“No, you weren’t.”
Pip stepped forward. “Stop. Please. Everybody just stop.”
I turned then.
She looked wrecked, and that pissed me off all over again. Not at her. Never at her. At the fact that she still thought stopping this meant protecting everyone else. At the way her eyes begged me not to keep pulling at the thread because she knew what waited under it and I didn’t.
I walked to her and nobody stopped me.
Aura’s arm tightened around Pip for half a second before she let her go, her gaze meeting mine with something like warning and relief tangled together. She didn’t trust easily. I respected that. But she moved.
Pip looked up at me, furious and pale and shaking with it. “Why would you do that?”
“Because he deserved it.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t.” She cried softly and I knew then she wasn’t defending him, she was terrified of him and this shit stopped here.
I caught her chin lightly between my thumb and fingers, forcing her eyes to stay on mine when she tried to look away. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t pull back.
“Do not lie to me.” Her lips parted and I lowered my voice, but I didn’t soften it. “You can lie to your brothers. Lie to your dad. Lie to yourself if that’s how you get through whatever hold the piece of shit has over you. But you don’t lie to me.”
Her eyes shone suddenly, and fuck, that nearly ruined me.
“I can’t do this here,” she whispered.
“Then say that.”
Her throat worked. “I can’t do this here.”
“Good.”
“Look at that. The bitch gets a shiny new leash and she already forgot who taught her to heel.”
Pip flinched.
I turned so slowly I felt every Bennett man tense with me.
Ryker stepped between us before I could move. “The fuck did you just say to her?”
Luke’s brows lifted. “Come on, you can’t see this guy controlling her?”
“Are you dense?” Ryker said, voice cold now. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
For the first time all afternoon, something like real uncertainty crossed Luke’s face.
Daniel set his tongs down on the grill side table with careful, terrifying calm. “Why don’t you head out, Luke.”
The yard went silent enough that the cicadas in the trees sounded loud.
Luke stared at Daniel. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not.”
“Over him?” Luke pointed at me, blood still at the corner of his mouth.
