Page 7 of His Lovebug

Morgan lived in a boxy home on the outskirts of New Gothenburg. Her husband was a real estate agent, and they were a modest couple who preferred a minimalist lifestyle, unlike me and my giant home. Outside was simply a path that led up to the white front door and a few shrubs. To the left was Morgan’s attempt at growing greenery, which consisted of a dead rose bush and a half-planted veggie garden.

The house itself was nice, though—it was brown brick with white trim. Two wide windows on either side of the door looked out to the front yard. Morgan’s face appeared behind one of thecurtains, her mouth pressed in a thin line as I stalked toward her front door. She moved and threw the door open before I could reach it.

Arms crossed, she gave me an unimpressed stare, her cute round face crumpled into a scowl. “What do you want?”

“Where’s my wife?” I growled out, not missing a beat. I met her in an equal stance, and she had nothing on me. She barely reached my shoulders and was a slim little thing. Her husband was taller and muscular, but he was an ant compared to me, too. He also had the personality of a puppy. Morgan had bigger balls than he did.

“He’s mad and doesn’t want to talk to you.” She glared at me and flipped her brown hair off her shoulder, daring me to argue.

“Morgan, don’t make me push past you.” I stepped in closer. There was no threat to her because she was Quin’s best friend and I would never hurt her, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t muscle my way into her home to find Quin.

“I dare you to try.” She attempted to shove my chest, but I didn’t budge an inch, which elicited a yell of frustration from her. “You big turd.”

I couldn’t help myself—I laughed. “Don’t make me ask again. I want to speak to my wife.”

She huffed and opened her mouth to argue, but Quin appeared at her side. Fresh streaks of tears and mascara stained his cheeks as he peered up at me in anger. His mouth twisted.

“What do you want, Matt? I don’t want to talk to you.”

My irritation slipped away, leaving behind a vulnerability I only allowed for Quin. He’d softened me in more ways than I’d have preferred. I wasn’t sure if he was aware of how much I would do for him, which was anything and everything. He’d quickly become my world, and I wanted to marry him and make him officially mine.

“Baby Girl, let me explain,” I whispered gently.

“Explain?” He laughed sadly. “You don’ttrustme.”

“That’s not true, baby.” I reached out for him, and he let me take his hand. Dragging him closer, I raised his palm to my mouth and laid kisses over it. “I love you, Princess, and it’s not you I don’t trust. It’s Jackson.”

He stared, which I took as silent permission to continue.

Morgan rolled her eyes and left us, giving me the privacy I needed. The last thing I wanted to do was explain it all in front of someone else.

“He’s not a good person. I’m not, either, but he’s worse. He takes pleasure in my weaknesses.” I sighed. “Jackson is the only one who knows how to expose my vulnerabilities and use them against me. He’s always been calculating, manipulative, and charming. His idea of fun is ruining other people’s families. If he can tank a career, that’s a bonus. He gets off on it.” I frowned, not sure how to explain Jackson. I’d never met anyone quite like him, and I worked with murderers on a daily basis. “He has a way of getting someone to do something they usually wouldn’t. His words hold power. My brother is chaos itself. He is the kind of person who would stare straight into the sun for fun. Fuck. Jackson is both a sadist and a masochist, and I can think of a thousand more bad words to accurately describe him.”

“You said a lot but also nothing, Matt.” He cupped my face, his thumb stroking my cheek. “Tell me what you’re afraid of.”

When it came to Jackson? Everything. Oh, I’d kill him in an instant if I had to because I didn’t trust him, but with every breath he took, he wreaked havoc on lives. I left him alive while he avoided me, but he was too close to Quin right now, and he planned tostay.

“I don’t want him to get his claws into you, Baby Girl. You’re mine, and if he touched you, I’d have to kill him.”

“Don’t you trust me?” he whispered a little desperately, pushing up on tiptoe to place a kiss on the corner of my mouth. “I love you. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Bethany said the same thing.” I closed my eyes and breathed in his fresh scent before I curled my arms around his waist and dragged him closer. His lithe body was warm against mine.

“I’m not her. You know that.” He wrapped himself around me and became my anchor. “I won’t let him manipulate me, Matt.You’rethe man I chose.”

I wished I could believe that, but Quin didn’t know Jackson, had no idea what my brother was capable of doing. I’d lost too many people to his forked tongue. Instead of telling Quin any of that, I held him against me.

“Come home,” I begged quietly in his ear, kissing the arch. “I’m sorry, Princess.”

“You’ll have to make it up to me.”

I chuckled gently. “Anything you want, Lovebug. You say the word and it’s yours.”

“Oh, you’re going to regret that.”

I didn’t even care. I would burn the world down, if that was what he wanted, because if Jackson stared at the sun, Quin stared into the glow of the moon for the beauty of it. They were polar opposites, and Quin would never hurt me, unlike Jackson.

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