Always You (Adair Family 3)

“One night we got into a fight about his jealousy, and he …” I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, shakily. “He knocked me about.”

“He beat the shit out of her,” Lachlan bit out angrily.

“He did what?”

The room grew still, wary, beneath the weight of Mac’s quiet rage.

I couldn’t not look at him.

“Why the fuck wasn’t I told about this?” he asked Lachlan with calm fury as his gaze swept over to me. I felt pinned to the chair by it. Guilty. Like I’d betrayed him. What the fuck? “Is that why he left? How the hell did you hide this from me?” Why had I hidden it from him was his real question.

“I stayed away from you for a while and wore makeup over the fading bruises.”

“Why?” His breathing was harsh.

Why didn’t I tell him?

I couldn’t find the words. I’d kept it from him, thinking he loved me and that he’d kill any man who tried to hurt me. But now, I didn’t know what to think. Mac had proven that he loved my brother and this family more than he’d ever loved me. If he could hurt me like he had, then maybe he wouldn’t care like I thought he would.

But that was a lie I told myself right then, because his reaction confused me all the more.

Mac looked like a man who would kill anyone who hurt me.

Fucking arsehole.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Mac barked impatiently.

“For fuck’s sake, Mac.” Lachlan scowled. “We didn’t tell you because you’d not long been stabbed, and we all knew if you found out, you’d kill Guy and probably open up your stitches doing it.”

“Did he do anything else?” Mac’s expression was stark.

“No,” I hurried to answer, knowing what he’d feared. “Nothing like that.”

“Arro fought him off.”

“And where were you?” Mac directed his anger at Lachlan. “What the fuck did you do about it?”

“Dad,” Robyn warned gently.

Lachlan narrowed his eyes at Mac. “Want to come at me again?”

“Lachlan.” Robyn switched her warning to her husband.

“No.” Lachlan stood and Mac followed suit, while my pulse raced madly as the tension escalated. “You want someone to hit for this, Mac, is that it?”

“Stop it.” Robyn marched between them. “Now.”

Lachlan stared past his wife to her father, who only looked old enough to be her big brother. “I’m not the person you want to take down for this, Mac, so don’t fucking come at me with your accusations and rage.”

“I just want to know why I wasn’t told about this! Not just then.” He glowered at me now. “But now! An ex-boyfriend beats the shit out of you, then he’s pretty high on our suspect list.”

“Why?” His anger was boiling my blood now as I stood too. “He’s just a bully who couldn’t get the better of me. Someone like that needs a weaker target than himself.”

“Uh, true,” Robyn said, sounding wary. “But there’s more to it than just him hitting you, Arro. Lachlan punched him.” She patted her dad’s shoulder and tried to defuse the tension by joking, “Hope that makes you feel better.”

Mac shot her a half-annoyed, half-tender look that caused a pang of unnamed emotion in my chest.

“And he fired him … but here’s the kicker—”