Page 77 of Knot The Only Onee
She'd just gotten there, so I wasn't too keen to let her go.
"You boys are just no fun." Alena blew me a raspberry.
"We're so mean, Princess, I'm sorry." Xavier kissed her forehead. "I'll have to make up for it later, won't I?"
"Don't need to be hearing that, Xavier." I made a face, not wanting to know how he would make up for it later.
Xavier shrugged, not an ounce of apology on his face as he beamed down at his mate. "Don't care. Maybe you shouldn't be listening in then."
Lovely. Just lovely.
It was going to be great fun having the whole pack here for the week.
When we finally returned to the ranch and walked in the back door, the aroma of whatever Lucas was cooking permeated the whole house. And damn, did it smell good.
"Can we clone Lucas so we can have a cook like him?" Alena groaned as she took a swift inhale. "Because damn, that smells seriously good."
Lucas appeared as if the praise for his food had summoned him. He gave Alena a quick hug, kissing her cheek and smiling at her. "Sorry, sweetheart, can't clone me, I'm afraid. I'm one of a kind."
"True," she laughed and slapped at his chest. "I'll settle for visiting and eating my fill while I'm here. Maybe even bribe you to give me some food to take home."
"I can do that." Lucas winked and went to grab a plate of cookies to give her. "Now, let's grab some coffee and catch up. Bridget is just finishing up in the shower, so she'll be down soon."
Elias clasped a hand on my shoulder and gestured toward my office. Simon followed us, while Xavier and Julian stayed with Lucas and Alena. Part of me was still ashamed to tell Elias and Simon, even though Bridget had already given them the bare-bones details.
It's not like I was the one who entered into the contract with the loan shark, but I was still responsible since the ranch was in my name.
I wasn't a man who liked to ask for help, regardless if I needed it or not. But more was at stake here. If it were just me, I'd say fuck it.
It wasn't just me. It was James, Lucas, and Bridget. I could do this for them. I could swallow down my stupid damned pride and lay everything out on the line.
I closed the door behind us, and Elias and Simon folded their lean forms onto the chairs I had across from my desk. "I know we kinda talked briefly about this, but let me just show you the contract and other shit." I rubbed the back of my neck briefly before grabbing the folder and handing it to them.
Elias took it from me but didn't open it right away. "Noah, we already know everything." He gave me an easy smile and looked at Simon.
"After Bridget mentioned it to us, I did some investigating." Simon leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other. The man was one of the most brilliant finance-minded CFO's in the Western US. There was a reason Knight Development Corp was one of the top corporations in the country. It was thanks to the hard work and leadership of Elias, Simon, Xavier, and Julian.
"Yeah?" I asked, encouraging him to keep speaking.
"I've already been in contact with the 'so-called' lender your father went to. I've informed him the terms in the contract were unenforceable, and if he continued with his harassment, I'd be happy to report him to the FTC and the police." Simon grinned, showing off his perfectly straight white teeth. "There were some other words in between, as well as an impromptu visit from Xavier to drive home our point."
My brows rose into my hairline. "Xavier went to see Fitzy?" I bit back a laugh. I could only imagine the man pissing himself as Xavier managed to get through the hired muscle he employed.
Elias and Simon nodded, looking pleased with themselves. "You're family, Noah. You, James, and Lucas. I wish you'd said something sooner."
I nodded, shame washing over me at all the time I'd wasted keeping this hidden from my pack and theirs.
"Noah."
I lifted my head to meet Elias' gaze. "I would have done the exact same thing in your position. We don't think any less of you for what you did or how you handled yourself. As alphas, we're taught our pride and status are everything, but things tend to change when an omega comes into the picture." He grinned knowingly. "Omega's have a way of shifting our perspectives and putting what matters in the forefront."
"Even before we officially got together, she was changing my view," I said absently as a grin twitched up the corners of my lips. "From the moment she walked through that door, I knew I wanted to be a better man for her."
"And that, my friend, is why I trusted you with my sister." Simon nodded at me, pride shining in his eyes. "There was no one else on this planet I would trust to ensure her safety and happiness. Call it a hunch, but I knew the Second Chance was supposed to be her forever home."
Thank whatever God there was that Simon was right.
Because I couldn’t imagine my life without Bridget in it.
