The CEO's Seduction (A Hamilton Family 1)

Eric tried to charge at Brett again, but Wyatt put a hand on his chest. He placed one on Brett’s, too, as if he was worried that Brett might decide to fight back. He wouldn’t. The only thing he’d be fighting for tonight was a chance to win Anna’s heart, and he wouldn’t be doing it with his fists.

Brett leaned against the wall and studied the three angry faces surrounding him. “What are you going to do? Kill me and hide the body?”

“The thought had crossed my mind,” Cole said, his eyes narrow.

“For what crimes? Because I dared to care about your sister?”

Wyatt raised a brow. “I thought you said you couldn’t care for her? That you could only offer her sex—not love.”

“I did say that,” he admitted. “Once.”

Eric growled.

Cole clenched his fists.

The only one who didn’t react was Wyatt. He didn’t so much as blink. “You also told me that you wouldn’t touch her if you didn’t think you could give her everything she needed in life. So…I’m assuming she’s untouched?”

Cole looked between Brett and Wyatt. “When did he say this? And how did you know this was happening? You didn’t tell us.”

Wyatt sighed. “I saw them. They kissed once. It’s not a big deal.”

Cole’s eyes went wide. “You kissed her once?”

“Well, it was technically more than one time,” he admitted.

Another fist slammed into his stomach, and Brett wheezed for air. Once again, he didn’t fight back. He wasn’t even entirely certain which brother threw the punch.

It didn’t matter.

“Did you do anything else to her?” Cole asked, his voice deceptively calm.

He knew what would happen if he admitted the truth, but even so he wouldn’t lie to them. Brett leaned against the wall and managed to say, “I spent the past two nights with her.”

Wyatt’s hand no longer held him back. Instead it shoved him into the wall. He pressed his forearm into Brett’s neck, cutting off his air supply again. “You motherfucker. You promised me you wouldn’t touch her.”

While he wouldn’t fight back, he wouldn’t let Wyatt kill him, either. Brett yanked Wyatt’s arm down and gasped for air. He stumbled back from him, but Cole caught him before he could get too far. The other man held Brett’s arms behind his back, yanking them back so hard his shoulders protested.

“You’re not going anywhere, asshole.”

“I wasn’t trying to escape,” Brett panted. “I just wanted to breathe.”

Eric crossed his arms and studied Brett, while Wyatt kicked the bedpost and continued to let loose a string of curses. A lot of them involved killing Brett and burying his body in the woods. Eric stepped closer and cocked his head. “Why are you letting us kick your ass? I know you could have easily broken free of Cole just now.”

Brett drew in a ragged breath. “I won’t fight you. Any of you.”

“Why not?” Eric asked.

Jesus, his body hurt like a motherfucker.

It was getting increasingly harder to stand straight.

“Because Anna would be upset. And I don’t want to ruin Chris’s wedding by beating up my fellow groomsmen or his best man.”

“But mostly because of Anna,” Eric said.

“Yes.” Brett met his eyes, still struggling to catch his breath. “Because of Anna. I don’t want to hurt her. After the wedding is over, I’ll—”

Wyatt scoffed. “After? Do you actually think we’ll let you stay here after this? What could you be thinking?”

Brett clenched his jaw.

He was sick of them acting as if he’d defiled a child or something. Anna was old enough to have a lover, for fuck’s sake. “I was thinking you’d stop acting like Anna’s still sixteen years old. If she wants to be with me, who are you to say no?”

Wyatt slammed his fist into Brett’s stomach again. Didn’t they punch anywhere else? He doubled over, clutching his stomach and trying to breathe.

“You’re no longer welcome in this wedding, or in our home,” Wyatt growled, his face red. “Get the fuck out.”

Eric shook his head, but didn’t look happy about it. “You can’t send him away. Chris would be devastated, Anna would cry, and the wedding would be ruined.”

Wyatt clenched his fists. “What do you suggest then, genius? Let him screw our sister to keep the peace? Stand by watching as he breaks her heart?”

Cole’s hold on Brett relaxed a fraction. Now would be the perfect time to break free and slam his fist into the bastard’s nose.

But Brett didn’t move.