Page 108 of Three Stepbrothers Save Christmas

The only warning I get is Mr Nicholson grabbing me as he shouts, “Let him up.”

Travis barrels past us before taking my father down. He punches him hard enough to break his jaw. One handcuff is still attached, where they only had time to release one.

“You never fucking deserved her, you piece of shit.” He looks behind him and stares at one of the guys who was holding my father. “Uncuff the fucker, I won’t kill a chained man!”

“Stop!” I yell as the guy throws the keys to Travis, who catches them with one hand.

“Sweetheart, after everything he’s done?” Travis yells, staring at me.

“Please, don’t kill him.”

Travis looks down at the man I thought was my father and punches him hard once more before climbing to his feet.

“If it were up to me, I would kill you and warm my feet beside your body as it burned,” Travis growls before spitting on my father, who’s curled up in a ball. “Give me the laptop. I’ll transfer it to you now; then, I want your word; Verity is finally free to live her life as she wants.” Travis stares at Mr Nicholson, who nods slowly and holds out a hand.

“Deal. But first, I want to know how much of the twenty mill is meant to have been hers?”

“All of it. Any money that arsehole made was from the interest and his work for you,” Travis answers as I try to wrap my head around it all.

“Then transfer sixteen to me. Let her keep the rest. I’m still making a profit, and she has some of what is rightfully hers.”

I feel myself swaying for a moment, but Travis places a hand on my back and turns to look at me.

“Are you okay?” the worry evident on his face. I shake my head because I am far from it. Cupping my cheek, he looks into my eyes. “I’m here and it’s going to be okay. I’ve got you.”

“This is the new deal I would like to make.”

We both look to Mr Nicholson, who holds up his hands. “Hear me out. You transfer the sixteen and keep the rest, but only Verity leaves today. I require your help with something. I will ensure you are home in time for your Christmas dinner. Then, neither of you will hear from me or my family again.”

“And Verity is free? All I have to do is stay for a couple of days?” Travis asks as I lean into him.

“Absolutely, I will even let you call your brothers to collect her so they see you are safe and well.”

“Fine, but she doesn’t leave my side until my brothers arrive. No one else is to come near her.”

“Fine,” Mr Nicholson answers as he holds out his hand; this time, Travis takes it, and they shake. “My laptop is on the desk; I’ll leave you to do your thing.” He turns around to the guys who have surrounded my father. “Take him back upstairs. I will deal with him later.” Nicholason turns to me and offers me a warm smile. “Unless there is anything you would like to say to him, as I can’t imagine you will ever want to see him again.”

I look to the man who has made me an emotional mess. He’s the reason I pretended to be someone I’m not my whole life because it earned me his praise. I shake my head; I don’t know if there is anything left to say. I’ve had so much thrown at me in such a small space of time that I need to process it all, but that, him, is too much.

I turn my back as my father is pulled out of the room, screaming and shouting all kinds of evil at us. I lean against my daddy as he wraps his protective arms around me, showing me he is here for me, no matter what.

55

Ethan

I feel sick to my stomach. How the hell didn’t we see what she was planning? I stood there and watched her put on her shoes and didn’t even think it was odd once.

How the fuck did she know to take Maximus’s keys? I need to have words with that little brat when we get her back. There is no IF about it. She will be back with us by the end of the night and over my knee, receiving her punishment before I fuck her until she begs me to stop.

We are currently in Logan’s car; Maximus is driving whilst Ryan sits in the front. When we moved into the cabin, we had placed all our phones in a security box, which Calvin had taken with him. He brought them around with Logan when we called to say what had happened. We figured at least this way, if Travis or Verity try to call us, they can get through.

A mobile ringtone brings me from my thoughts as I look at Ryan, who is looking at the phone in his hand.

“I don’t know the number,” he admits before answering it cautiously.

“Hello?”

“It’s me.”

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