Page 56 of Three Stepbrothers Save Christmas

“They will be angry at me,” she whispers, causing my jaw to clench. What the fuck have they been doing to this girl to make her so damn obedient and scared.

“Even if they are, we won’t be and will stand up for you. I promise they will never control any part of your life again.” I softly encourage her to look at me and give her a small smile. “Who am I?”

“My Daddy,”

“And who will always protect you from this moment on?”

Verity doesn’t answer straight away, which I expected. She is still to come to terms with our relationship and what it means for her. I lean in and press a soft kiss to her lips. “You, Sweetheart. I will protect you until my last breath because you are everything to me, do you understand? No matter what hold he thinks he has over you, it’s nothing like the love I have for you. Your father has been controlling you, and we are here to help you become free and the person you want to be, not what he has tried to shape you into.”

Verity looks at me for a moment before taking a deep breath and pushing her shoulders back. She gives me a slow nod, and I know she is going to try to accept it.

“Good girl,” I whisper, giving her a wink. “Shall we sit with the others, and we can all have this discussion? We have been waiting on you and Ethan,” I grin at her as her cheeks turn bright red. Considering what a kinky little thing she is, she looks so innocent with her blonde hair and blue eyes. Her skin is so pale and flawless that it seems almost unreal.

“Sorry, we got a little distracted,” she smiles at me sheepishly. I laugh as I stand, placing her on her feet simultaneously.

“A little? Sweetheart, you two could be heard from a mile away,” wrapping an arm around her waist, I pull her roughly against me, as she hides in her hands, as she does every time she’s embarrassed. “I love hearing you having fun almost as much as I love having fun with you,” I growl in her ear as she squirms in my arm.

“Guys, I have to be online in two hours! Can we have this discussion today or not?” I hear Ryan call out as Ethan laughs.

“To be continued,” I whisper in her ear before taking her hand and pulling her into the lounge.

30

Verity

I walk into the lounge with Travis, hand in hand, to find the other two laughing together.

“Sorry we were talking, unlike some,” Travis says, giving a side eye to Ethan, who just winks at me.

Travis sits on his usual spot on the sofa and pulls me down to sit next to him. My heart starts racing as I realise a lot of home truths are about to be revealed, and I don’t know how I feel about it.

“Verity has just told me some things our parents didn’t want us to know.”

Ethan and Ryan frown in my direction, and I find myself leaning into Travis for protection. They are going to be so mad at me. I don’t know right now who I’m more worried about upsetting: Dad, Linda, or the guys. Once they know the truth and how much I was told to hide, they’re going to be furious at me for not telling them sooner. Travis wraps an arm around me and whispers in my ear.

“Breath, Sweetheart.”

I try to do as he says, but it’s hard when so much attention is on me. Travis pulls me onto his lap and wraps his arms around me, holding me together like he did when I fell apart yesterday.

“No matter what you tell us, you are not in trouble. You were only doing what your father said, and it’s not your fault he told you to hide things. But for us all to move forward and help you, we need to know the truth.” He presses a kiss to my forehead, and I close my eyes in an attempt to centre myself. “Do you remember what I said to you a minute ago?” he asks, and I nod. “Good. No matter what, we will never be mad at you for doing as they told you to do. We are here for you, no one else.”

I take a deep breath and open my eyes to look at him. I nod, letting me know I’m okay.

“That’s it, Sweetheart. We are right here with you, okay?”

“Okay,” I whisper, forcing a small smile.

“Why don’t you tell the others what you just told me, and we will start from there.”

I nod before turning back to look at the other two, who are still watching me.

“Dad and Linda fired the housekeeper the day I turned eighteen. Since then, there hasn’t been one.”

“What? But Mum said,” Ethan starts.

“Mum lied, and I have a good idea why,” Travis interrupts before looking back at me. “Who does all the cleaning and cooking now?”

“I do. But I don’t mind!” I answer, emphasising the point. “At the end of the day, I live on my own most of the time, so I don’t make much mess,” I add.

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