Page 40 of Brazen Obsession

He can be sorry but it doesn’t change what happened. It doesn’t restore what we had before. That faith I had in my brother to always protect me. Nothing will fix that. Finn guides me out of Tom’s office and into his.

He shuts the door and brings me over to the chair. When he sits down, he draws me onto his lap and just holds me. I’m not crying. But I’m hurt. It’s all welled up again. The anger, the betrayal, the hurt. How could Tom do that to me?

“I wish I’d known, flower.” Finn presses his forehead against mine as he smooths his hand down my back. His words are soft, but they don’t make sense.

“What do you wish you’d known?” I search his green eyes, needing answers I know he’s searching for too. Why would Tom do this to us? His sister and his best friends. We were his life before Natasha. And while I know it would have changed because he clearly loves her, he straight up left us.

“That night,” Finn says. “I never should have left you. I should have stayed with you instead of freaking out and going home.”

“You mean when you interrupted my date with Drew?” I draw in a breath as some of the hurt eases. If Tom hadn’t left, I never would have crossed the line with Finn or Dante. Wyatt would still be hurting, holding himself away from me. Maybe Drew would have been enough if I didn’t know I could have them all.

Finn grins. “I liked Drew and I could tell you liked him too. I get it now, but then I just wanted you. But that night, fuck, Sara, I thought it could just be a one-off. That we could be a one-off. How fucking stupid was I?”

“Not as stupid as Tom.” I give an unladylike snort.

He chuckles. “No. I don’t think anyone can be as stupid as Tom.”

He rubs my back and we sit there for another moment or two. I absorb how much I love this man. How much I need him to feel complete.

“Do you think I’ll ever be able to forgive him?” I rest my head against Finn’s shoulder, basking in the fact that he loves me and will always protect me.

“Maybe this time isn’t about forgiveness, but more about acceptance.” Finn blows out a breath. “What he did was avoidable and unacceptable. So many things he could have done differently would have ended with a better outcome. But he was desperate to protect Natasha.”

I nod and stare at the wall. It would hurt more if there hadn’t been someone who needed his help. But he could have done it without putting me in danger.

“I don’t know if there’s anything Tom could do to make this right, flower.” Finn presses a kiss to my temple. “But he’s still your brother, and we did make it through everything so far.”

I nod. So far we have, but we’re still not out of danger.

Drew

Time keeps slipping away from us. It’s been days, but we haven’t heard back from Alexander. I step into my loft apartment on Friday afternoon. There’s not a lot left here except my play room.

I didn’t really want to move that in until we had a designated space for all of it, especially with Tom and Natasha at the house too. I’m all about hitting the guy for leaving us flat-footed, but I don’t need to flaunt our sex life with his sister in front of him.

Okay, maybe I would, but Sara wouldn’t appreciate it. And I’d do pretty much anything for Sara. I take a couple glasses off the bar and set them on the counter. A bottle of whiskey waits for me there and I pour myself a glass.

The elevator comes up and I lean against the raised counter in the kitchen. When the doors open, Sebastian Cross walks out with all the cockiness of an apex predator. No fear someone might be waiting to ambush him.

I smirk. That would be stupid of anyone to attempt. Yes, he runs with Cormac and Xander, who are definitely the muscle of their group, but I’d put money on Sebastian in a fight with Dante. There’s something about him that makes powerful men tremble.

His green eyes miss nothing as he strides across the room.

“You rang?” He stops before me and crosses his arms. His black t-shirt strains around his bulging muscles.

“Alexander Petrov.” I hold up my glass to ask if he wants something to drink, but he shakes his head. “We’ve been trying to reach out to settle this thing once and for all, but he’s a hard man to pin down.”

“What do you need from me?” Sebastian smirks and rubs his finger beside his lips. “His phone number? Maybe you need me to go offer him a personal invitation? How much are you willing to pay this time, Drew?”

Sebastian is all about the transaction. Money talks in his world. Even though he grew up one of us and probably has a trust fund with more money than anyone needs. But he turned his back on his inheritance and legacy.

“You know I’m good for whatever it costs.” Sometimes his fees aren’t monetary but secrets, which I don’t mind trading for secrets.

Sebastian nods and gestures to the whiskey and glass I have sitting out for him. I bow my head to indicate he can pour his own. He does and scans the room like he doesn’t already know everything about this apartment from his first step out of the elevator.

“Place looks a bit sparse. I’d ask if you got robbed, but...” He sips the whiskey and grabs a bar stool next to me. “How’s the shacking up going?”

I smile. There aren’t many secrets Sebastian doesn’t already know. “Who wants to know?”