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If that indeed was the case, I’d have to have a chat with good old Ian and make sure he knew what happened to anyone who fucked with my girl.
And I wasn’t as nice as she was.
Chapter Four
Kara
It was just my luck that not only was I having a shit day, but Cal was here to witness it.
Walking to my car, driving home, it all happened in a blur. I wanted inside, to unwind and sleep off the day. There was no way I wanted to discuss any of this with Cal or my overprotective, out-of-line, nosey brother. Both of whom just waltzed right into my house like they owned it. Guess that was my fault for giving Dan a key.
I stalked toward him, my hand out. “Give me back my key.”
“Not a chance, Karebear. Tell me what happened. You can’t just pretend I didn’t walk in on you punching a board member in the face. A board member who is probably back on his feet. He could not only report your assault, but get you fired. Jesus, woman. What is going on?”
“It’s no?—”
“Don’t!” Cal’s voice sounded from right behind me. “This is far beyond nothing, Kara. Someone sent you a nasty surprise, then he waltzed into your room like he owned it. He talked to you like?—”
“He’s a staff member. He can go where he wants.”
Cal’s hand gripped my bicep and before I knew it, he turned me, his body hovering over mine as he spoke. “He came in like he had a claim on you. Like you would just roll over and obey him.”
“As you can see…” I pulled my arm free of his grip. The discomfort, the pain from the bruises they couldn’t see had my heart thumping. This was getting out of hand. He let me pull away, unlike the times Ian would grab me, holding tighter when I fought.
Cal’s brow pinched. “Kara, let me see your arm.”
“No. Jesus, Cal. You don’t get to walk away from me, then all of a sudden pop back up like nothing has changed.” I walked away from him and my brother. I needed a minute to think.
I took the stairs in a rush to get up to my bedroom and change. I shut the door, locking the handle before making my way to the closet. I changed from my dress and sweater to a pair of comfy leggings, a tank top, and I pulled on an oversized, faded gray sweatshirt.
One of my favorites that has been with me for so long now.
It also used to be Cal’s, so it swallowed me.
Ignoring the hulking man standing just outside my bedroom door, I went back downstairs, my heart hammering. I knew what I needed to do. I needed them to—they needed to know everything. But I was growing more and more embarrassed as the minutes ticked by. I could have stopped this months and months ago.
I stopped in the doorway to my kitchen to watch my brother. He moved around like it was his kitchen. Obviously, he was here a lot, so he knew where everything was. He pulled out my gran’s cast iron skillet and set it on the stove.
I was so distracted by the movements in my kitchen that it wasn’t until he wrapped his arms around me that I realized Cal was right behind me. I should have known though. It wasn’t like him to just let me be…unless it involved him running off to the Army after he graduated college.
I was still a little bitter. So sue me.
“I need you to tell us what is going on. Please, don’t let him get away with it.”
“Cal, don’t. You waltz in like you never left. A knight with a big sword to slay my dragons, and yet…” I sighed, trying to get free of his ironclad grip.
“I know my leaving hurt you. I’m sorry about that, but I went away to do something I needed to. Something for me. I couldn’t explain it at the time—hell, I still don’t know what lit a fire under me when it did. That is not what is important right now though. I’m here to help. I won’t let you be hurt like that.”
“I’m sorry today was?—”
“Karebear, as I see it, there’s nothing for you to be sorry about. This is not your fault. Someone—” Dan turned and shared a hard look with Cal before he turned to face me full-on, “I’m pretty sure your actions toward that jackhole means it’s his fault. How long has this been going on?”
Looking away from him, I knew what I needed to do. I needed to tell them the truth. I just...they were going to lose their ever-loving minds. If I wasn’t careful, they’d do more than get pissed. Cal was a trained Special Forces dude. The measures he would take to save me... My heart thundered in my chest.
The arms around me, the comfort I felt with him being this close made it easier. I patted his hands and when they released me, I padded down the short hall to the closet. With a shudder, I opened it and grabbed the Amazon box I’d been keeping the things in that had been left for me, minus the gross dead flowers, and walked it back to the dining room table. I dropped the box and went back into the kitchen. There was a bottle of Arbor Mist rosé in the back of the fridge. And before you say it, I know many would say that’s not real wine, but it’s the best I could handle. I was not a big drinker, but this situation deserved a bottle or three.
I pulled down the first cup I saw in the cabinet. The large coffee mug had a unicorn on it that said, Keep Calm and Poop Rainbows. I didn’t buy it for myself; this was a gift for my birthday last year from Dan. It was not a wine glass either, but I needed the smile it brought me. Dan was always good at doing something to make me smile. He really was a good big brother.
