Page 85 of Brazen Obsession

“I’ll pick out the best present.” She grins and hurries over to Roger to take his hand. “When we get home, I can give him the souvenirs I bought him.”

“That’s right.” Roger’s gaze flits to mine and Tom’s before he leaves. I wish he’d stay. With Caitlyn here, Mom would have to talk around the uncomfortable stuff instead of coming straight out and asking things I don’t want to talk to her about.

Mom walks over and sits in the chair with a sigh, crossing her legs. “I’m sure Roger got the highlights, but I expect a full report.”

Tom meets my eyes. I give him a little shake of my head because I’m so not starting on this one. He’s the one who made this mess. He can be the one to tell Mom all about how he royally fucked up.

He swallows and Natasha takes his hand. My guys are all around me and I’m sure none of these details have escaped my mom. Like Dante’s hand on my hip. Me leaning back into Dante with my hand in Wyatt’s. The diamond on Natasha’s left ring finger and the platinum band on Tom’s.

I’m tempted to pull away from the guys, but I need their support right now. It’s all going to come out. It’s going to be more real now.

She doesn’t say anything but waits for one of us to start talking.

Tom breaks first. He tells her about bringing the mob into his company. Meeting Natasha. Falling in love. How she was promised to another. “I couldn’t let her marry him, and when she told me she’s pregnant⁠—‍”

“Pregnant?” Mom’s attention shifts to Natasha.

Natasha smiles and puts her hand over her abdomen. “Yes. We’re expecting.”

Mom’s eyes soften but then turn back to Tom. “This isn’t explaining how you ended up shot in the hospital.”

Tom blows out a breath. “We took off. Eloped and hid, trying to figure out a way to make sure no one could separate us. We were also building a case for the Feds against her father.”

Mom nods thoughtfully.

He goes on to tell her about talking to the Feds, hiding from Peter. Conveniently leaving out all of us staying at the house. I guess that’s my part to fill in. How we were trying to reach out to Alexander, again leaving out that Drew was the one trying to contact him. And how he and I were walking down the street when shots were fired.

Mom stays quiet when he finishes his story. I’m holding my breath because I know I’m next. And I don’t really know how to explain everything that’s happened to me.

Tom meets my eyes. “I left Sara a note, knowing she might be in danger. Told her the guys would protect her. I knew she wouldn’t want to have their help, but I hoped she’d at least go to them. I should have told them what I was involved with.”

Mom’s lips press together as she waits for more information.

“She stayed at the townhouse until someone broke in and ransacked her and my rooms, probably looking for the files I took with me.” Tom pauses. “Then she finally moved in with the guys, but apparently, Peter Sokolov was waiting for an opportunity. He took Sara and held her captive while Wyatt and Drew came to find me, and Dante and Finn worked to get her free.”

Mom glances over at me to make sure I’m in one piece.

“It was more like a vacation in a locked room.” I shrug, trying to play it off as if the kidnapping doesn’t still bother me.

Mom arches an eyebrow like she doesn’t believe me, but will get to the bottom of that later.

Tom clears his throat to get Mom’s attention back. “Once Sara was safe and we knew the Feds had taken Peter in, we came back to town. We moved into the house Drew’s parents were selling.”

“We?” Mom’s looking for clarification, and suddenly, I don’t know how to explain to her how I’m in love with four men and they all love me. I’m not sure if she’ll believe we can have a future like this. My stomach is in knots.

“Sara is in a relationship with Dante, Wyatt, Finn, and Drew.” Tom doesn’t mince words or ease her into it. But I don’t think I would have done much better.

Mom’s eyes widen as she shifts to face us. I could seriously use a bucket right now. My nausea at facing this at last is that strong. I locate the trash can just in case.

“It’s not like you didn’t know we’ve loved Sara forever.” Dante squeezes my hip. “We just came to terms with all of us loving her and how it will work for us.”

Mom doesn’t clutch her pearls, which she isn’t wearing, but normally when she’s aghast at something, her hand will move to her throat anyway. I can’t tell from her expression what she’s thinking. She always wanted me to find a guy, preferably one she wouldn’t be embarrassed by, who could escort me to all the events and she could brag about to her friends.

I’m not embarrassed by any of my guys. And she shouldn’t be either. If any one of them had dated me, she would have approved, but asking her to approve of me dating all four of them seems like a hard ask.

Mom finally releases her breath and shakes her head. Her gaze bounces between me and Tom. “You two always marched to your own beat. Just like your father.”

What does that mean? Is that it? Or just what she finds acceptable to talk about when it’s both of us and our significant others? Mom’s always been mindful about an audience. Which means as soon as she can get us on our own, she’s going to pounce. My hands feel cold.