Page 26 of These Reckless Hearts

Wyatt hauls me up when my legs fail me. It’s one thing making a video when you’re aware. It’s another thing altogether to be recorded in secret and have something so intimate be shared with others without your consent.

“It’s down now. We called the school’s tech department, and they shut it down.”

“That doesn’t mean people still don’t have it.”

“Cole and Stone are going to take care of this,” Wyatt promises. “And Lucas and I will do anything to help.”

“We need to move,” I cringe, thinking about Saint Clary’s. I can’t go back there now. Right? Everyone’s seen.... Oh my God, and we had to be experimenting, too. We couldn’t have been having boring missionary-style sex, we had to be 69ing.

“No way. If anything, you made every girl in that school so damn jealous. When we go back, you’re going to walk into Saint Clary’s with your head held high.”

“It’s different for guys,” I explain to Wyatt. “Everyone’s going to look at Stone like he’s the man for getting his dick sucked, but everyone’s going to stare at me like I’m a whore.”

Wyatt makes me peer up at him. A bead of water clings to his nose before dripping to the shower floor. “You can’t let other people make you feel that way. Besides,” he starts, running a hand down my soaking wet hair, “I’ll kick anyone’s ass who says that. I’ll protect you for life, Tits.”

We stay under the water until it turns lukewarm. Turning the knob off, he hands me a towel. While I dry off, he dresses in the same clothes he came in with, then offers me a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from my dresser.

I’m sick to my stomach to go back out there and face this, but I have to. I have to make sure Stone is okay, that he doesn’t blame himself for what happened. I also have to make sure Cole’s taking care of security because if they got into the house once without us knowing, they can do it again.

Wyatt places a finger under my chin as soon as I’m dressed. “Head up. Nothing gets to you. Okay?”

I wish that were the case. I worry about the loss of my family’s legacy; about the loss of my reputation. But Wyatt’s words remind me that I have control over some things. People can say whatever they want but that doesn’t mean I have to listen to them.

We walk out, and the first thing I notice is Stone sitting on the couch with an ice pack over his eye. “What the hell?” I race toward him and drop to my knees. He glances away, and I glare at Ninja.

The guard pulls a face. “He fought me.”

Cole chuckles, and I scowl at him. “I said not to hurt him.”

“Rather he has a black eye than a bullet in his brain,” Cole snarks.

Well, when he says it like that.... I turn back to Stone. “Are you okay?”

He swallows, emotions clogging his features. He can’t even look at me.

“Hey,” I try again, attempting to not get in his face but failing. He needs to see that I don’t blame him for this.

He gently moves around me and stands, still holding the ice pack to his eye. “Where do we stand?” he inquires.

Lucas takes my hand and pulls me to the couch beside him. “Don’t worry,” he whispers. “He’s just mad at himself.”

“My tech guys should be here in fifteen minutes. They’ll take a look at your cameras and replace or rewire, whatever they have to do. They might be able to recall the footage to see who it was that took Dakota’s treasure stuff.” He turns to me. “I’m sorry we weren’t here.” He shakes his head, hands balling to fists. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

I rub my temples.

“Even if they do get the footage, I’m sure we won’t be able to see who it was,” Lucas states. “They always wear masks.”

“I’ll put my feelers out. People who do illegal shit sometimes band together. I’ll see who took Lance’s contract if I can. In the meantime, me and my men are staying here. I don’t want Lance’s assholes that close to Dakota ever again.”

Wyatt sits on the coffee table. “We were going to head into the mountains soon.”

Cole glances toward Ninja, and the Dragon guard shrugs. “Never been much of a hiker, but I’ll do my best. You can count on us,” he says, locking gazes with the four of us.

Ninja’s not so bad. I actually kind of like him, as weird as that sounds.

“I’ll stay here and hold down the fort.” Cole turns toward me. “I can’t disappear for a few days. Shit would fall apart.”

“It’s good that we’ll be split up,” Wyatt remarks, backing up Cole’s decision. “In case they try anything while we’re gone.”

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