Page 32 of The Chase
She didn’t believe him at all. How could she? All he had ever done was hurt her—just like his brother had hurt her before.
It was no wonder she hated him. Now he understood.
He leaned down and brushed the softest kiss he could on her forehead. “I’m going to show you I’m not the toad you think I am. I promise. I’m going to makeusbetter for you. No matterwhat I have to do to prove how much I love you. I am nothing like him. I promise. I love you.”
She just blinked at him. And waited.
He was going to say far more, but furious pounding came on her door. He checked Bronte quickly, but she was still sound asleep, sprawled on Greer’s rose-colored sheets.
“Greer, I am coming in. That bastard won’t put his hands on you again. He won’t ever hurt you again, I promise.”
The door swung open and one of her identical brothers stood there, glaring and huffing like a bull. Ready to destroy the red flag too near his precious baby sister.
“Grady! Seriously!” The Hanan woman slipped in behind him. “I’m sorry, Greer. I tried to keep him out, but he just lifted me out of his way.”
“I like lifting her. She always gets so mad at me and it’s really cute when she squeals. Sometimes she smells like blueberries and crayons.”
“You are a lunatic, Hiller!” She whispered, seeing the sleeping baby. “Be quiet, his baby is asleep.”
Kurt couldn’t believe the guy had just said that. “We were trying to have a conversation here.”
“I’m not going to let a damned no-goodChasehurt Greer ever again. So just get out of her bedroom and I’ll let you live.”
Not exactly threatening in a whisper. But Kurt appreciated the sentiment. He had a long way to go until he rebuilt what he’d damaged with her brothers. Damn it—this meant he was going to have to learn to get along with them, didn’t it?
He…felt like an asshole. Kevin…hadhurtGreer and her family. How did Kurt ever make up for that?
“First, did you even ask your sister if she wanted him out of her bedroom?” Hanan’s little sister swatted the guy on the arm. “This is Greer’s room, remember? She brought him in here for a reason.”
The woman led Greer’s brother away by grabbing him by the shirt and almost dragging him. She was well over a foot shorter, and probably weighed about one-twentytops.But Greer’s brother followed her like a demented and slightly besotted puppy.
Well, Kurt could understand that. She was a pretty woman, with a kind of sweet appeal that was hard to miss.
Then they were alone again. “Will you please just talk to me?”
Bronte fussed. Before he could get to her, Greer scooped her up and held her close. Capturing Kurt’s heart once again. “What is there to say?”
“That you forgive me for all the ways I’ve been the toad you’ve called me? So we can…fix this? I’m sorry I hurt you. I will never hurt you again. I love you, and I always will.”
“Oh, just go away, you butthead. I’m going outside to eat. I am starving. And my parents will be looking for me soon.” She kissed Bronte on her head and held her out to him with purpose. “Your baby stinks, Chase. There is a changing table across the hall—in the room that will bemybaby’s nursery. You can stay today, because my mother says you can. But…I am not yours. And I never will be again.”
Well, he wasn’t so sure aboutthat.But…she hadn’t kicked him out completely.
That was a start.
25
She’d moved back home.The girl.
Dwayne had been following her around Value for weeks.
Ever since the day he’d picked up her fucking trash and realized where she lived.
Girl livedalone.
Until now.
He kept smirking about that. Right back to precious Hillerland, where her big brothers could coddle her forever. He also knew her precious secret. He’d seen the books on pregnancy in her room. Seen the pregnancy test itself in the drawer next to her bed.
