With Every Heartbeat (Forbidden Men 4)

I thought he meant Quinn and Ten, and possibly Noel and Asher too. I had no idea someone else was there until I blew through the front door, with Caroline hot on my heels.

When the visitor I wasn’t expecting turned to face me, I skidded to a halt. “Mr. Wilder?”

What was Cora’s father doing here?

The room grew quiet, and he looked very grave. A scowling Cora had slumped herself against the opening of the hallway and moodily crossed her arms over her chest—wearing, hey, was that my nightshirt?—while Quinn sat on the couch with his face buried his hands. Asher, Noel and Ten seemed to stand guard around him. The three looked at me with sympathetic expressions.

“What’s going on?” I asked, though I was sure Quinn knew the truth now. If Ten hadn’t told him, Cora’s father would’ve clued him in to her health.

He must hate me right now.

But when he lifted his face and looked at me, I didn’t see hate. I just saw despair. “She doesn’t know,” he said, not talking to me but to the room at large. “Someone needs to tell her.”

Wait. What? I already knew about Cora. He couldn’t be talking about that; he had to know I was already aware of her defunct kidneys.

So what was he talking about?

I took a step backward and ran into Caroline, who instantly snagged my hand and gripped it hard.

Turning my attention to Cora and her father, I shook my head. “Tell me what?”

Cora sniffed and rolled her eyes. “I’m bored. I’m going to bed.”

As she turned away, Quinn surged to his feet and stepped into her path. “You’re not going anywhere.”

His hard tone and piercing gaze made me jump. I’d never seen him so livid.

Apparently, neither had Cora. Because she actually heeded his command and reluctantly came back around.

“Tell. Her,” Quinn commanded.

But Mr. Wilder lifted his hand, wincing. “Cor—”

Ignoring him, Cora glanced at me with a sneer. “Nine months before you were born, my dad fucked your mom.”

Half an Hour Earlier

Henry greeted us at the entrance of Cora’s building. I sent him a respectful nod, realizing this was probably the last time I’d ever see him, because once I got Zoey’s things out of here, I never planned on going near this building again.

“Evening again, Mr. Hamilton. Did you ever find Miss Zoey?”

“Yeah,” I murmured as I passed. And then I’d made the ultimate mistake of walking away and hurting her.

Henry glanced curiously over Noel, Asher, and Ten as they followed me inside, but he didn’t say anything about their presence.

Once the four of us were packed into the elevator and waiting to reach the eighth floor, Noel glanced at me. “So, what’re you going to say to her?”

I didn’t want to say anything to Cora. I didn’t even want to look at her, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back to Zoey’s room for her things without getting past her.

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

“Well, I know what I want to say to her,” Ten started, but I held up a hand in warning and shot him a look.

“I’ll take care of her. None of you say a goddamn word.”

Ten opened his mouth to argue, but in the next instant, the elevator let out a ding and stopped, admitting us to the eighth floor. I ignored him and the other two as we marched to 8E. Then I had to pause in front of Cora’s door and wipe my hands over my face to collect myself before knocking. I’d be winging this big time because I still had no idea what to say.

I still wanted to hurt her, to wrap my hands around her neck and never stop squeezing. But I was going to be civil. At least, I was going to try to be civil.