Donny hadn’t known what hit him and instantly freaked the fuck out, fighting to be released.
Dallas easily kept his hold and propelled his brother out the door. When he let go, he sent Donny staggering backward several feet. Remarkably, Dallas didn’t immediately combust under such hatred aimed his way.
His protective man kept his big body between Donny and the three of them. Donny looked damn well ready to pounce. Several tense seconds passed where Greer wondered if there wouldn’t be a full-fledged brawl in his front yard.
“This is why you did this,” Donny hurled. Spit and venom flew out of his awful mouth. “You put Skye in to vote me out. Fuck you. You’re all gonna pay.” Donny punched the air, his angry gaze landing on Greer. “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.”
“Unnecessary. Be at my office in two hours,” Greer called out, coming to stand beside Dallas.
“Greer,” Dallas warned quietly, never taking his eyes off the threat.
“Fuck you all. Lockhart, you’re gonna be sorry, you can trust that. He’s fucked up,” Donny tossed out his final insult and spun around, stalking through the yard toward his truck.
The rumble of the engine echoed off the houses, quickly followed by the squeal of tires on pavement. He didn’t even bother to look in the direction of all the commotion. Donny wasn’t his concern. “Is everyone all right?” Greer asked, taking Dallas by the forearm and guiding him inside the house. “Are you okay, Ducky?’
“Did you see that Donny peed on himself a little bit? I bet he hates he did that,” Ducky said by way of an answer. Some knowing look exchanged between the two brothers before Dallas reached out a hand and drew Ducky into a tight hug.
“My mom called me about the picture in the newspaper,” Skye started, coming to the brothers. Standing inches away, she looked deeply concerned. Dallas reached out a hand and included her in their hug. “We tried to call you, but it kept going to voicemail, so we came.”
Greer’s hand went to Ducky’s shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze and a pat. Ducky had stood up for Dallas in a big way, even forcing his own outing. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Ducky said, moving out of Dallas’s and Skye’s hold. “Are you okay?” Ducky asked Dallas.
“Yeah, I guess,” Dallas answered honestly, replacing Ducky with Greer, taking him into his arms for a tight, soul-connecting embrace. Greer should be offering this comfort to Dallas, but instead, focused on releasing the fear of Dallas recoiling back into himself and pushing Greer away. “I’m sorry. It never occurred to me that he’d come over here like that.”
“Don’t,” Greer whispered in Dallas’s ear. He forced himself out of the hold. The anger building at what Dallas had suffered this morning for the simple act of loving him vibrated throughout him. “Are we good with removing Donny from the team?” Greer knew he should give this decision a minute to settle, but Donny was a destructor in the making. Waiting even two hours could blow StreamTrainer up. Donny needed to be reminded of his non-disclosure agreement and be given his payout options as soon as possible. “Can you handle Donny’s department on his departure, Ducky?”
“Yeah,” Ducky said as if it were a no-brainer. “We hired a consultant a few months ago because we grew out of Donny’s knowledge base.” Ducky did his signature move and crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s a company Tristan used to develop their WilderBooks hardware.”
“Wait a second,” Skye said, interrupting them. “Do you know your brother came out?”
“What?” Dallas asked, his whole focus and concern landed on Ducky.
“Yeah.” Ducky turned his attention to Dallas with a big smile splitting his face. “Seemed the right time. I can’t let you keep going through it alone.”
“Brother.” Dallas came forward, drawing Ducky to him again in a hug, crushing his youngest brother to his chest with his arms still crossed. “You never told me.”
As much as Greer wanted to be in this moment, he caught Dallas’s eye and nodded toward the door. “I need to go to the office. You all stay together until I can sort things out. I’ll call you when I can.”
Dallas let go of Ducky, his worried gaze scanning the length of Greer’s body. “What’re you planning to do?”
“What I need to do.” Greer gathered his keys and started for the garage. He struggled to push all the emotion aside. Apparently, Dallas overrode his ability to reason.
He had to think.
Chapter 40
The force of Greer’s trimmed fingernails digging into his palms had to be drawing blood. Almost three hours since Donny’s outburst inside Greer’s home and nothing had tamed Greer’s frustration or Donny’s hatred. Not even Donny’s pretty wife, who Greer had never met before, could tamp down her husband’s insulting, vicious mouth. Boy, it was hard to stomach anyone who made Greer’s own family seem loving. Yet, Donny did that in spades.