Page 112 of Three Stepbrothers Save Christmas

“As far as we are aware he has been taken back to the room me and him were held in all day,” Travis answers.

“Do we know how much he owed Nicholson and how he came to owe him money?” Ryan asks. Travis nods and looks at me. I asked him earlier not to tell me everything, to send the payment and to call the guys. I had never expected them to be as close as they were, and we had only just gotten outside when they arrived. All of this is also going to be news to me too. I give him a nod to show I’m ready to hear it whilst leaning further into Ryan for comfort.

“Do you remember a couple of months ago, Geralt Young was killed in an attack on his building?” he asks, looking around. We all nod. I know about it from Jasmine, who is close to Mr Young's daughter Abigail.

“Well, they were searching for some drugs that Taylor had hidden in the basement before selling the building to Young. It turns out Taylor had stolen those drugs from Nicholson years before. He had a feeling Taylor was involved, but they never found the drugs or had any proof.”

“What’s that got to do with Henry?” Ryan asks over my head.

“I’m getting to that bit,” Travis says as he cups my hand between his. “Taylor had help taking the drugs; he shouldn’t have even known about the shipment; it was kept so quiet Nicholson figured he must have had a mole in his ranks.”

“Henry was the mole,” Ethan says, but Travis just shrugs. “Apparently not, but he was in charge of the shipment, and when it went missing, he was told he either paid for the lost drugs or Nicholson would kill him.

“But then Nicholson saw Verity and realised she would be the perfect arm candy for his son, and Henry told him about the inheritance, so the deal was made. Henry was still paying off the money, but it was nothing compared to what he would have to pay if he didn’t get her to marry the son.”

“So, how much was the debt?”

“Nicholason is known for adding his extreme interest rates. There were three million pounds worth of drugs stolen. He had been looking to make five times that in their sale and distribution. So, all together, he wanted sixteen, so I offered him Henry’s savings of twenty.”

“He had the money sitting there and was still going to sell his daughter?” Ethan shouts as I start feeling sick again. Travis kisses my knuckles as he nods.

“Even Nicholson called him out on that one,” Travis says, still holding my hand to his lips. He looks down, sees his grandmother's ring on my finger, and smiles softly.

“It’s as if it was made for you,” he whispers, kissing it before looking me in the eye.

“Whatever happens now, remember we are here for you. We will all help you deal with this together as a family. No one will ever make you do anything you don’t want to do again. You are in charge of your own destiny.”

“But you will still be my Daddy and Bear, right?” I ask, looking between Ryan and Travis, who both nod, smiling. I look to Ethan and give him a small, “And you, my partner in crime?”

“Always, Baby,” he answers, winking at me.

“That’s okay then because I never want to lose any of you,” I reply as I lean back against Ryan, relieved to finally have my three guys back, even if only for a little while.

57

Travis

“Any idea what he wants you to do?” Ryan asks as we stand at the front of the manor house Nicholson lives in.

“Something to do with accounts, no doubt highly illegal. But as long as she’s safe, I don’t care.” I watch Ethan and Verity together, sitting on a bench far enough away that they can’t hear us, and we can’t hear them.

“Keep a close eye on her; the cracks are starting to show, and she will be a mess when it all sinks in.”

“What? Like when she woke up and you were gone?” he replies. I can hear the anger in his voice and know I deserved it.

“How bad was it?”

“She screamed and cried until she was sick. She wouldn’t let us near her and clung to that doll like it was the only thing keeping her afloat. You thought she was bad when her father left; it was worse.”

I rub my face as the hate inside me grows.

“I hate myself for doing it, but I don’t at the same time,” I admit. I watch as she leans against Ethan's shoulder, and he kisses the top of her head. “I couldn’t let her suffer anymore. I figured a few days of pain was better than a lifetime on the run.” I turn to look at my brother, who is also watching our girl. “I had to do it alone. I couldn’t risk two of us being killed and her only having one left to protect her.”

“I know,” he sighs. “I would have done the same myself. But I think after all of this, we need to get her into counselling. There’s so much pain and abandonment issues buried after years of suppressing everything; she needs to come to terms with it and accept the truth.”

“Like the guy she spent her whole life being emotionally abused by wasn’t her real father? Yeah, I’d already thought of that; I’ll contact someone I know in the new year. I want her to start opening up about it as soon as possible.”

“And the ring?”

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