He’s gonna kill him.
I have no fucking clue, even all the years later, how or why I pulled Brandon off. But I drug him back from Henry’s motionless body, lying limp on the floor in his own blood.
I wrapped my arms around him from behind and looked up when Sam’s cousin, Dean Beneventi, walked in front of us and grabbed Brandon’s face.
I’ll never forget the moment.
“You gotta stop,” Dean yelled. “You’re gonna fucking kill him. And as much as you want to, you can’t. Your family needs you. Go to them. I’ll handle this.”
Brandon pulled away and screamed at Dean, and I turned to look at Lindy, who was sobbing and shaking in Ashlyn’s arms. I was frozen in my spot for the first time all night. I couldn’t move.
We almost died.
She almost died.
Movement drug me out of my moment as Brandon ran to Lindy and Ashlyn, and Dean movds next to me. “You okay, kid?”
Was I okay?
No.
Nothing was okay.
I heard Lindy sob from across the room. “Marco. He . . . he shot Marco.” Then she pushed away from them, frantic. “Where’s Easton?”
“Right here,” I told her, and she climbed over Brandon and threw her arms around me.
“I thought he was going to kill us,” she cried.
“I was never gonna let that happen, princess,” I told her. I held her so fucking close, and in some ways, never let go.
“Easton . . .” Lindy lays her hand on mine, bringing me out of a past I try really fucking hard not to revisit. “You okay?”
I look at my beautiful wife, alive and happy, and kiss the top of her head. “Yeah, princess. I’ve got everything I need.”
LINDY
Everly
I wasn’t born to work a 9-5. I was born to swim in warm turquoise water, drink cocktails out of a coconut, and chill in a villa by the ocean with an attractive man who doesn’t speak English.
Brynlee
Why wouldn’t he speak English?
Kenzie
Because that sounds like some tiny little far-off island. He probably has some sexy foreign accent.
Brynlee
Ohh. Yes! I thought she meant he didn’t speak. Like at all.
Everly
That is what I meant.
Kenzie
Gonna need you to explain that one to me.
Gracie
Do you know her at all? She’s saying she wants to use him for sex but doesn’t want to have to talk to him after.
Kenzie
Oh.
Brynlee
Oh.
Lindy
Thank God Gracie can translate Everly for us.
Gracie
How’d your meeting with Sam go?
Everly
Yeah. Are we getting Chuck back?
Lindy
No. Charles has already been reassigned. The new main guy’s name is Crew. He actually trains with madman at your dad’s gym, Bryn. There are two others who will cycle in when I need them, but Crew’s my new Charles.
Kenzie
Is he hot?
Gracie
Is he single?
Everly
Is he straight?
Brynlee
Is he going to report everything we do back to my dad?
Lindy
Yes. I don’t know. I think so. And no. I made him sign a nondisclosure agreement. He’ll be with me at the game tonight. Anybody wanna come?
Brynlee
Already gonna be there.
Gracie
Can’t. Nutcracker opens in three days.
Kenzie
I’m with you.
Everly
Me too.
Lindy
Love you ladies.
“Hell-o lovah . . .” Everly whispers as she walks into my condo. “Seriously, you didn’t say that man was panty-melting hot. How is Easton okay with that man protecting you? Isn’t he worried about your body and his body . . . you know?”
“You’re crazy. You realize that, right?”
Kenzie tosses me my coat and looks at her watch. “She knows. We all know. Now let’s move it, ladies. I can finally catch one of my brother’s games, and I don’t want to be late.”
“Me either. Have you seen the way those men stretch on the ice? I swear my TikTok feed is filled with hot hockey boys lately. It’s like the sports gods know how over football players I am by this point in the season.”
I slip my arms in my coat and grab my purse. “It’s a good thing you’re not allowed to date any of the Kings players then, isn’t it?”
“Who’s dating one of my teammates?” Callen asks, having caught the end of the discussion when he and Maddox walked through the door.
Evie stomps her feet. “Why are dumb and dumber here?”
“Play nice,” Kenzie tells her as she takes my hand. “Now let’s go.”
My family purchased the Philadelphia Revolution from my oldest brother Max’s wife’s family years ago. And one of the first things he did was institute the same rule here that Scarlet has at the Kings stadium. We have two box suites. One is for the family to enjoy themselves. The other is for VIP guests, who we’re expected to mingle with.
If you’re one of my brothers, sisters or me and you’re at a game, you’re expected to pop into the VIP suite at some point and make nice. But as we pass it tonight, I can’t help but wonder if I wouldn’t be better off staying in there with my friends instead of going into the family suite.
I know Max and his wife, Daphne, will be here because I spoke with him earlier to make sure there was room. Most of my nieces and nephews are teenagers and rarely come to the hockey games. It’s hard to make them all when there are so many more hockey games than there are football games. Home football games get the majority of us there, most of the time.
“Easton told me Becket and Jules were coming with Blaise, which means there’s a good chance Lenny will be here too,” I tell Kenzie. “Am I awful that I’m hoping Mom and Brandon skip this one?”
“No, you’re not awful. But you have to face her soon, Linds. It’s almost Christmas. You don’t want to let this ruin your holiday.”
I square my shoulders and walk into the suite, taking a quick glance around.
I see Max and Daphne. Jules and Becks. I was right—Lenny and her husband, Bash, are sitting with them. And India is here with the kids. Okay, I can handle this.
“Lindy,” Becks is the first to see me, and the smile on his face does me in. He wraps me up in a big-brother bear hug, and it’s like I can finally breathe. Jesus. I forgot how much I miss my family.
“Hey, Becket.” I squeeze him back and kiss Jules on the cheek when she joins us.
“So, kid. Does this mean you’re my daughter-in-law and my sister?” Becks jokes, and Jules smacks his chest.
“Don’t let anyone hear you saying that, Becket. It makes us sound like the Clampetts.”
“I’m just teasing her,” Becks chuckles and moves on to Kenzie, not making a big deal out of anything. Okay. New favorite brother.
Everly walks over before I even take my jacket off and hands me a glass of wine. “Here,” she whispers. “Take the edge off. You’re practically vibrating with nerves.”
She taps her glass to mine. “Salut.”
“Salut.”