Page 30 of Revival

The occasional rustle of leaves outside the patio severs the ongoing silence.

Maybe it’s the alcohol. Or perhaps it’s the fact I haven’t confided in anyone, but I find myself unable to stop talking.

“I never expected to be so affected. But each time one of my brothers introduced me to their new girlfriend, it was so clear from the start that they were meant to be together. So when Sebastian walked into my vet clinic with an injured stray cat he found in his engine compartment, you have to understand I thought it was kismet or whatever,” I grumble, waving my hand as if the words don’t matter. “We fell madly in love.”

“But?”

I blink heavily. “What?”

“I sense there’s more.”

“I ignored the red flags,” I deadpan.

A full-body twitch runs through Spencer. I watch in confused awe as he relaxes back in his chair.

“What kind of red flags?” The tone of his measured and restrained question sends my stomach swooping. What the hell is happening?

I lick my lips. “I already told you.”

“Did he hurt you?”

“He cheated on me,” I bite out.

“That’s not what I’m getting at, Kitten. He ever lay a hand on you? Scream at you? Talk to you in a way no man should ever talk to a woman, especially not one he’s sworn to love?”

“No, he just cheated on me,” I say sadly.

“That’s the truth?”

“You want to pinky swear on it?” I snark, holding up my littlest finger.

He nods crisply. “If anything comes to mind, you tell me. When we get back, I’ll take care of him.”

Fighting a yawn, I smile. “Sure, I’ll do that.”

“Did your brothers have a go at him?”

“Of course not.” I toss the pillow in my lap to the head of the bed and slowly lie down. “Nobody needs to go to jail for that asshole.”

“You’re telling me that sonofabitch is roaming freely around Fairview Valley, and nobody’s given him a lesson on how to treat his fiancée?”

I drag the thin sheet over my body. “Hisex-fiancée. And no. We’re all adults. We fight with words, not with fists.”

Spencer stands, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “I’ll fight however the hell I want.”

“Th-Thank you.” I yawn and close my eyes.

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

Sleep quickly envelops me. I force myself to answer. “I thought I was going to cry myself to sleep. Thanks to you, I’m not.”

“You’re welcome, Kitten.”

The sconce on the wall clicks out, plunging the room into darkness.

“If I have any say, you’ll never cry yourself to sleep again.”

6

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