Braxton’s lips tightened in an attempt not to smile or laugh along with everyone else. “Smartass.” He shook his head, before turning to go.
He walked away and all the guys followed. A tingle ran down my spine and I knew Bodie’s eyes had been on me but I couldn’t take the chance and look at him again. His gaze on me during the meeting was a bit overwhelming and had me rattled.
I turned my attention to the group of ladies so I’d stop thinking about the man that seemed to have me all twisted up inside. All my friends were there, along with a few babies, while the older children must’ve been at school. How all the girls happened to be off today of all days was beyond me.
Just my luck,I thought to myself sarcastically.
“Well, it looks like we have some time on our hands. Time to talk,” Alley said. “You can start with where you’re moving to.”
I was moving whether I liked it or not.
There were two condos that had originally been owned by Gyth and Kace, but they had quickly found beautiful homes when they met their ladies. All the guys agreed thatNo Surrenderwould pay for them going forward so they could use them as they deemed necessary. They’d been putting them to good use too.
In the meeting they all insisted I move to the open condo not being used right then because it had better safety features. There was also someone in the second condo that could help watch over me since they were right down the hall.
Bodie.
ChapterSix
BODIE
I saw red.
A happy sensation had raced through me at the sound of Gemma’s voice, but that feeling came to a screeching halt when I heard her wary tone as she asked Braxton if she could talk to him. But it was when I saw her face that I could hardly contain the bomb ready to detonate inside me.
While she and Braxton spoke, I felt the growl that rumbled deep in my stomach start to bubble to the surface. I had zero control when it broke free, but at least I wasn’t the only one making noise. The other guys sounded and looked just as pissed as I felt.
After our remaining crew wandered intoNo Surrenderand Braxton convinced Gemma we all should listen to what she had to say, we piled into the conference room where Braxton led the conversation. It was a meeting I probably shouldn’t have attended, because as the minutes ran on, my desire to maim the asshole named Brett grew by leaps and bounds.
The tension in my body was strung tighter than a rubber band and I’d been ready to snap from start to finish during the whole meeting.
When Gemma began a long story filled with a lot more than I think any of the guys were expecting by the looks on their faces, the worry, and rage that consumed the room was undeniable.
“So, let me get this straight,” Braxton started with a clenched jaw. “Just because you went out with this prick a handful of times, he felt entitled to a sleepover and when you said no he decided to put his hands on you?”
Gemma ducked her head and let out a puff of air. She’d just told everyone that and she didn’t look thrilled going over specific details again.
“Yes, but I pulled free of his hold on my arm and slipped inside my apartment, slamming the door in his face. Thankfully I’d already opened and unlocked it when we first arrived back from the horrid date.”
From the sounds of everything, she had been lucky. But it didn’t stay that way since Brett kept harassing her. And not only harassing her, but he’d also put his hands on her multiple times, spread rumors about what a tease she was and it all led up to him hitting her in the face.
Which had been the last straw for Gemma.
She’d finally realized she couldn’t shake the fucker on her own.
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve gone out with some guy a million times, you can always say no,” Gyth chimed in.
Gemma huffed out a breath of air. “That’s what I’ve been doing all my life. He’s the first guy I’ve ever truly gone out with and I’ve never even had sex.”
At her admission I froze in my chair and all the air swooshed from my lungs.
The men all groaned as the word sex left her mouth and her hands flew to her lips as if trying to pull the words she just released back. It was clear from the shock on her face she hadn’t meant to let them slip free.
“Shit, pretend you didn’t hear that,” she said.
“Probably a good idea,” Kace said, running his hands down his face and shaking his shoulders in a mock shiver. “I mean you can talk to us about anything, but that subject is a little tricky since you’re like a baby sister to all of us.”
Everyone mumbled their agreement to his assessment, which had Gemma rolling her eyes.
