Page 13 of GOAT

“Fuck, this pizza is good,” I groaned. After a shower, Cameron and I had flopped onto the couch with an Adam Sandler movie playing, though we weren’t really paying attention to it. Both of us were too busy stuffing our faces and restoring the calories we’d just burned.

“I should’ve ordered two,” he muttered, staring longingly at the now-empty box.

I laughed softly. “Yeah, you should’ve.” He smiled at me then—a smile open and carefree. One I hadn’t seen from him before. Sex had clearly softened him some, and goddamn, he was so… gorgeous when he wasn’t putting up all his shields. His dark eyes were soft, and the scowl usually on his face was gone.

“Do you think you’d ever let me meet your family?” I blurted before I could stop myself.

And there went his carefree expression. I saw the shutters go up in his eyes, though that easy smile never left. He just shrugged and reached out to play with the ends of my damp hair. “Maybe one day, Abbie,” he murmured, though his tone was very noncommittal.

I sighed, deflating. “Sorry I brought it up,” I muttered.

He just hummed before tugging me against him and wrapping his arms around me. When he pressed a kiss to the top of my head, my heart clenched.

I needed to come clean to him. But how the fuck was I meant to do that when it was so clear he would destroy me for even thinking I could hurt his family?

CHAPTER SIX

Cameron

TWO NIGHTS AGO

“First of all,” I started, sneering at Ace, “you’re a fucking little shit, and I have half a mind to punch you in the face.”

A cold smirk tilted his lips. “Bring it on, dickface.”

I stepped forward, but Jax moved quicker than I could, pressing his hand to my chest. Konrad waved the phone at me, fury burning in his eyes. “I’m two seconds away from bashing your skull in, Cameron,” he warned.

“Family above all, huh?” I snapped, feeling backed into a corner. Every one of my defenses was slamming hard into place. Every old instinct I’d used as a kid to protect myself reared its ugly head. I was nothing if not destructive when I knew shit was going south. If I went down, I was tearing everyone apart while I sank. “I go on a date with a cop, and suddenly, I’m being treated like I’ve betrayed the fucking family.”

“We run on the wrong side of the law, Cam,” Shaw coldly reminded me as if I didn’t remember that. As if I didn’t live my life around that one fucking fact.

“And in case you’ve fucking forgotten,” Konrad growled, “those same fucking cops are the reason my boy and my girl were held captive for years. They’re a huge part of all this bullshit.”

“And they’re part of the reason Amaliya was kidnapped, too,” Shaw said as if I could fucking forget the reason she was here. “You’re shacking up with an enemy, brother. We just want an explanation.”

“And none of us here have forgotten how pissed you were about coming back home,” Konrad coldly said as if I would ever betray them as some way to get back at them.

I scoffed. “I came home for Ace,” I bitterly reminded him. I swung my dark eyes to my brother—the one I would’ve done anything for. The one I had done everything for. I’d given up my dreams and come back to this shit-hole town for him. Just for him to turn around and not trust me. To not give me the benefit of the doubt. To turn our family against me.

Ace’s expression remained flat and emotionless.

“Can we stop pulling our dicks out?” Blakely suddenly spoke up, glaring at my brothers. Konrad shot angry eyes at her. Jax, the overprotective son of a bitch who hadn’t said a word this entire time, wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her closer.

“No one asked for your two cents,” Konrad snapped at her.

“Easy!” Arlo barked, glaring at Konrad. “You want Jax to slit your fucking throat, brother? How would you like it if any of us snapped at Blu like that, huh?” He snatched the phone from Konrad and locked it before shoving it in his pocket. “We agreed to talk to Cameron and find out what’s going on. Instead, the moment he walked in here, you three—” he pointed at Shaw, Konrad, and Ace—“cornered him. You expect him to cooperate?”

“Well, he’s not fucking speaking!” Konrad shouted at Arlo.

“I wouldn’t open my fucking mouth either if I were him!” Arlo snapped back at Konrad. “I know tensions are high. I know you’re overprotective of Blu and Grey. But goddammit, brother, Cameron was ready to go in guns blazing with just you and him to take out fifteen guards and take out the sick son of a bitch who sold your boy and girl. Someone who wanted to betray you wouldn’t do that.”

“He’s right,” Jax said, his voice gruff. “If you’d come at me like you’re coming at him, I’d have destroyed it all, and you know that.” He looked at me. “You, me, and Arlo—chapel. That cool?”

“Jax—” Shaw growled.

“No,” Arlo snapped. “You three had a chance to talk to Cameron like sensible human beings, but instead, you came at him sideways. Jax and I will talk to him, and after you two apologize to Cameron, then we’ll let you know what’s going on.”

With that, Arlo pressed a hand to my upper back, nudging me in the direction of the chapel. “Go on. I’ll bring liquor.”

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