Captain Brayshaw. The strong, but guarded brother. Quiet and logical, fierce and loyal to his core is standing in front of me, inviting me into his entire world having no idea I’m woven deeper than he.

He’ll hate me.

They all will.

“Come on.” He steps back, while I remain frozen in place. “I was only supposed to be grabbing her ball from the car. Let’s not make her come looking for me.”

“Too. Fucking. late.” Raven’s chuckled words float from behind me and the tension in my body doubles. “We found you.”

We? Oh no.

“Daddy!”

No, no, no.

Not like this.

Captain’s eyes instantly cut over my shoulder and he moves away, beaming at the little girl I can now sense behind me.

He bends down, and as he does, two new sets of footsteps shuffle closer.

His brothers.

They’re all here now.

“Come here, Zo.” Captain crooks his finger. “Come meet our friend.”

My chest begins to ache as I try for a deep breath.

I catch Raven’s stare, and her frown is instant, query blanketing her features as she attempts to understand the panic etched across mine.

This isn’t how this was supposed to happen.

I needed a chance to talk to them, to say the words out loud rather than spit it in their faces as I imagine this is about to feel.

In a world led by loyalty and trust, a heated blade to the gut burns less than learning of a liar.

Raven takes a half step toward me, but then Zoey bursts past her and her eyes follow the little blonde who throws herself against her father’s chest.

“Find you, find you!” Her laughter lightens the air, allowing me a small breath, but only for a moment as my lungs run dry once again.

Cap’s smile bounces to me, his eyes tightening at the sight. He keeps his grin on for Zoey, reluctantly pulling his gaze back to her.

“Zoey.” He spins her around, and her little head lifts. “This is—”

“Rora!” Zoey shouts in excitement, a sound that both settles and stirs everything inside me all at once.

Her eyes shoot wide with her smile as she jerks from Captain, running right for me.

I drop to my knees just in time for her to wrap her arms around my neck in the tightest grip she can manage.

I can’t help the tender laugh that escapes.

It’s been too long, baby girl.

I hug her back.

My eyes close on their own, but I quickly force them open and it’s Captain’s they collide with.

I hold his stare as he pushes to his feet in slow, methodical movements.

The air surrounding us shifts, growing heavy, threatening, as Royce and Maddoc step closer. Raven, though, she remains frozen, frown stuck on me as she attempts to work her brain over what she’s seeing.

Zoey finally pulls back enough to gaze up at me, but she doesn’t let go. “I miss you, Rora!”

I swallow, forcing my smile to match hers, while tension threatens to knock me on my ass. “I miss you, too, ZoZo.”

She laughs, eyes the exact shade of Captain’s and focused solely on me.

“Hey, uh, Zoey Bear,” Royce calls, clearing his throat. “Let’s go get some ice cream, huh?”

“Ice cream!” she shouts and starts to rush off, but not before pausing and running right back to rub her nose across mine. “Eskimo kisses!”

I force the moisture threatening to creep into my eyes away and respond as I would any other day. “And butterfly hugs.”

She giggles as she follows her uncle. “So much, Rora!”

So much, ZoZo.

A deafening silence follows Zoey and Royce’s retreat, and I know they’re waiting for whatever my next move will be, but their guess is as good as mine.

This is the last way I ever wanted this to go.

It takes me a second, but I meet the impenetrable eyes not four feet in front of me.

Captain’s jaw clenches and he takes a measured step back, away from me.

My hands lift as his stature does and slowly, I push to stand, my gaze bouncing between the three.

Maddoc’s glare is locked on me while Raven continues to glance in the direction Zoey headed and back.

Cap though, he doesn’t look away for a second.

His eyes turn to glaciers, the harsh edges of his jaw growing more profound as his chin lowers closer to his chest.

“There was no right time to tell.”

“My daughter knows who you are,” Captain rumbles as if I hadn’t even spoken. “How?”

I cut another quick look to Raven.

“Maria,” I say the name of the woman who posed as a social worker and cared for Zoey while it was too dangerous for her to come home. “She’s my mother.”

Raven’s brows snap together. “You knew?”

“I told you before.” My face twists. “Discovering secrets was my purpose, remember?”

“How long,” Captain barks as more of a demand rather than a question.

My eyes fly his way.

When I don’t respond, he pushes closer, driving words past clenched teeth, “How. Long. Have you known about her?”

I admit, “Long before you.”

You’d think I slapped him. I’d even go as far as to say he was hoping for a different answer, that maybe there was one that wouldn’t cement a wall between us, not that an us existed.

“What does so much mean?” he asks, now completely detached, no emotion to be found, not even anger which is somehow even worse.

“Exactly what you think,” I tell him. “It’s how she tells me she...” I trail off, unable to say it out loud with his focus on me.

It’s how she tells me she loves me.

She’s the only person who ever truly has.

“I’m sorry.” My shoulders fall. “I don’t know what else to say.” I turn to Raven. “Don’t hate me. I’ll go, won’t bother you guys...” I trail off, my eyes cut to Captain and back to her. There is so much I should say, none that will make it any better in this moment, so I don’t bother to try.

“Go,” Raven speaks through a locked jaw, her glare slicing to Captain. The two, already connected on a deeper level than I have had the chance to earn, share a silent, unspoken but understood message before she looks to me. “And make it quick, Victoria.”

With a slight nod and a heavy dose of self-hate, I back away. “I expected this, my bags are already packed,” I admit. “I’ll only be minutes.”

I get a few feet before Captain says, “Well in that case, we’ll have Maybell send someone with your things.”

My eyes cut over my shoulder, and I frown.

“You’ll be moved in in less than an hour,” Raven tells me as she reaches for Maddoc’s hand, a sharp scowl covering her true thoughts.

I spin to face them once more. “You’re asking me to stay?”

She scoffs, glancing from Cap to me. “I’m telling you to.”

Maddoc and Captain share a look, and then he and Raven walk away, leaving me and Captain behind. Alone.

I wait until they’re out of earshot and attempt another apology. “Cap—”

“Don’t,” he cuts me off, stepping into my face, but I don’t cower.

I can’t show weakness, he’d hate that just as much.