Page 61 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

“Does she know the truth?” Farrah asked, her voice tight with emotion.

Trent looked uncomfortable standing between everyone. He knew what had happened, but I doubt he’d planned on being here when the initial showdown happened.

“She does,” I said. “We just talked about it.”

Farrah nodded and took a deep breath, steadying herself. She stepped around Trent and went to stand in front of Avery.

“I’m sorry, Avery. I can’t take it back, and I know I played a part in ruining your life. I know I fucked up. I lied to you at the store the other day, too. I wasn’t nice to you when we were kids, and that never got any better. I was too overprotective of my brother, and that made me treat you like shit.”

Pride surged through me as Farrah spoke. My sister had always been strong-willed with a powerful personality. Apologizing wasn’t normally in her repertoire. The look on her face told me—and Avery—that this was sincere and heartfelt.

Farrah glanced at Ashton, then back to Avery. “I hurt you, and even though my father forced me to do it, I wish I could take it back. I spent years wondering if I had a niece or nephew out there somewhere. I hope you can eventually forgive me.”

Farrah knotted her hands together, obviously preparing herself for the barrage of insults, curses, and accusations she expected Avery to lob at her.

The muscles in Avery’s jaw worked as she gritted her teeth. But rather than yelling, she gave a single nod.

“Apology accepted, Farrah. There are bigger things happening than what you and I said or did in the past. I can look past it if you can.” She cleared her throat. “And if you’d like to get to know your nephew, then I’d be fine with that as well.” Her words wereclipped and measured, like a politician. She still needed time to get over the hurt.

Ashton raised his hand slightly and smiled at Farrah. “Uh, hey, Aunt Farrah, I guess. I’m Ashton.”

Farrah’s eyes widened at first, then she clamped a hand to her mouth, her eyes swimming with tears. She let out a single sob, then swallowed back the emotion and waved at him.

“Hey, buddy. Umm, It’s nice to officially meet you. And holy crap, do you look like your father.”

Ashton, Trent, and even Avery laughed at that. It was true. The resemblance was uncanny.

“While we’re on the subject of family,” I said, steering the conversation back to what we were really here for, “I spoke to Dallas earlier. That’s why I called you two to come up here.”

Farrah’s shoulders sagged, and her smile faded quickly at the mention of our brother. The news of Dallas’s existence had hurt her the most. She’d been angry at Dad for cheating on Mom, but she was also pissed that the young boy had been left out to dry. I felt a bit of shame at the fact I’d cared more about my father’s actions than about the results. I’d attempted to befriend Dallas, but Farrah had always tried harder.

Mom had taken the news like a bowling ball to the head. In the years after, I’d learned that she suspected Dad had been running around on her, but the visible and physical truth of it was too much. It had confirmed all her worries, sending her swiftly into a pit of despair that had eventually killed her. Even through our mother’s misery, Farrah had fought for Dallas to be part of our family. In her mind, a brother was a brother, regardless ofwhere he’d come from. Dad had eventually cast Dallas aside in an attempt to ease our mother’s pain, but she died, anyway.

Dallas had returned a few times, but his visits had become fewer and fewer until they stopped completely. Farrah had tried to find him when we were in our late teens, but Dallas didn’t want to be found. He’d vanished, and now I knew where he’d gone.

I sat everyone down and gave them a play-by-play of what Dallas had told me, ending with the pronouncement that Kyle was now expecting his first payment within seven days.

“So, Dallas has been running with these scumbags for years?” Farrah asked, her mouth twisted in disappointment.

“It seems so,” I said. “That’s likely how Dad got in contact with Kyle in the first place. Probably heard through the grapevine where his illegitimate child was hanging out and used that connection to garner the original loan.”

“What do we do about the money?” Trent asked.

“I’m going to have to give it to him,” I said with a shrug. “I don’t see another way.”

Trent and I had been business partners since he got out of the military. We had many streams of income, so we had options.

“I’m thinking we sell some of our rental properties we have back out west. Might be the only way to get Kyle his moneyandget the pack back on track,” I said. “But we’re partners. Losing those properties is gonna be a hell of a financial hit to both of us. I won’t pull that trigger unless you’re on board.”

Trent nodded. He rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought. Trent and I were not millionaires by any stretch, but we’d builtup a fairly successful portfolio of businesses and rentals before our return to Harbor Mills.

Trent looked up at me, his eyes dark with malice. “I have a better solution. One that’s final and unequivocal.”

He didn’t need to say more. When he got out of the service, Trent wasn’t the happy-go-lucky person I’d known since birth. He’d had shadows behind his eyes, memories of things he’d done. Trent hadn’t been content to serve his eight years doing nothing more than changing armored vehicle tires or changing oil on tanks. No, he’d ended up in the special forces. Killing was nothing new to him, and by God, he knew how to do it.

“I can take him out,” Trent said, upper lip curling in disgust. “Fucker threatens people I care about? In my eyes, that means he signed his death warrant.”

Trent was a terrifying man when he needed to be, and his eyes reflected that part of him now. All I had to do was say the word, and he’d handle it.

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