again, but didn’t turn around. Henrik lifted his head to stare down the four brothers as they made their way to them. His arms tightened around Jacqui, prepared to protect her from the next attack, if that was what this was.
The oldest, Dan, cleared his throat, hands jammed into his jean pockets. “Jac. Henrik.” He held Henrik’s gaze, his solemn intent clear even in the darkness. “We’re sorry about that. It was rude.”
Her rough snort was muffled against his chest. “You think?”
“Come on, Jac,” one of the twins pleaded. Finn? “You should’ve warned us.”
“Why?” She spun around in Henrik’s arms, his coat still clutched in her hand. “So you could prepare a better attack? Dig through the internet to build up ammo before you even met him?” Her shoulders trembled under his hands. From the cold or anger?
Henrik caught the guilty expressions on the four men, and understanding dawned quick and clear. Her silence had been to protect him, nothing more. She’d tried to give him a fair chance with her overprotective family instead of bragging about who she was dating.
“Sorry, Henrik,” the other twin said, stepping up to extend his hand. “Colin. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His grip was firm and welcoming, a peace offering Henrik accepted with a nod.
Jacqui squeezed Colin’s arm. “Thank you.”
“We’re just worried about you,” he said, stepping back.
“Because of me,” Henrik stated, voice firm. “I have no intention of hurting her. But I will defend her.”
“And so will we,” Finn insisted.
“She’s our baby sister,” Dan added, tone sharp.
“She’s my girlfriend,” Henrik said, staking his own place in Jacqui’s life.
“Stop,” Jacqui barked, jerking out of Henrik’s hold. “All of you. I’m not some weak flower that needs to be coddled and protected. God.” She jammed a finger at her brothers. “I’m not a little girl anymore, so back off and let me live my life.” She spun before they could respond to jam that finger in Henrik’s chest. “And that includes you. I can take care of myself, so if you have grand ideas of stuffing me in a padded corner, you can forget them.”
Henrik could only stare, lost on where the accusation was coming from. “I’ve never treated you like that.”
Her lip quivered before she whispered, “Not yet.”
What? His brain shorted out once again, unable to follow her.
She spun away before he could gather his thoughts and stormed past her line of brothers. They all turned to watch her stomp up the walkway and into the house. The solid thud of the door slamming closed hung in the following silence. What just happened?
“Nobody puts baby in the corner,” Aiden mumbled.
Finn snorted a laugh, and Colin elbowed Aiden in the ribs. “Shut up, asshole.”
Aiden glared at his brother, rubbed his injured side but stayed quiet.
Henrik’s pulse pounded in his neck, his hands fisted tight against the urge to punch something. She couldn’t make a statement like that and walk away.
“Is she sick again?” he asked the line of men who’d turned back to study him, his mind scrambling through options and implications behind her words. His chest tightened, skin turning clammy at the dreaded thought of losing her to cancer.
The brothers shared a quick exchange of looks, Dan finally answering. “She told you about the cancer then?”
“Yes.” Some, a bit, but evidently not enough. He would be digging up everything he could find on leukemia when he got home. “She said she was in remission.”
Dan nodded. “She is. Has been for a while.” The others all took an interest in anything that allowed them to not look at Henrik.
He stepped closer, needing to see the men’s faces more clearly. “So what am I missing?” Almost eight years. Her words hounded his memory until a chill dug deep into his bones.
“It’s nothing, dude,” Aiden piped in, voice overly chipper. “We’re all a bunch of overprotective assholes, just like she said.” He punched Henrik on the arm, the hit too hard to be joking. “Come on. Mom’s going to be pissed if we don’t bring you back inside.”
“And you don’t want to see Mom mad,” Colin agreed, heading back to the house. “Trust me, that Irish temper is wicked.”
“Here’s a friendly warning for you,” Finn added, grinning. “Jacqui’s temper can be just as bad, in case you hadn’t picked up on that by now.”
He was completely aware of the brothers’ not-so-smooth change of subject, but he let it go. This had been the first time Henrik had seen Jacqui truly angry. Defiant, proud, assured, tender,