One Chance (Hogan Brothers 1)

“None of this is your fault. You can’t hold onto it.” His breath met her ear with each word.

“Logically, I know that. Emotionally, though? I feel like the signs were in front of me this whole time. Almost like she was slapping me in the face with it.”

“I know, baby.” He ran the fingers of one hand soothingly along her arm as she thought things over. She didn’t want to be defined by how she was treated or who her real mother was or wasn’t. Yet, that’s all she had been.

Either the bastard child of her father.

Or the hated child of her mother.

It was a no-win situation.

When you love what you have, you have everything that you need.

It wasn’t long after the doctor left that Sophia was discharged from the hospital, and they were on their way to Nox’s childhood home. He still wasn’t sure it was a good idea. He loved his mother, but he worried she was going to get all proper on him and make him either go home or sleep in another room from Soph. Frankly, that just wasn’t going to happen.

“You doing okay?” he asked as they neared his mother’s house.

Her hand squeezed his. “I’m doing well, Nox.” Her smile was slightly loopy from the pain medication she’d been given before they left.

“Once I get you settled in, I’ll go grab your prescriptions.” She only nodded as she was visibly tired and had no energy for anything else.

Pulling up to the house, he saw Levi standing there, waiting on the front step. As he shut the car off, the younger man walked forward.

“How’s she doing?” he asked as Nox exited the vehicle. Circling the hood, he pulled his brother in for a quick hug, happy to note no more bruises on his face.

“She’s gonna be good. Ma see those yet?” He nodded to the fading bruises on Levi’s chin and eyes.

“Haven’t been inside yet,” he said sheepishly. “Was hoping the arrival of Soph would distract her.” Embarrassment tinged his cheeks as he admitted to using her.

Shaking his head, Nox opened Sophia’s door to help her out. Her stiff movements belied her insistence that she was indeed fine.

“Hey, Levi,” she greeted through clenched teeth as they held her arms to keep her steady.

“How you doin’, sugar?” Nox was amazed at his brother’s entire demeanor change. He went from terrified of their mother to sweet to Soph in a heartbeat.

“Good.” She smirked. “She’s still going to notice.” She pointed to Levi’s face.

As she started walking and he saw her cringe, Nox said, “Fuck it,” and picked her up in his arms. Cradling her to his chest.

“Caveman!” Levi called behind him.

“Whatever, just grab her shit.”

“When did I become the doorman?” he heard mumbled from behind them.

“Thank you,” Soph sighed against his chest.

To have that sigh from her, he’d be her caveman all day long.

With his arms wrapped so securely around her, Sophia felt a sense of belonging. Maybe it was the drugs, maybe it was real. But with Lennox cradling her so, with his heartbeat in her ear, it felt like kismet. Nothing could touch her when he was around.

She remained silent as he carried her up the stairs into what she had been told was his childhood room. Smiling as she saw the trophies and posters, she could picture him as a teenage boy. Loud, popular, outgoing—even if he thought he wasn’t. He was the boy everyone would have flocked to. The girls would have crushed on him, and the other boys would have wanted to be him.

Watching as he lay her down gently on the bed, his eyes kept darting to the posters of the sexy actresses and singers on the wall. A giggle left her when she saw the pin-up girl laying across a vintage car on the back of his

door. His cheeks turned a shade of crimson she never thought she’d see on such a confident man.

The pain meds had her lips a little loose as she shyly told him, “I’d do that for you.”