Page 23 of The Cabin-A Reverse Harem Romance
Before I could ask her what that was about though, there was the sound of a door opening and slamming shut. Turning, I saw Chase and Trevor there with me, and they too were looking toward the front part of the cabin. There was a doorway separating us from the main area, so we couldn’t see who it was coming through the door. Though, it wasn’t like we actually had to see him to know who was coming in.
Trevor lurched forward, his hands balled into fists at his side. I rushed after him, my blood already boiling as Brad’s face came into view. He seemed entirely shocked to see us standing there in his store, but the surprised look on his face faded, and was quickly replaced by one of white-hot anger.
“What the fuck are you guys still doing here?” he said.
I heard Chase’s footsteps behind me. I knew it was Chase, because he always walked heavier than Nolan. The three of us were out there, and Nolan was probably in the back with Elise. With any luck, he was sneaking her out some back door, far away from her jackass of an ex.
“Listen, we don’t want any trouble,” Chase said, holding his hands up. “We got stuck here, thought we’d pick up some supplies, we were planning on leaving cash behind for everything we take.”
Brad snarled at Chase. “First, you come onto my family’s property and start a fight with me,” he growled. “Now you’re breaking and entering and stealing?”
“We didn’t break in anywhere,” Chase said.
I left most of the talking to him. He was the calmest of the three of us and could usually be counted on to keep a level head. He was second only to Nolan in that department. Trevor’s face was beet red, and he looked like he might explode with the purest anger I’d ever seen in him before.
“You stole the keys, I assume?”
None of us answered. Elise, technically, took the keys but none of us would throw her under the bus. So, we let him think what he would. Didn’t matter who took the keys in the grand scheme of things anyway.
“Oh, Elise probably,” he said, his face falling at the mention of her name. “Is she here?”
Again, none of us answered. We formed a wall in the front of the store entryway, just in case she and Nolan were still back there. I hoped Nolan was smart enough to hustle her out the back to avoid the confrontation, but I wasn’t sure there was another way out. Either way though, there was no way we were going to let Brad confront her again. Not as long as we were there.
Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I stood between Trevor and Chase. We were an intimidating bunch. All of us well over six feet tall, in the best shape of our lives. Big, bulky, and muscular, built the way a Ranger should be. Trevor and I had a few tats peeking out on our arms that some people found added to our air of intimidation. Chase only had a couple, all of them well hidden.
He would forever maintain his boy next door image, even after serving time in the Army with us. But, he was as big of a badass as any of us. When he stiffened his back, and stood his ground, not many people out there would mess with him. At least, nobody who had a functioning brain in their head. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Brad, and like me, his thick arms were crossed in front of his chest.
Brad continued. “Listen, I just want to speak to her.”
“I don’t think she wants to talk to you,” I said, my voice flat.
Brad’s gaze flicked nervously to mine. There was a hint of anger, but more so, he was scared to face off with us. We had him where we wanted him; scared and uncertain.
“If you’re staying on my property, and don’t want me pressing charges, then let me speak to her,” Brad said, trying to add false bravado to his voice.
“No,” Trevor said matter-of-factly.
Brad’s eyes moved over to Trevor, his face contorting into a look of dark rage. I was sure he was remembering the night before, and the way Trevor had taken control of the situation, knocking some sense into him. He subconsciously touched his nose, right where Trevor had blasted him, and when he realized what he was doing, quickly lowered it again.
I fought the smile pulling at my lips, but I couldn’t help it. I was grinning like a fool as I remembered Trevor clocking him, saw the blood running down his face, and very clearly saw Brad remembering it too. Bastard deserved it. You never, ever lay hands on a woman, as far as I was concerned. As far as any of us was concerned. That was one thing my friends and I agreed on. It wasn’t just that it was Elise – of course that made all of us a little more passionate considering she was our best friend’s little sister and it was our job to protect her. We would have stepped in to help any woman in a similar situation though. The way we saw it, there were just some lines you did not cross. Ever. Period.
