Broderick (Sabine Valley 2)

My mother doesn’t trust me anymore.

Why am I thinking about this now, when I’m faced with two very gorgeous people who have both proven they know how to make me orgasm fast and hard?

I rub my face. I’m tired. That’s all it is. This has been an incredibly long day, and it’s wearing me down. “Okay, fine. If we’re not going to have a sexy triad, can we wrap this up? I need my beauty rest.”

Something flickers over Shiloh’s face, and if I were a romantic person, I’d accuse her of worrying about me. That’s silly, though. I’m bulletproof. Everyone knows it. Knock me down and I come back up swinging without hesitation, ready to do double the damage in half the time.

So why does my chest feel so tight?

I’m a shark. Keep swimming or drown.

Just have to keep moving.

“There’s something else.” Broderick’s tone has the small hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. The fact he won’t meet my gaze only has my internal alarms blaring louder. He curses. “We have to figure our shit out, and we have to do it now.”

“Why? We’re functioning just fine by avoiding each other.” Obviously I’m aware of the message that sends to people both inside and outside of the compound, but that’s Broderick’s problem, not mine.

“If we don’t find a happy medium, I don’t know if you’ll survive the month.”

I blink, letting the words roll over me. Letting my brain process. “You’re the one who’s been avoiding me.” But of course, that doesn’t matter what the cause is, only the perception of those around us. If I were in Abel’s position, I wouldn’t have let it go on this long. Broderick avoiding his Bride sends a clear message about the power dynamics between us—that they aren’t in his favor. The stunt Abel pulled on Lammas means all of Sabine Valley has its gaze turned in our direction. They can’t afford to falter now, to show the least bit of weakness, or the rest of the city will fall on them like rabid dogs.

My chest goes tight, but I muscle past the physical response and paste a smile on my face. “So Abel’s going to clean up your mess.” My laugh sounds a little hysterical, but I can’t help that. “Will it be poison, or will he shove me out a window? I’m assuming violence is out, because my mother would raze this fucking faction to the ground if she could prove you’d murdered me.”

Which means Winry would take over as heir.

The thought makes me sick. My little sister is brilliant and kind and loving, but she would wither away as the Amazon queen, having to sacrifice piece after piece of herself until she became just as cold and ruthless as our mother and I are. I don’t want that for her. She doesn’t want the role, either.

Shiloh spins to stare at Broderick. “He wouldn’t.”

“You know better. Abel only cares about establishing us here as securely as possible and the safety of our people. Monroe isn’t one of ours.”

“I can hear you.” I mean for it to come out jokingly, but the words fall flatly between us.

Shiloh clenches her fists. “No. Absolutely not. We might kill when we have to, but we don’t just murder people.” She narrows her eyes. “Especially when you’re choosing to avoid her. It’s not like she’s barricaded the door against you.”

“Still sitting right here,” I say.

Shiloh advances on Broderick, and I have to give him credit for holding his ground. I might even take a step back if she came at me with that look on her face. She pokes his chest. “Fix this right fucking now, Broderick.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.” He exhales roughly. “It’s why I’m here. Why we’re having this conversation right now.”

Do either of them notice how close they are right now? His gaze drops to her mouth before he forcibly jerks it back to her eyes. Their determination to ignore the chemistry flaring hotly between them would make me laugh if I didn’t feel so sick to my stomach over the topic of this conversation.

Broderick looks at me. “Starting tonight, I’ll be staying here. That’s the first step, probably the most important. We’ll figure out the rest tomorrow.”

“One problem with that brilliant plan of yours.” I hold up a finger. “Shiloh also sleeps here.” She hadn’t been sharing a bed with me, preferring to sleep on the horribly uncomfortable-looking couch tucked up against the wall, but I was hoping tonight that would change. “You aren’t planning to kick her out just because you made an executive decision without speaking with either of us, were you?”

He opens his mouth, looks at me and then at Shiloh, and hesitates. Finally, Broderick says stiffly, “Do you have an alternate option?”

Yeah, that all three of us sleep in that massive bed together. I start to suggest exactly that, but Shiloh speaks first. “If you’re here, I don’t have to be. I’ll sleep in the barracks and circle back in the morning.” She starts for the door.