Page 97 of Claiming Ours
“Someone who you loved at one time, but you’ve now realized that it had faded, while what we have here is the real deal?”
I gaped at Liam. “How did you know?”
“Multiple lives, remember, Little Bit. I know because I feel the same way. I thought I knew love before all this, thought I’d loved with my whole heart, but I had no idea there was a depth of love where I felt it with my whole body and soul. It doesn’t diminish the relationships any of us had in the past; it just makes us very aware of the amazing thing we have between us three now.”
“Us three,” I murmured. “I want that so bad it hurts, Liam.”
“Same, which is why you being worried that Memphis wouldn’t go through hell and back just to get back to you is crazy talk. He’ll be home soon, but I will warn you.” He grimaced and looked at the door. “There was an incident.”
“What?” I said, voice so deep and dark that Liam looked shocked for a split second at my reaction.
“All I know is that he has a concussion, so?—”
“And you’re just now telling me!” I shrieked and shoved out of his arms. “We need to go to him right now.” I pointed to the door and stomped my foot, which did not get the reaction I wanted. Instead of looking scared, he looked like he was about to burst out laughing. “Now, Liam. I don’t know where he is, or I’d already be out the door going to him.”
When he didn’t move, I tossed both hands in the air and stormed past him. “Fine, I’ll go alone.”
“Like hell you will,” he chuckled. “You don’t even know where you’re going.”
“I’ll figure it out,” I hissed.
But as I reached the front door, the sound of the deadbolt clicking had me pausing. The door swung open. Elvis yipped and bolted past me, almost slamming against the door and closing it in Memphis’s and Langston’s faces.
“Hey, buddy,” Memphis said, a wide smile splitting his face.
His bruised face.
He had a black eye, a purple and swollen cheek, and a huge goose egg that poked out of the side of his head where his blond hair was shaved close to the scalp.
I froze, almost forgetting how to breathe as I inspected every injury, committing them to memory. My anger and worry fought against each other for dominance, anger winning out when he winced as he bent down to scratch behind Elvis’s ears.
“Who the fuck did that to you?”
Both men stilled, their gazes locked on me with a hint of fear in their expressions.
Memphis straightened and hobbled toward me.
“And you can’t walk?” I screeched.
“Just from the fall. My hip looks worse than my face.” He reached out, brushing his knuckles down my cheek. “Hey, Kitten. I missed you more than you can ever imagine.”
Tears welled and leaked down my cheeks, but I held in the desperate sob that wanted to escape. But despite all the relief at seeing him, that anger and need for vengeance continued to flare.
“Tell me, Memphis,” I said, stomping my foot. “Tell me who did this so I can hurt them back.” My hands curled into tight fistsat my sides. “They don’t get to do that to you and get away with it.”
His responding smile was soft and shy. “The person didn’t, Bay. The cops came and took care of the situation. The person responsible will get the help they need. Someone from their family is coming to get them.”
“But I want to hurt them,” I whispered, almost horrified by my words, yet I meant them.
Really, really meant them.
“And I love that you want to hurt them to defend me, but there’s no need, sweet girl.” He pulled me in for a hug, and my arms immediately went around his waist. “Fuck, it’s good to feel you in my arms, hear your voice. I’m sorry I left like I did, but I had to go. To protect us, our family that we’re starting here. I had to protect us the only way I knew how.”
I let those words sink in.
Our family.
That sounded almost too good to be true.
