Page 82 of Penny & Royce

All eyes turned in her direction, and he hated the way she seemed to shrink under the weight of them.

He swallowed hard and forced his voice lower. “Don’t put this on her.”

Varying degrees of surprise filled their expressions.

Royce pointed at the door. “You have no business being here. You can leave.”

Bentley shook his head and muttered quietly under his breath. It almost sounded like, “Bad move.”

His father merely folded his arms and planted his feet a little farther apart, like he expected Royce to tackle him to the ground. Royce wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

Lincoln laughed.

Royce narrowed his eyes, but before he could respond, Bentley stepped closer. “Just hear them out. This isn’t worth it.”

His eyes bounced toward Penny briefly, apology clearly written there.

The apologetic look only made it worse.

Royce stepped toward him, close enough that Bentley straightened. “Don’t look at her like she’s the problem.”

Bentley’s face flushed. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Then choose your words better.”

Lincoln stepped forward again. “Listen to your brother. He’s being the reasonable one.”

“I don’t care what you have to say,” Royce snapped. “Penny is everything to me. You want me to choose? Well, I choose her.”

Gasps filled the room.

From Penny? Rose? Some of the guys?

Royce was certain there was a ripple effect from his words.

“I love her, and I’m not backing down. You want to cut me out of your life?” He looked from his brother to his father, his voice roughening. “Then that’s your choice. But don’t pretend I’m the one breaking this family by loving someone you never bothered to get to know.”

Lincoln’s coloring shifted from white to red so quickly Royce might have laughed if he wasn’t so angry.

“You’re making a big mistake,” Lincoln insisted. “And you’re leaving with us whether you like it or not.”

Rose gave him a flat look. “He’s a grown man. Good luck with that.”

“I don’t remember asking your opinion,” Lincoln shot back.

“Lincoln,” their father sighed, “enough. You’re grown, adult men.”

Lincoln shoved a hand through his hair. “He started it.”

Royce scoffed.

There was no reasoning with his brother. Lincoln could only see things his way, and he couldn’t humble himself enough to consider that there was another explanation beyond revenge. If Royce had wanted to get back at his brother for his familial tyranny, he would have done so long before now.

The truth was, he still looked up to his brother in many ways.

This argument was going to leave him reeling when the dust settled.

“You should go,” he muttered. “All of you.”