Carter nods slightly before taking a heavy gulp. Jase grips my shoulder and then tells Daniel that he’ll take one too.
We’ve had hard days, hell, we’ve had difficult years. Tonight is not one of them, yet it feels the heaviest.
“She didn’t say shit, and they don’t have anything on her,” Carter finally starts.
“I know,” I peer up at him and spit out the one thought that won’t let go of me. “She never said anything to anyone.”
My brother looks at me but doesn’t comment. Jase and Daniel don’t have anything to add either. A heat pricks at the back of my neck and I can’t help but rub it and then readjust in my seat.
“What do you think of her?” I barely manage to get out. Half of me doesn’t care. I want her, I love her. The other half of me desperately wants them to love her too. I need them to. To protect her and be there for her if something does happen to me.
I’ve always been there for the women they love. They’re family.
I need Braelynn. I need her in my life and even if I’m no good for her, now she needs me too.
“She’s scared.”
“We already knew that.” Daniel tells Carter as he takes a seat on the ottoman in front of the fire.
“I think she’s less scared than before.” Jase offers.
I nod, listening and knowing, although that’s not what I meant. I have to bite my tongue not to ask them questions they’ve asked me before. Questions like: do you think she loves me? Do you think we’ll be all right?
Instead I clear my throat and add, “She’s definitely better than she was.” I grip the crystal tumbler and swirl it gently, watching the liquid twirl in the glass. “She’s loyal,” I add, talking over Jase who started saying something. “She may be scared but she’s loyal. She’d rather die than upset me,” I tell them and the pain ricochets in my chest.
I hate myself for it. For everything I’ve done to her.
The agony that hasn’t left me tightens its grip and it feels like I can’t breathe.
Thankfully, Jase offers a solution to the problem at hand. “Shotgun wedding?”
“She won’t be forced to testify,” I state clearly, very much anticipating the answer they’d have.
“It needs to be done immediately,” Carter says and I nod.
“Paperwork can be done in forty-eight hours according to McHale’s contact.”
“I haven’t discussed it with her yet, but she’ll do what I ask of her.”
It’s quiet and I wonder if my brothers question whether or not she will go along with it. It fucking guts me and I don’t have the balls to ask them. I already feel as if I’m at death’s door and I don’t want to know the truth.
“Once that’s taken care of,” Carter pauses, his gaze falling on me, “we won’t have anything to worry about on that front, right?”
“She’s not going to say anything. I don’t think she ever did.” I push the issue once more. It wasn’t her that leaked to Scarlet. I fucking know she didn’t do it.