RONAN “Do you really think it’s Julian?” Jaxon asks. I watch him sit up and lean forward, warm brown eyes laced with confusion as he stares at Malachi, who hasn’t been able to wipe that worried look off his face all day. I look away from them towards the door. We’re ready to go see our ray of sunshine. She had said the stalker showed up at her house. That—if you ask me—was a huge mistake on their part. I plan to wait around tonight, just to see if they’ll show up. And when they do… My hands clench into fists. The keys in my right press hard into the skin of my palm. “…no one else has a reason to do something like that. He’s the only one I can think of who’ll want to do something like that.” Only, he’s not. I’ve been battling with the thought since this afternoon. It doesn’t make any logical sense now, but it’s still a huge possibility. “It might be Julian,” I say out loud. Both of my brothers turn towards me. “Or it could be dad.” I see it. The fear that settles in both their eyes. Jaxon leans back, his spine meets the leather chair. He shakes his head. I watch his discomfort fade into disbelief. “That’s not possible.” He mutters. “Like hell, it’s not,” Malachi says. It’s his turn to rise to his feet. He paces from his sitting point to the end of the living room, and back again. “Even if it was him, he wouldn’t be able to gain access to Sarah’s personal number. No one puts such information out there. How could he have found her?” “The same way he found us. We didn’t exactly leave our address somewhere out there, did we?” My question renders him speechless. I, on the other hand, have had enough. “We will talk about this later. We’re late.” Jaxon looks up at me. He’s hesitant, but he stands up.Soon, the three of us are walking towards the door. We had the driver close early today. Sarah’s torture was more than enough to earn it. A smile tugs the corners of my lips. The door bell rings just as I’m about to open it. We’re not expecting anyone. If we’re not expecting you, there’s a high possibility we do not want you here. Whoever is on the other side of the door is certainly uninvited. “I’ll get it.” I say to no one in particular. One click of the button by the side has the door sliding open. Behind me, the air turns stiffer. I do not need to turn around to know the reason. The man in front of me waves his right hand with a smile on his face, while the left is tucked into the pocket of his black sweatpants. “What are you doing here?” Malachi growls behind me. I stay silent, watching him keenly. Those innocent, yet evil eyes of his glitter with mischief as he heaves a sigh. “I should have expected this,” he shifts his gaze to me. “I know I’m not everyone’s best friend right now, but come on! I didn’t punch that hard. I mean, look…” Kevin Wellspring points at the eye he hit during his crash out episode. “…you didn’t even get a black eye. You know I do better than that.” “Perhaps we should thank you then?” Jaxon cuts in. Kevin’s little show of humor clearly didn’t impress any of us. “Wow. Is it really going to be like that?” “What the fuck are you doing here, man?” “Jaxon…” But he ignores me, pushing forward. “Ronan might not put his hands on you, but best believe I will.” Hurt flashes in Kevin’s eyes. He lowers his gaze to the ground, and scratches the back of his head. I recognize that motion. It often means remorse. Yet, something doesn’t feel right.“I just…I just came to say I’m sorry, man. I couldn’t reach my sister, I was scared something had happened to her. When my sources told me she was with you, I just…I just thought the worst.” A deep breath follows. He lifts his gaze. I catch his right eye twitching. Kevin Wellspring. He seems to forget I know him so well. Apologizing while still being mad at us? What is his plan? “I shouldn’t have done that, okay?” He continues. “You three have been there for her for so long, and I wanted to thank you for that. But you no longer need to.” My eyes narrow into slits. “What the fuck does that mean?” His eyes widened, as though he’s taken aback by my words. But I can see past that mask of shock into the wry smile on his face. “I’m back now. I have plans to permanently move to Durmont, you know?” He chuckles lightly. “Well, you don’t know. Technically, I haven’t told anyone yet. It’s still pretty new. Sarah…she’s been through a lot. I mean, I was gone for four years and she was badly abused by the bastard she married? That’s unforgivable. I’m bringing my business back to Durmont. I’m coming back home.” I swallow hard, pushing down the lump that clogs my throat. No one, not one of my brothers says a thing. We know what this means. Any hope of waiting till he leaves to freely be with Sarah is gone. He’s backing us into a corner. Whatever Sarah thinks she did to fool him, it didn’t fucking work. “Besides, with Julian here now…” “Who?” Malachi snarls. I reach for his wrist to hold him back. Kevin’s eyes light up immediately. “Julian. You remember him? He was at the party. Splendid man, I tell you. And he really likes Sarah. They’re on a date now as we speak. He’s such a gentleman. Came to ask for my permission to date her. And I said yes! I mean, why wouldn’t I? Good upbringing, stellar record, and a senator’s son? He’s good on paper and in real life…” Kevin continues to ramble on. All I see is his mouth move. I can’t hear a single thing with the ringing in my head. Sarah is on a date. She’s on a fucking date. My jaw grinds so hard I taste iron. Jaxon's breathing spikes beside me, his chest rises and falls in sharp bursts, but I keep my hand locked around his wrist. If I let go, he’s going to put Kevin through the wall, and right now, I’m not sure I wouldn’t join him. 1