Page 72 of Broken Warrior
“Ok, yeah, so he’ll be upset, but not enough to leave you.”
“Y-you don’t kn-know that.”
Dori nods as she leans her head against mine. “I do, though. These men, guys like Zak and Fin, like Sam and Marbles, and all the other stoic, broody, scary assholes we love, they get madforus, notatus. They get mad because they love us and want us to be safe, and if something messes with that, messes withus,they get mad but not for the reasons we would think.”
I shake my head because I find that hard to believe.
In my experience, scary assholesdoget mad at me, and things never go well because of it.
Not that I think Fin or anyone else in the Wulven Kings is anything like who I’m used to dealing with, but it’s a hard mentality to break.
“Fin’s going to be mad, but he’s going to be mad that anyone thought for one second they could fuck with his old lady and his son. That’s it, Tater,” Dori says confidently. “And yeah, he may be upset with you for not telling him right away, but oh well. Zak was plenty pissed at me for a lot of things while we were dating and that didn’t change anything. He got mad, got over it, and we got our happily ever after, and I know it’ll be the same for you and Fin.”
God, I hope she’s right.
We sit like that a little longer, my sister humming off key as she strokes my hair, me hugging her until my tears subside.
“You still going into work tonight?” Dori asks.
I nod. “Yeah. Ember doesn’t want me to, neither does Elias, but two girls called off and if I don’t help them out when they’ve been so good to me, I’ll feel like an asshole.”
“You think it’s a good idea, all considering?”
“Probably not, but Elias will be on my ass closer than a g-string while I’m there. I might even have to work him into my act to explain why the six-foot-two, two-hundred and sixty pound ex-military bouncer is following me down the catwalk.”
Dori giggles as she hugs me tighter. “The sooner we get Elias and Ember into the club, the better. I really like them for taking such good care of my baby sister.”
“Me too, but it’s going to take some convincing. Apparently Trent has talked a lot of shit about the Kings over the years, and even though I know they both like me more than him, brainwashing is hard to reverse.”
“Plus, your boyfriend is super intimidating.”
I snort into her shoulder as I hug my sister a little tighter.
Running from Gino, no matter how scary or how many problems may come from it, was the best decision I ever made. Having Dori back in my life, being a part of the family she was accepted into and having such an amazing group of people in mine and my son's lives, falling in love with Fin and having him love us both back, all of that makes it the best decision ever.
I just have to pray to anyone listening that it doesn’t become the worst decision, because it could in the blink of an eye.
Gino Valetti is a force to be reckoned with and if he comes knocking, he could ruin all of our lives with one simple word.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
FIN
Hours earlier.
I stand nextto my bike in Marbles’s driveway, noticing that not only am I the last of my brothers to arrive, but Berk’s van is parked on the lawn as well. Which definitely means this is worse than I originally thought.
And it also means that the lack of Harlow’s Volkswagen Beetle was intentional, she’s probably with Sofie and Willa, and the three of them, along with Summer and Jolie, might just be on their way to Theo and Zak’s place.
Because when shit hits the fan, we consolidate the women and stick a fuck ton of patches on location.
Tate.
I pat down my jacket in search of my phone, but the second I pull it from my pocket I hear, “She’s already at my house.” Looking up, I see Zak coming down the driveway, a cigarette between his teeth and a grim look on his face. “Theo called her just before I left and asked her to come over. The girls are making a day of it, hanging out until I get home.”
“Okay…” The anxiety I’ve been feeling grows, and in that instant, I really wish I’d grabbed a vape on my way here. I quit smoking a while ago, but I still occasionally get the urge. Especially when I’m stressed the fuck out like I am now. Dealing with my panic disorder is that much harder without the nicotine, which my brother must pick up on because he offers his lit smoke as he stops in front of me.
“Not gonna give you your own,” Zak grunts as I take it from him. “Neither of us should be smoking this shit at all for various reasons, but today is an exception.”
