Page 54 of Brazen Obsession

Finn runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck. Flower, come over and sit on my lap so these women don’t think I’m prime meat for the taking.”

I laugh. “Maybe you shouldn’t have been as available as you made yourself.”

His past doesn’t hurt. What he did before was his business. He wasn’t doing it to hurt me. He didn’t even know I could be an option. Not like Wyatt, who was trying to put me off.

“If that’s the caliber of woman you sought out before, it’s no wonder you remained single.” I shake my head, remembering how whiny she was at the fundraiser. How she pawed at Finn for attention. If it weren’t for Verity being there, I would have been ready to slap some sense into Olivia.

“She’s not an issue.” Finn raises an eyebrow at me. “After all, I get to have you in my bed first this week. And I’m looking forward to the punishments Wyatt gives you for being the wonderful brat you are.”

He winks at me and Wyatt squeezes my thigh under the table. I don’t look at Wyatt, letting him stew in the need for my attention because I’m hoping there’s time when we get home for some of that punishment.

Chapter 18

Due Date

Dante

Drew rented out the gym for a few hours so we won’t have to worry about someone overhearing us. Or maybe he didn’t want anyone to step in and stop us from beating up Tom.

I wrap my hands with tape.

The process centers me. Because this has to be it. This is the make or break in our relationship with Tom. Finn sits across from me with his elbows on his knees.

The others are already out in the gym getting warmed up.

“Do you think he can do anything to make us forgive him?” Finn glances at the door. His words are low just in case the others are nearby.

I breathe out and finish with the tape. Lifting my gaze to his, I hold his eyes. “I don’t know that I can ever forgive him for what he did to Sara. Yes, he was in love and that made him reckless, but he’s lucky Peter was the kind to send diamonds instead of bits of our girl back to us.”

Finn’s mouth draws tight. He had to have thought it. The image of him checking those trash cans in the park will haunt me forever. In his heart, he knew he had to check, but I hate that thought went through his head.

“And Wyatt.” I shake my head. “If we’d known what he was holding over Wyatt’s head, would we have stayed friends with him?”

They were both kids when it happened. It makes sense they blamed themselves—and for Tom to temporarily blame Wyatt—but he could have stopped being friends with him. That would have made more sense. But Tom wanted to keep Wyatt from Sara and used Wyatt’s guilt to do it. If we’d known...

“We just have to decide, if Wyatt and Sara are willing to still have Tom as part of their lives, then how much of ourselves can we give to Tom?” I stand and tap Finn on the shoulder. “He’s been our friend practically our whole lives.”

Finn lifts his head. “He’s also been an asshole for most of it. Maybe we’ve outgrown him.”

I don’t know the answer to that. It’s true Tom can be an ass, but he’s also the one I called when a fight went wrong because he wouldn’t judge me for it. And he and Finn would sometimes go out to find girls but return home without hooking up to play video games into the night. While he dropped the ball on Sara this time, he would be the first to drop everything to help her or their mom.

He’s been our best friend. He didn’t care about our heritage like some guys at our school. He gave us a safe place and Sara. I’m willing to do almost anything for Sara. Which means I’ll tolerate Tom and consider living with his betrayal. For her.

Maybe we can rediscover our friendship or build something new, but it’s going to take time to build up that trust again.

Finn stands and follows me out into the main part of the gym. Tom is on the treadmill. Drew is on another a few down.

Wyatt uses a towel to wipe down some equipment. He turns to watch us come out. Tossing the towel into a bin, he walks over to meet us.

“How do you want to play this?” Wyatt glances over at Tom.

Drew’s a part of us now, but this is what we’ve always done to clear up any beefs between us. Tom, Wyatt, Finn, and I, even as kids, would throw down rather than break up our friendship.

But Drew has a right to be angry at Tom for the fuckery he caused, even if it’s not as deep a cut to him as it was to us.

We’ve been friends since we were children. We grew up as brothers. And maybe Tom feels we betrayed him with how we feel about Sara, but there’s no denying Sara is ours. There could never have been another option when it comes to her.

“We need to get this out of our systems.” I glance toward Finn. He’s always used the front of being the flirt to hide his darker side, but right now, that darker side is out to play. He needs this. “But we also need to find out what he might have that will help keep Alexander at bay. I may not like Tom right now, but I don’t want to see him dead either.”