their attention. This is not a side of Grace Nova-Roberts I have ever experienced at The Barracks, but if you couldn’t tell by her stylish jeans tucked into a pair of gorgeous camel-colored knee-high leather boots and silk blouse, this woman means business.
“When Nana texted me to tell me what was going on here, I didn’t believe it. No way is my grown-ass husband doing what she says he’s doing.”
“I think my exact words were something along the lines of if she didn’t get up here, she would be planning a funeral,” Nana McQueen clarifies.
“Geez, Nan.” Trav’s body shakes with laughter against mine.
“I came down to try to talk some sense into our son,” Brantley explains when Grace starts to tap her foot, waiting for an answer.
“Stepson,” Mase emphasizes the word step, and Grace seems taken aback by the distinction. To be fair, so am I. From everything he’s told me, Mase has always considered Brantley more a father than a stepfather since he raised him most of his life. “Until you apologize for your flagrant disrespect of the woman I love, I don’t want to be connected to you more than I have to.”
I suck in a breath, my heart cracking. “Mase.” I do my best to convey how much of an overreaction I think this is.
“No, babe.” Trav finally releases me, and I automatically go to Mase. “He owes you one hell of an apology.”
“It’s fine.” It’s not, but keeping the peace is more important at the moment. “He just wants what’s best for you.” This I do believe is true.
“The fuck it is,” E bites out, but Bette still has him safely handled.
“No, Kayla.” Shit, it’s never good when Mase uses my full name. I press back into him when he pulls me in front of him, his hands interlacing themselves over my belly. “It is never okay for anyone to make you seem like less than you are. I wouldn’t stand for it when Parker tried to do it, and I sure as shit won’t let my own family do it.”
How he can make me swoon like a girl in a rom-com while in the middle of a volatile situation, I’ll never know. I crane my neck and stretch to place a kiss to the underside of his jaw. The touch of my lips has some of the tension bleeding out of his body.
“That’s another one of my points.” Brantley waves a hand at me. “What do you think prospective teams are going to think when stories about your girlfriend’s court scandals—again, I might add—hit the internet.”
My breathing hitches and the blood in my veins turns to ice. There’s a flash of strawberry blonde as T also puts herself in front of E. This is bad.
Very, very bad.
My eyes go hot as tears burn at the backs of them. This is so not the time or the place for me to tell Mase about what I did, but as I take in the crinkles around Bette’s eyes as she gives me a subtle nod, I know this has to be when it comes out.
Clearing my throat and rolling my shoulders back in an attempt to project a confidence I don’t feel, I say, “There won’t be any court scandals.” It takes everything in me not to roll my eyes or cower at the reminder of that dark time in my life.
“Don’t be silly.” The condescension in his tone has me gritting my teeth. “Your school’s little Instagram”—Why is it he’s making it sound like I run the UofJ411 page? Doesn’t he realize it’s like the bane of my existence?—“made sure the whole world saw the drama that went down—”
“Drama?” Mase barks. “That asshole put hands on Kay.”
I spin in his hold and smooth my hands down his abdominals. What’s done is done. I’m fine now. I don’t want him to focus on the bad anymore. I find the waistband of his sweats and grab on. “It’s fine,” I whisper for only Mase to hear then twist my upper body to face Brantley while leaving my lower half to keep Mase in place. “There won’t be any court scandals because we won’t be going to court.” I inhale deeply, needing to fortify myself for what I’m about to say next, or more accurately, the reactions to it. “I brokered a settlement with the Parkers.”
Mase’s body jolts, and I tighten my hold. The last thing this situation needs is him flying off the handle. I never expected he