"I call bullshit," Beck muttered in a deep rumble. "Never leaving your house only makes youmoresuspicious, not less."
Riley's eyes were still locked on mine, but her nostrils flared slightly as she inhaled. "I'm inclined to agree."
"Cut it the fuck out, you two," Dylan snapped, his voice like a crack of thunder that allowed me to jerk free of Riley's gaze. "You're both being assholes, and it's not cute. Brooklyn didn't mastermind this theft, and you damn well know it."
Surprise rippled through me, and my eyes widened as I looked up at him. He’d been supportive but had also seemed guarded since Kingston’s accusation. I hadn’t been able to get a sense for whether he believed it or not. Apparently not.
"Look at her," he continued, indicating to me. "You two are some of the best at reading people. You want to tell me this timid, shy girl with crippling self-doubt is the person responsible for the theft of a weapon’s prototype and blueprint?" He scoffed a laugh, and my feelings stung with every word. Was this what he truly thought of me?
Riley pursed her lips, drumming her fingernails on the desktop as she considered his point, though, so I swallowed back my tears.
"Jesus Christ, Riles," Dylan muttered, bending down to speak quietly to his friend. Not so quiet that I couldn't hear every cutting word, though. "Her own brother has been abusing her for years, and she's never spoken up or sought help. This girl isn't capable of the crime you're accusing her of. It's a goddamn miracle she's even stayed alive this long."
Ouch. Again.
And yet, he wasn't wrong. Every word of that was truth, no matter how badly it hurt to hear fromDylanof all people. I couldn't choke back the pain any longer, though, and tears welled over in my eyes.
"Be that as it may," Riley said in a calm, considering tone, "I think we all know how easily we can be manipulated by what a personseemsto be. Given the evidence suggesting Brooklyn is at least involved, we can't just take her word and walk away. Youknowhow important those files are, Dylan. Are you cool with dismissing our best lead?"
Dylan's eyes flicked over me, taking in the silent tears tracking down my face, then dropping to where my hands trembled in my lap. He wasn't going to stand up for me. Not to Riley. This was the reason I'd walked away in the first fucking place: She would always come first for him.
Beck's hand closed over Riley's shoulder, pulling her attention away from me. The way she gazed up at him with total adoration hurt my heart. Not because I was jealous for what they had—even though I was—but because I feltsadfor Dylan. This was the girl he'd been pining after? She didn't love him back, not in a romantic way. She was one hundred percent Sebastian Beckett's woman, and there was no room left in her heart for Dylan.
It killed me to see. He deserved better. He deserved a woman who was head over heels forDylanand no one else.
"Maybe we should speak with Dylan alone, Butterfly," Beck murmured to his fiancée. "There's more going on here than meets the eye." His sharp gaze ran over my tear-stained face, then hardened into a glare when he looked over at his best friend.
Fuck.Fuck. Did he know? Had Dylan said something? No... surely not. Then again, what the fuck else could Beck be talking about?
"I can go," I offered in a small voice, sniffling before my nose dripped. So sexy, Brooklyn.
"I think that would be best," Riley agreed. She wasn't being a bitch, exactly, but holy crap, I didn't see us becoming friends any time soon. Understandable when she thought I'd stolen something so serious from her company. The fact that they'd stolen it in the first place seemed irrelevant because their intentions had been pure. They assumed mine were not.
Dylan shook his head before I could stand up from my chair. "No, Brooke, you stay. This concerns you; we're not discussing it behind your back like you're a stray dog being put down."
Riley's head snapped around to stare at Dylan, then she turned back to me with her lips parted in surprise. Oh crap. What had Dylanjustsaid about her being amazing at reading people?
“Well, shit," Riley murmured with a short laugh. "Huh. Not your usual type, Dylan."
My cheeks burned with humiliation. Fuck this. I might be atimid mouse,but I wasn't a goddamn doormat.
"You know what?" I announced, shoving myself out of my chair. "I need some air. You three can just go ahead and talk about me while I'm gone. You seem to have no problem doing it while I'm sitting right here, anyway."
"Brooke, sit down," Dylan snapped, glaring those hard, green eyes at me, but for once I didn't jump to do his bidding.
I shook my head. "No, I don't think I will. Like you just said, I'm not a damn dog." Then, because my confidence was already faltering, I shot Riley and Beck a nervous look and wet my lips. "Excuse me."
Before anyone could argue further, I bolted out of the cabin and into the cool night air. I’d barely made it halfway across the lawn, though, when my legs gave out under me and I dissolved into a crying mess in the dirt.
Fuck me. Now that I'd seen Riley Duboise with my own eyes, I knew there wasnohope for me and Dylan. Wrong place, wrong time. So what in the ever loving fuck would I do if I really was pregnant?
18
The office cabin door opened behind me, and I closed my eyes briefly, really wishing none of them would see me like this. Especially Dylan. He’d already referred to me as both a mouse and a fucking dog in the few-minute conversation with his friends. One might have come from Riley's mouth, but she was just repeating his thoughts. And honestly... he wasn't wrong.
I'd let myself become thisthing,an animal to be either hurt or petted when the time arose. I was fucking done with it.
I didn't have to worry, because it was only Beck shouting out to the Delta goons, who had still been hanging around, that they could take off. Because, yeah, I was clearly no fucking threat. I could almost feel his pitying gaze, which sent a jolt of anger through me. His boots sounded on the deck briefly before the door slammed again.
