Page 68 of Broken

“Because you’ve been so good at that our whole life,” Dom answers, and I look at him.

“Did you do it?” I ask, getting ready to knock his smart-ass down a peg or two. He snaps his trap shut and just stares at me. “You did it,” I hiss.

“I … I need to go check on Taz,” Thea whispers.

“Baby—” Dom says, but Thea shakes her head.

“What you did. That’s not the man I know. It doesn’t condone what Gabby did, but I could see how that would fuck with a woman. Now, I have to look at you and wonder if the man I married still has that in him, or if he is the man I trusted with my heart.”

“Thea, baby?—”

She shakes her head no and walks away.

“Motherfucker.”

“T? Anything to say?”

“N-No,” T responds. His gaze moves to Lyla. “Get our girl. Let’s get home.”

“Okay,” she murmurs.

“Thomas …”

He walks over and hugs his mom, making me breathe a little easier. At least T has his shit together. “It’s o-o-okay, M-Mom,” he answers. “I-I’ll c-c-call King tomorrow.”

“Love you, Thomas.”

“Love you,” he says. He gives me a look and I reach for him. He gives me a hug, making me smile. Been a long fucking time since T was little and always came running to me with a hug. Time went too fucking fast. We don’t speak, but we don’t need to. Finally, T turns to Dom. He looks at his brother and shakes his head.

“T—”

“You’re n-n-not responsible for G-Gabby’s choices, b-b-brother,” he says, surprising the shit out of me.

“I know,” Dom says, but he doesn’t sound convinced, and I’m not sure I am either.

“You are r-r-responsible for your actions and how that m-may have m-m-made her react. W-W-What King s-said. If y-you d-did that,” he shakes his head. “Y-You d-d-did damage. And y-you were always with M-M-Mony and her c-c-crew. If you hadn’t b-been, I would have w-walked away from G-G-Gabby.”

“T—”

“It’s d-done. Concentrate on Thea. B-But if you’re smart. You will c-clean house.”

“Mony’s gone. Her and her bitches,” Dom growls.

“And our b-b-brother?” T asks.

“I don’t know,” Dom answers.

T shakes his head but doesn’t reply before walking away.

Nicole kisses me. “I’m going to go say bye to our babies.”

“Okay, Mama.”

“Okay,” she murmurs softly. She hugs Dom quickly, then leaves. Her disappointment in her son and in the night as a whole can be felt, but she doesn’t give it voice. She just says goodbye.

“I don’t need more shit, Dad. I’ll deal.”

I shake my head. Time to throw down. “I love you, Dom. Seriously, I fucking love you. That bullshit I just heard is not the actions of a man.”

---