SARAH I shift against the pillows just to find a relaxing position. I will like this call to take a while,so I make sure I’m prepared for it. “Where do I even start?” “You can start from the beginning,” Jaxon says, “Ronan says he called you earlier.” Right. “So, I saw Julian today…” They collectively hiss, and it leaves me clenching my stomach from laughter. Now, I love when they’re petty and protective of me. It’s a cute and hot combination. It’s funny too. “What did the fucker want?” “Well, he does work in my office.” “What did he want?” Malachi repeats Ronan’s question. I heave a tired sigh. “A war?” I try to sound as casual as I can. The last thing I want is to put Julian on the brother’s radar. I’ve seen how fierce they can get over me. Besides, this is my battle to fight, not theirs. “He’s trying to start shit again, isn’t he?” “Well,” I roll on to my stomach, my feet kicking the air. “He’s been salty about the fact that I rejected him. And now, he’s trying to vote me out of my own company by getting Aaron’s shares, can you imagine?” A dry chuckle forces its way out of my lips. But no one laughs. It’s silence that greets me on the other end of the line—pin drop silence. Uh oh. This cannot be good. “Uhmm, guys?” Still quiet. “You know you don’t have to do anything about this, right? I can handle it.”“We know you can,” Ronan’s voice comes out disgruntled. “Doesn’t mean we’re not going to lend a helping hand.” “The thing is, I know what your helping hand looks like, and believe me, it is not necessary in this fight.” “Has he acquired the shares yet?” Jaxon asks. “No,” I shake my head as though they can see me. “He spoke about it like it was in process, so I don’t think that…” “Good. Great.” Malachi cuts in. I hear the screeching of metal against the ground, like he’s pushing his seat backwards. “Where is he going?” “To make some calls. What else happened today, baby?” Jaxon responds. My heart slowly melts, like chocolate. “The detective stopped by my favorite Chinese place today.” “She did?” I’m not certain if Ronan means it to be a question, an exclamation, or both. “She did.” I confirm. “It was a very dramatic afternoon, trust me.” “What did she want?” Jaxon asks, and I can hear the tension in his tone. I close my eyes, replaying the conversation. Then, I tell it to them, every single detail, down to her facial expressions and the subtle threat that lingered underneath her panic and fear. More silence. I can practically hear them thinking through the phone. “Sarah,” Ronan starts, and I know what’s coming. “We should have told you the details before.” “Probably,” I agree. “So tell me now. What does she think I know? What did you find?” I hear someone exhale heavily. Then Jaxon speaks. “He did something very terrible.” My stomach drops, and it goes deeper with every word that comes out of his mouth. “There were seven boys involved,” he continues. “Six of them were in prison. But Caroline’s son walked free because she used her position to doctor the evidence. Somehow, his name never came up in the investigation. It was like he was never there. She must have also gotten the other boys to stay silent.” “Which was easy,” Ronan continues. I feel sick to my stomach just waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Seeing as they all just sort of disappeared.” “Disappeared?” I sit up straight, my right hand continuously rubbing against my chest. “Exactly that.” “She doesn’t look like she has that sort of…” “Heart? Connections? Power?” Ronan chips in, a short snort at the end. “You’ll be surprised at the length people will go, kitten.” I bite my lip hard. Apparently, I am just getting on with the world’s program. “And you’re using this to make her back off the investigation,” I say slowly. “Yes.” I should feel guilty. Should feel horrified that we’re essentially letting him walk free just to protect ourselves, and… “We’ll give him what’s coming for him. Both of them.” Ronan’s voice is soft, yet stern. It’s an odd mix that makes me swallow hard. “She said she’ll close the case and skip town if you destroy the evidence.” “We’re not destroying anything,” Ronan says immediately. “We need insurance that she stays gone.” “So you’re just going to hold this over her forever?” “If that’s what it takes to us together,” Jaxon says without hesitation. “Then yes.” “It must be tough on her.” “Are you okay?” Jaxon’s question is laced with concern. I clear my throat. I’m fine. I’m fine. It’s just that my moral high ground gets lower and lower with each passing day and problem. Turns out, I might not be as good of a person as I thought I was. However, I can’t exactly say that to them now, can I? So, I smile and nod. “Good, actually. I guess this is part of life. You have to make tough decisions. I’ll be okay.” “You are holding it together though,” Jaxon says. “That’s what matters.” 1 don’t know if that makes me strong or simply a monster. We sit in comfortable silence for a moment. I can hear them breathing on the other end, and it’s oddly soothing. “When are you coming home?” I ask finally, because suddenly I need them here. Need to feel their arms around me, need the physical reminder that I’m not alone in this.“Tomorrow morning,” Malachi promises. “We’ll be there before you leave for work.” “We were planning to come back tonight,” Jaxon adds, “but Ronan said you had work to do, so…” “Yeah,” Silly me did not remember to bring the files back home. “That’s alright,” I pull the covers up higher, suddenly exhausted. “I just…I miss you.” Yes. I know it’s only been twenty four hours. So? “We miss you too, kitten,” Ronan says, and there’s so much warmth in his voice it makes my chest ache. “Get some sleep. You have a battle to fight.” When I chuckle this time around, it’s only because I’m genuinely amused. “You’re right about that.” “Like hell I am.” “I guess it’s a good thing I’m not afraid of a fight anymore.” I say. “That’s our baby girl.” Jaxon says, a proud glee in his voice. “We’ll see you in the morning. We love you.” “Love you too. All of you.” The call ends, and I’m left in the quiet of my bedroom with nothing but my thoughts, wondering what tomorrow is going to look like. Most importantly, what the fuck am I going to do about Julian fucking Cross?