Her Best Men

“You can talk to me in front of everyone. No one is leaving because they can all compose themselves,” Katie said. “Now, I know this is hard for you to believe, but I’m in love with your friends. And I love you, Hunter. More than any man I’ve ever known. You stepped up into a role you were never meant to fill when Dad left us, and you’ve continued in that role even though you don’t have to. The only threat in this situation isn’t here right now, and I want you to calm down so you can listen to me.”

“Threat? What threat?” Hunter asked.

“Long story short?” Whitney said. “Lizzie’s a lying fuck.”

My eyes widened as my brothers smirked in Whitney’s direction.

“No arguments here,” Caleb said.

“What did Lizzie do?” Hunter asked, his voice full of confusion.

“She told me she slept with all the brothers after I left for college. She told me she wanted to be with them, but they tossed her aside and cut her out of their lives. Made it seem like they used her in some vulnerable emotional state for their own reasons,” Katie said.

“Even I know that shit ain’t true,” Hunter said. “They’ve got slightly higher standards than that.”

“Thanks. I think,” Katie said. “But you don’t have to protect me anymore. Not from them, at least. I’ve loved them for a long time. And I’m not going to stop loving them. I was cooped up here all week because I thought the men I really loved were capable of deceitful acts like that. But they’re not, and, in some ways, knowing that truth makes me love them even more.”

I felt my heart soar at her words, but I could tell Hunter still wasn’t happy about it all.

“I can’t approve of this,” Hunter said. “I never will.”

“Hunter, please. Can’t you see that they make me happy? I’m not a little girl anymore and I can make my own decisions. Being with them is my decision. You don’t have to like it, but I’m asking you to respect it,” Katie said.

Hunter shook his head, his fists still balled up at his sides. “Jesus Christ, Katie, I know you’re a grown woman, but you’re still my sister. I just want what’s best for you.”

“And they are what’s best for me, Hunter. They are. You, or anybody else for that matter, are not going to change my mind on that.”

“Then you’ll have to live with the consequences,” Hunter said.

I watched one of my closest friends storm out of the apartment of the woman I loved. The woman we all loved. Katie looked to Whitney for some

sort of guidance, and her friend excused herself to run after Hunter. I wasn’t sure what Whitney was going to do, but if she was as fiery with him as she had been in the few moments I’d interacted with her, I knew Hunter had no idea what he was in for.

Katie’s resolve finally crumbled and she sank slowly to the couch. I hurried to her side, with my brothers hot on my heels. Tears streamed down her face as she put her head in her hands.

“I don’t know what to do. I can’t lose my brother,” she sobbed.

“He’s not going anywhere,” I reassured her, and my brothers agreed.

“But you heard him, he won’t approve of us,” she said miserably.

“Katie, Hunter is a stubborn sonofabitch with attitude for days, but he’s not gonna turn his back on you. Ever. He might beat the shit outta us, but he’ll never walk away from you. He loves you too much,” I said.

Katie nodded and rested her head on my shoulder. “But what if he never comes around to us being together?” she asked.

“Then you’ll just have to have a relationship with him that’s separate from us,” I said.

She shook her head as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I just cost you your best friend. I’ve made such a mess of everything.”

I pulled her closer to me as my brothers each put a reassuring hand on her. “No way, Katie, you’ve finally made things right.”

CHAPTER 40

KATIE

Andrew pulled me off the couch and crashed our lips together. I melted into his embrace, feeling the brothers surrounding me. I could feel the love Andrew had for me pouring from his system. He was shaking. His muscles were twitching, and his cock was throbbing, and he was aching to be close to me.

“I’m so sorry,” I said breathlessly.