your job to provide her safety, love, and support. And yes, help her find a direction. It is not your job to choose who she is, what she believes in, or how her future gets to be. That was always meant for Rosalie to decide when the time came.” Braxton started to limp toward us when she stopped and turned back to her mother. “Spoiler alert—it’s not at thirteen.”
Loren had snuck up on Braxton when she turned toward us again and lifted her in his arms before she could object. She smiled at him, and it felt like a punch to the gut.
I’d missed that sight.
Braxton didn’t bother to say goodbye to her mother when we turned to go, but clearly, Amelia wasn’t done.
“You should take some responsibility, Braxton. This isn’t all on your father and me. If you weren’t such a whore despite all we’ve done to teach you, none of this would have happened to your sister. She looked up to you, and look where it got her.”
Loren slowly turned with Braxton in his arms. I did too. She put her finger to his lips before he could say anything and then kissed them.
“Take me home,” was all she said before laying her head on his chest.
Despite her cruel words, it didn’t change the fact that Amelia had come to her daughter’s side when she needed her most. Braxton would never forget that. At the moment, she was repaying her mother’s short-lived kindness by protecting her from our wrath.
Loren started for my truck with her while I took one last look at Amelia Fawn. It was foolish to hope I would never see her ass again, but I couldn’t help myself.
“Where’s Jericho?” Braxton asked once we reached the G-Wagon.
Loren and I looked at each other, but neither of us said a word as he helped her into the back, and I climbed into the driver’s seat. Braxton’s gaze switched back and forth between us as she waited for the answer that we couldn’t bring ourselves to give.
“Loren…”
He leaned down to gently kiss her lips before closing the door in her face. I made sure to keep my gaze forward as Loren climbed in the front seat, and then I peeled off out of the parking lot, heading toward home.
“You guys are both jerks.”
It was all Braxton managed to get out before Jericho grabbed her and started tonguing her down with a groan right there in the doorway. “I missed you,” he said to her, “and I’m so fucking sorry. So goddamn sorry.”
Emily’s aim hadn’t been true.
She’d been so wrapped up in her misplaced anger and scorn that she ended up putting a bullet in the wall rather than his heart. Loren had wrestled the gun from her and kept her ass in check long enough for the cops to come. By then, my grandmother had called to tell us what had become of Braxton. Emily had been lucky the cops had already arrived, or she’d be buried out back rather than sitting in a jail cell.
I once threatened Braxton with the same, but back then, it had been just another mind game. I hadn’t meant a word of it.
I couldn’t say the same for Emily.
Loren and I left Jericho and Braxton where they were as we entered the house and looked around, taking in the banner, streamers, food, and drinks.
Jericho had stayed behind to oversee and finish setting up Braxton’s welcome home party. The guest list was short, but it was more than we’d ever allowed inside our home before. We’d even invited Oni, who’d quit Savant recently and mysteriously, and was currently looking like a fish out of water while ensuring Xavier stayed on the far side of the room from her.
“Excuse me, but you’re not the only one who was worried and missed Braxton,” Griffin bitched as usual as she approached them.
“Why did we invite her again?” Loren whispered to me with his eyes on them.
I shrugged because I honestly didn’t know. She was Braxton’s best friend so…whatever. Maeko was busy chatting up Xavier while Griffin tried and failed to free Braxton from Jericho. The more she pulled, the harder he clung.
“Hey, cut that shit out,” I finally barked when I had enough of their tug-of-war. Braxton had just been released from the hospital an hour ago. “Not so fucking rough with her.”
Jericho finally let our girl go with a few last pecks and walked away. Braxton blushed and flashed me a quick smile before finally