I can see another version of me—just wondering who my father was and not giving two fucks about my brothers’ father.That’s the past I can’t change, of course, and now I have to do the work.Nurture my inner child and convince her I’m enough on my own.Then believe that not one, but two men love me, even when I’m broken and still in repair.
It won’t be easy, but I can overcome the old wounds if I survived Dorian Thorne.Maybe I’ll even look for the man who fathered me—not because I need his love, but because knowing my medical history matters.
“Do you really want to know what I was doing with Eddie in the first place, Rod?”I ask, trying to summon the bravado I usually wear like armor and missing the mark by a breath.
He cuts me a look like I’m interrupting court, then glares at Eddie.“She’s my sister, and you’re way too old for her.”
“Ten years is nothing.”I step between them, close enough to feel the heat coming off both.“And before you start on Barret—he’s only four years older.”
“Cleo, don’t get in the middle of this,” Eddie warns, voice low.
“I stepped into the middle of this relationship years ago, Edgar,” I say, refusing to take orders from him now.Maybe one day I’ll go back to taking orders from him when we’re naked and he’s orchestrating some sexual fantasy.This is my life.
Defiantly, I look at Roderick and then at my three other brothers who are ready to duel for my honor.“It was my choice to be with them.And later, I chose to leave because I couldn’t believe two men could love me the way they did.”I sigh.“Which I regret.But I’m not letting anyone else decide who I love, what I do, or when I do it—not even the four of you.”I level my gaze at my brothers and don’t look away.“I love, Eddie and Barret.”
Roderick laughs once—no humor—like the sound hurts on the way out.“You don’t get to rewrite this as romance, Cleo.They’ve been doing this for years, and as I said, he’s way older.He should’ve known better.”He scoffs.“She’s my sister, you can’t treat her like all the other women.”
Eddie’s jaw works.“I did know better.I also knew she wasn’t a secret, and she sure as hell isn’t like anyone else.”
My pulse climbs into my mouth.“Stop talking around me.”I palm Eddie’s chest to stop him, then turn on Roderick.“You’re mad because you didn’t see it.Fine.Be mad.But don’t erase me from my own life.”
“Are you taking advantage of her because she needed your help?”Julian fires at Eddie, like he hasn’t heard a word I’ve said.“Protection from Dorian.Of all of it.”
Eddie scoffs.“You guys don’t want to listen, do you?”
I glance at Rhodes and ask, “Can you control our brothers?”
“We’re just trying to figure out what’s going on between ...”He looks at Eddie and then at the door.“I mean, it’s a little hard, you know?Cleo, you haven’t seen them together in the past few months—or maybe years.”
I smile.“Oh, I have, and I’ve been a part of it before.”
“Yes, but for how long?”Julian asks.
“You think this is temporary?”Eddie’s voice rakes low.“I’m willing to die for this woman—to kill if necessary.I love her, and just because you don’t understand how I love, you’re judging this—us.”
“And most of all,” I snap.“I’m a person.I chose him.I chose Barret.I chose myself.”
Roderick’s stare slices through me.“Did you choose to leave them, too?”
Heat climbs my neck.“Yeah,” I say, and theyesburns.“Because I didn’t believe it.Any of it.Because I thought love was a trick and didn’t trust the magic.Because every time I looked in a mirror, I saw a girl with a famous last name and a parent who couldn’t be bothered to try.Is that what you wanted to hear?”
Eddie takes the hit and doesn’t flinch.“You can hate me,” he says.“You can break my nose if it helps.But don’t try to erase what happened or who we are, Roderick.”
“Stop it,” I say.“Both of you.This man loves me so much that he’s the one who noticed when I went quiet in a room full of people.He’s the one who figured out Dorian’s patterns.He and Barret made sure I came back home—safe—and have been nurturing me back into ...well, whatever I become later.”
Roderick looks at me then, really looks, and I hate how his eyes go glassy.
“You should’ve told me,” he says, softer, which somehow makes it worse.He runs a hand through his hair.“Everything.How you felt because our mother failed you, and our father couldn’t accept you.That you were with them and ...I’m your brother, damn it.”
Eddie’s hand finds my wrist and tangles our fingers.I squeeze him back as a thank you.
Roderick scrubs a hand over his face.“Christ, Cleo.”He turns on Eddie again.“If you hurt her?—”
“If I hurt her, I’m out,” Eddie says, no hesitation.“She says the word, and I walk.She doesn’t have to explain.She doesn’t have to forgive.I go.”
“Big promises,” Roderick mutters.
“I already did it once,” Eddie says.“When she asked me to.”
