Page 540 of Savage Bosses

“Why not her? Just like other women have someone to protect, love, and care for them, doesn’t she deserve that too?”

“She’s got that in her father and me.”

“Grow up, Bray. She’s not twenty anymore.”

“Apparently, that didn’t mean shit to you either since you obviously were fucking with her then.”

Pulling my hand down my face, I cross my ankle over my knee and roll up my shirtsleeves.

“What? You wanna fight?”

Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “Bray, grown-ass men.” I grab my snifter of brandy and toss it back. “I was wrong to fuck with her back then knowing how you felt about it. Honestly, I tried ignoring my feelings for her.”

“When did it happen?”

This is the conversation that I don’t want to have. “Holiday season of our junior year.”

“You bastard,” he sneers, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

“Nothing happened at your parents’ home. Just kisses.”

“I don’t want to hear that. The fucking point is thatsomethinghappened!” he snarls.

I could see how he’d be upset that his best friend was the one who took his baby sister’s virginity, but my intentions were good.

“I love Bryn. Then and now. I wanted to marry her and planned to propose at her college graduation.”

He glances over his shoulder at me, eyeing me up and down and then turning his gaze back to the fireplace.

“The shit that happened with Lyndsey derailed my fucking life.”

I eye my empty snifter, grab the bottle of Tesseron Lot No. 29 XO Exception cognac, and pour myself two fingers.

I down them before speaking.

“Your sister is the only woman that I ever loved, Brayden.”

“Why’d you marry Lyndsey?”

“Doing the right thing by my daughter and her mother.”

“Breaking my sister’s heart in the process,” he grunts, sitting up and pouring himself a drink.

“Yeah. I fucked up. Should’ve told her what happened, but I didn’t think she’d believe me. When I married Lyndsey, Bryn had already shut me out.”

“And now?”

“Now I want to make things right with Bryn. I want to spend the rest of my life putting her back together and healing her brokenness.”

“You think you’re the one to do that? Think you deserve the chance?” he asks angrily.

“No.”

We both empty our glasses, and I slam mine on the table as I turn to face him. “But I’m gonna be the only goddamned one that does.”

A knock sounds at my door.

“Come in,” I snarl.

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