Page 14 of Inked Craving

In all honesty, I had expected Beckett or Benjamin to get angry at me for knowing about what had happened with Paige and not telling them. Yes, keeping Paige’s secret had been my only choice, but it was also the only one I would have made. Yet these guys were my best friends. In another time, I would have told them that their sister was in trouble. Only it wasn’t my place to say anything. Now, my mind was running in circles.

“I mean…I think so. She’s strong. I don’t know,” I said after a moment, my words honest. Benjamin came to stand next to Beckett, another frown on his face.

“Did you know when we had lunch?” he asked, and I sighed.

“Yes. I did.” Since Annabelle had already given me a look when she walked inside, I had a feeling she knew the whole story of why and how I knew, so I might as well tell the guys. “I caught her outside when we had that rainstorm, and she was acting weird. Walking without a coat or an umbrella. So, I made sure she got home safely and was warm. And because I threatened to rat out her behavior as odd to one of you, she told me what was going on. Or at least what she had just found out.” I shrugged, my hands in my pockets as I tried to ignore how they stared at me. They weren’t glaring or acting as if I had done something wrong, so I counted that as a win.

“Damn it,” Benjamin muttered under his breath. “I’m glad you were there. Hell, Paige is usually so levelheaded, even when she gets excited about something. She’s the one we rely on when things get insane.”

Beckett began to pace. “Exactly. Do you know what I want to do? I want to fly to New York and beat the shit out of Colton.”

I fisted my hands once I let them out of my pockets and let out a calming breath. “Honestly, that’s what I want to do, too, but Colton doesn’t know what’s going on yet.”

Beckett frowned. “Then we’ll tell him as we’re beating his face in.”

I shook my head. “She won’t appreciate that. And you know it.”

“But it would help me. And, honestly, that’s all that matters,” Beckett grumbled, clearly lying. “I wanted to hurt him for leaving her as he did. For making all of us think that he wanted more and acting as if he were ready to join our family, and then walking away as if he didn’t have a fucking care in the world.”

“I’m right there with you,” I snarled. “That motherfucker thought that he could just hurt Paige like that? No, the only reason I didn’t speak to him myself was that Paige wouldn’t have appreciated it.” Benjamin met my gaze, and I shrugged. “She wouldn’t have. And you know it.”

“You’re right, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. What are we going to do when Colton finds out and reacts poorly?” Benjamin asked.

I shook my head. “I want to say it’s none of our business, but from the looks on your faces, I don’t think that’s the case.”

It was Eliza who spoke up as she walked towards us. “Itisnone of our business until Paige wants it to be. And then I will help Annabelle castrate him.”

“Oh, so we’re doing the castration thing. I’m in,” Brenna stated as she clapped her hands together.

I met the other men’s gazes and took a safe step back. “You’re all way too scary.”

“Of course, we are. Our family has been threatened. How dare Paige be left hurting like this?” Eliza raised her chin. “Paige was there for me when I needed her, so I’m going to be there for her.”

“She walked away, though,” Annabelle said after a moment. “She said that she wanted to handle this on her own because she didn’t want to bother us with her issues.” Annabelle let out a breath and looked around the living room as everyone talked amongst themselves about plans for Paige and what they thought she’dletthem do.

“I’m going to head out,” I said after a moment.

“Are you going to check on Paige?” Annabelle asked.

I frowned. “I don’t know. I need a minute to think. I hate that Paige is hurting, but there’s seemingly nothing we can do. First, she needs to do a few things on her own. You know? To figure out what she wants. But she knows you will all be there for her. Hell, so will I. She’s Paige.”

“She’s Paige,” Benjamin whispered, meeting my gaze again. I said goodbye to the others, cuddled the babies one last time, and made my way out of the house. I didn’t even realize I was heading towards Paige’s place until I pulled into her driveway, calling myself a fool.

Paige wouldn’t appreciate this. She had left the dinner so she could be alone and think and not rely on the Montgomerys. But then again, I wasn’t a Montgomery. I was just a friend. Maybe that’s what Paige needed.

I got out of the car, made my way to the front door, and hoped to hell she didn’t push me away. Paige answered quickly, a scowl on her face before her eyes went wide. “I thought you’d be one of my brothers. What are you doing here?”

I studied her face, the red-rimmed eyes, and the fact that she’d piled her hair on the top of her head probably as soon as she walked into the house. She wore no shoes and had changed out of her pretty sundress into sweats.

“I know you, Paige.” I hadn’t meant to say the words, and she frowned at me. She took a step back, and I wasn’t even sure she was aware she had done it, but I took it as an invitation, moving into the living room.

She closed the door behind me and turned. “You know me?”

I nodded. “I know how you are with the rest of the Montgomerys. How you don’t want to rely on them because you feel that you’re…what? The baby of the family?”

She folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t know if I appreciate you reading into my intentions.”

“Paige, I’ve known you forever.”

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