Unexpected (The Protectors 10)

“What happened?” I asked.

Everett began shaking his head. I moved closer to him and saw that tears were streaking down his cheeks. Nash was just staring at the ground, his expression haunted. I dropped to my knees in front of Everett, because I knew whatever was happening revolved around him.

“Baby, what happened?” I asked as I put my hands on his knees.

“Can’t,” he whispered. “Can’t do it anymore.”

I knew what he was talking about, of course.

“Why? Did something happen? Reese seemed good when you got back—”

“He apologized to me, Gage. He fucking apologized to me,” Everett croaked. “Said he was sorry for the way he treated me at the hospital and when he first got here.” Everett shoved my hands away and climbed to his feet. The move tore at something inside of me. It was like he couldn’t stand my touch.

“He said he was glad I was here… that it meant a lot to him that I stayed, even after the way he treated me. Then he thanked me!” Everett bit out as he went to stand on the other side of the couch. Like it was an adequate barrier to keep us apart.

“I’ve been lying to him this whole time!” Everett shouted. “We both have! And yet he’s the one… he’s the one saying he’s sorry! I ruined his life and he’s the one who’s apologizing! To me!”

I knew Everett was close to losing it. I got up and strode around the couch. I didn’t stop or even slow down when Everett began backing away from me. His back hit the wall behind him – the same wall I’d first seen Nash kissing him up against, what now seemed like a lifetime ago.

“No, Gage, I can’t!” Everett said, but I ignored him and slammed my mouth down on his. He fought me for a few seconds, then melted into me. He sobbed into my mouth, then he was wrapping his arms around my neck. Since I’d only used the kiss to calm him down enough that he would hear me, I pulled back. I had one arm wrapped around his waist. I held the other hand out, but I didn’t even look at Nash, because I knew he’d know what I wanted.

A second later, he was taking my hand and leaning into my and Everett’s embrace so it was the three of us hanging onto one another.

“I’m going to make the same promise to you that I made to Nash at the wedding,” I said to Everett. “I’m going to make this happen for us, do you hear me? I love you both too much to lose you. I will talk to Reese, I’ll make him see that we never meant to lie to him.”

“No,” Everett whispered. “No, he can’t lose you and Ronan. He needs you too much.” Everett tried to pull free of my and Nash’s hold, but I refused to let him even budge. “I’ll go back to D.C. He doesn’t need to know about you, about Ronan.”

“Daddy?”

I went completely still at the sound of Charlie’s voice. God, I’d forgotten to close the regular door in addition to the screen door. I wasn’t particularly worried about Charlie seeing me with the two men, since she and I had already had the talk about her daddy liking boys rather than girls, but I still didn’t want her to witness the heated exchange the three of us were having.

But of course, that turned out to be the least of my worries.

Because when I turned around, I saw that my daughter wasn’t alone.

“Reese,” Everett breathed when he saw his son standing in the doorway.

“Daddy, why is Everett crying?” Charlie asked, her voice high and carrying the edge of tears in it. She’d become quite attached to Everett and Nash in the past few weeks. But as badly as I wanted to reassure my daughter that all was well, I knew it wasn’t.

You only had to look at Reese to know it wasn’t.

Because I could tell without a shadow of a doubt that he’d heard everything Everett and I had said to one another. And even if he hadn’t, there was no way to explain away the intimate embrace he and Charlie had walked in on.

Reese let the screen door slam shut, causing Charlie to jump in surprise. She looked over her shoulder at the space Reese had been in and then looked at me. I reached her just as she whispered for me.

“It’s okay, honey,” I said, gathering her in my arms. I knew she was completely confused, but I didn’t have time to explain things because Everett darted past me, calling Reese’s name as he went. Charlie wrapped her legs around me as I hurried to follow Everett and Nash. Happy and Medusa were waiting outside the guest house and quickly fell into step next to us. Nash and I were several feet behind Everett when he managed to catch up to the slower-moving Reese.