Page 76 of Four Times Taken

"It means that legally, I'm still tied to that crackhead. So legally, I still own half this joint." He smiled, and my nostrils flared.

"Legally, you don't own shit. You seem to forget that this was my mother's family house, willed to her. You were only ALLOWED to live here because you were married to her. No matter what you say, if it comes down to it, I'm sure I'll be able to find a judge to grant my mother a divorce, since she can no longer speak on her behalf, and I'll have to do all the talking for her. Domestic violence, cheating, moving out, and cohabitating with a common law wife, whatever it takes."

This didn't scare him one bit. In fact, the breathing bag of skin laughed, and I eyed the table lamp with a burning desire to bash his head in with it. I've always had my own anger issues. Unfortunately, his blood runs in my veins, but I decided a long time ago that I don't want to be anything like him, so I fight like hell with myself whenever anger gets the best of me.

"Empty threats." He put out the butt of the cigarette on the sofa, and I turned my eyes away before I lost all self-control. "What are you going to do? Take me to court? With what money? Your whore dollars?" He cackled.

"Oh, I could do it." I locked eyes with him, hoping the guys would be willing to help, then hating him for driving me to that desperation to even consider asking them for money.

"Yeah, right. You don't scare me, little girl. But give it your best shot; I'll tell them you're lying," he said.

"And the medical records, they're lying too?" I fired back.

"Your mother's an addict. Anybody could've beaten her up: her dealer, some random stranger." He shrugged. "You've got nothing. You ain't getting me out. Besides, I could probably even claim psychological damage from your mother's lifestyle, claim she refused to sign the papers when I requested a divorce, and I only managed to get out when she went crazy and couldn't speak and shit to cover my ass over the cheating thing. Hell, I may even get myself a big fat payday on top of half of everything." He grinned. "I dare you to take me to court."

He's pure evil. I shut my eyes, hissing to myself over a missed opportunity to record his shit if only I had my cell phone on hand. Fuck, he makes a convincing liar too. I've seen him brainwash my neighbors into siding with him and turning some of them against my mother with his bullshit. My blood boiled as I considered breaking my stance on violence and letting the guys in to tear him apart.

Chapter 49

Ethan

Damn it, I couldn't sit there and do nothing. I couldn't listen to him talk to her like that. Threaten her. It was like leaving her to the wolf and watching it rip her to shreds. I couldn't fucking do this. I find solutions, that's what I do. I needed to do something.

She was more than just Eric's lover, more than a friend, more than even my lover. She echoed a part of my soul. We didn't have to exchange words for me to understand her. I didn't have to look at her to know she was trembling all the way down to her toes, that she was experiencing flashback after flashback, fighting through her sense of hopelessness, hoping for a solution.

And no, I wasn't projecting. It wasn't because I was also experiencing flashbacks, being reduced to a fearful, helpless kid. It wasn't because I was angry that I was being forced into hiding in a corner until the big bad wolf left. It was because I'd known Lily for a month, and I'd witnessed the damage that piece of shit did to her, influencing the way she viewed men and what she thought she deserved.

I'd been there as the barriers broke down and she let herself be brave enough to let us all in. I'd watched how the simplest gesture, the bare minimum acts of kindness stunned her. And I'd known since watching her speak at the Women's Shelter, that I'd protect her until my dying day. Except, I was failing, standing there like a simpleton when I had resources available to me. Violence wasn't the only answer, but I agreed with the guys, paying him off wasn't a solution either.

Shaking against the wall, my fists clenched and unclenched. I wracked my brain and as soon as the answer became clear, my feet led me into the living room.

"I've got it!" My heart expanded, and I was able to breathe.

Lily jumped up from her seat and glared at me, silently scolding me for disobeying her request. I ignored her father's stare and hurried over to her, taking her hands in mine. The gentle gesture relaxed her once she realized that I wasn't storming in for another testosterone match. As I assumed, her hands were trembling, and I brought them to my lips as the other guys rushed in behind me.

The answer was so clear, I wasn't sure why it wasn't the first thing I thought of. "Move in with us," I said. Her mouth dropped open. "Well, we'd have to find a proper house first and leave that Airbnb." I looked around at the other guys.

"Yeah. Of course," Eric agreed, and the others nodded.

She stared at me and back at the four guys, her mouth forming words but no sound leaving her lips.

"I know it's a lot," I continued. "But you don't need this shit. I can find a large-enough house for us to all have our own space when we need it. I've been getting tired of living on my own anyway. Why do you think I'm always with these morons?" I grinned.

"We can find a big-enough place," Matt chipped in. "You'll never want for anything. Shit. Even if you're pissed at us and don't want to see us for days at a time, you'll never have to. It's sorted. Say yes."

Her father released a long, low whistle. "Well, shit, you must be swimming in money."

"Shut the fuck up," Matt and I fired back at him.

"Well, damn. What do you say, Lily?" Ryan grinned.

Leave this piece of shit to the parasite."

Her lips trembled as she picked her mouth up from the ground. "But my mom..." she started.

I dropped my brows. "Come on, Lily. Of course the offer includes her. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"You all want to live with me?" She gasped, her eyes widening.

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