My mouth goes dry as I go slack jawed at seeing Bryden’s truck and their shitty sedan in the driveway next to my truck. I must have still been asleep when we got to his house… so he drove me home. It explains how I got here, but not what the fuck he’s still doing here, or why he needed two extra vehicles.
I slam the door in a pure rage and turn on my heel, walking through the house, first upstairs to make sure that Dad’s room is unoccupied—as it should be unless it’s me and Skylar—then before I make my way back down to the main floor, I push every door open.
All the rooms upstairs are empty as they should be. I grind my teeth as I jog down the steps and check the rooms downstairs.
Empty.
Kitchen?
Empty.
Dining room?
Empty.
What the hell is going on?
Cracking my neck, I walk out of the dining room toward Dad’s den and find that empty as well.
I’m confused now.
If Bryden’s cars are here, then where is he? And who’s with him?
Unless…
Taking a steadying breath, I walk the length of the house toward the back door. The closer I get, the more I can hear the sounds of children playing happily and it only makes me angrier.
I allowed the hope of becoming a father to corrupt my own thoughts to the point where I never would’ve even thought that the cribs could be for anything other than children of my own.
I wrap my hand around the back door handle, close my eyes for a moment, trying to convince myself that I’m overreacting and that when I open the door, I’ll simply find Skylar playing with some of the neighborhood children that manage to find their way onto our property from time to time.
“Hey—”
But I’m wrong.
So very fucking wrong.
In the backyard of Luke Greene’s home is Bryden, Casey, Xoe, and the rest of his children. The three of them are sitting in chairs watching the younger kids chase each other around in the snow-covered grass like I was so fond of doing with my sisters when we were young ourselves.
I see Skylar standing just off to the side with her arm wrapped protectively around Cleo’s shoulder, a fake smile plastered on her face and worry in her eyes.
“Hey, son!” Bryden calls out to me when I step on the back porch and let the door slam shut behind me.
I thought that by taking my sister from me he had crossed the line, but this… Dad would have never fucking allowed this. Dad didn’t even want him, so what the fuck makes him think that he can be in this place as though it were his own without being invited in by a true Greene?
“Take her inside,” I tell Skylar, balling my fists at my side.
Without hesitation, she moves quickly, leading Cleo back toward the house.
“And no matter what happens, just remember that I love you the way Dad taught me to. The only way I ever knew how,” I say to her softly as she walks by me and disappears into the house.
Thirty-One
Bryden
Richter is standing on the back porch, body tense as a bow string, and although Skylar listened to him about going inside with Cleo, I can see their shadows just inside the windows.
“Glad to see you’re finally awake,” I call out, waving him over. “Come sit with me.”
“You can’t be here!” he shouts, moving off the porch in a determined stride, but I just smile at him.
“You wanted your sisters here, and they are. Now we’re all back home together. The entire Greene family under one roof.” Looking over the house, I feel a surge of pride swelling in my chest. “Just like Luke would have wanted.”
“You don’t know what Dad would have wanted!” he snaps as he stops in front of me, his fists balled at his sides, practically shaking with rage.
“Seems to me like our father wanted a legacy. His blood to continue.” Spreading my arms, I look around at my family who have all stopped playing to stare. “And we’ve done that. We can keep doing that, Richter. Here. Together.”
“This is my fucking house, Bryden, and you’re not a Greene. Dad got rid of you the moment he had the chance, and if you think I’m going to let you bring your fucking family here, you’re fucking wrong.” He takes another step closer to me and I chuckle.
“You wanted Cleo here, Richter. And if you want Cleo, you get all of us.” I shrug, shaking my head a little. “I’m giving you exactly what you want, boy.”
“I don’t want you here! I don’t want any of you here! Take your shit out of my house and LEAVE!” He points into the distance, and I follow his finger, running my tongue over my teeth as I brace my hands on my hips.
“No… I don’t think we’ll be going anywhere.” The words barely leave my lips when Richter lunges, landing a punch to the edge of my jaw.
It’s weak, not well-aimed, but it still sends my head to the side as the pain radiates through my teeth. He tries to follow it up, but Casey tackles him, and I let my son wrestle with Richter in the snow while I wipe my lips, feeling a grin spreading as I turn around to wave my family in.
“Everyone get inside! Richter and I need to have a talk.” They all listen to me, most of them stunned into silence, but Embry is crying in Moira’s arms as she carries her inside. Xoe hasn’t moved though, and I look over at her, tilting my head to the door. “Go on.”
“But Daddy—”
“Now, sweetheart.” The tone in my voice has her eyes going wide as she nods and rushes past Casey and Richter’s bodies still rolling around, trying to grapple each other.
As soon as the last kid goes through the door, I clap my hands a few times. “Okay, Casey, let him up.”
“Get
