Page 4 of Third Wheel

His brain was struggling to catch up, but apparently, so was Zach because he blurted the question out.

“What’s going on?”

Everyone huddled on the floor looked up at him as Sam went on her knees to join them, her arms going around Amy and hugging her. Amy’s pale face stared at him and Zach from over Sam’s shoulder, the look in her eyes piercing Kincaid’s heart.

He could see the shame, the humiliation, the pain, and it made his own chest ache in sympathy. He wanted to beat the hell out of whoever had put that look on her face.

“Noelle and Jeremy eloped, and they’re blaming Amy for their shitty behavior,” Marissa answered before turning back to the phone and glaring at it. “Do not ever contact Amy again. And Noelle, you can consider your membership to Stronghold and Marquis revoked.”

She hit a button on the phone, cutting off their voices as the two on the other side of the call started yelling back at her.

As Zach went down on his knees to join the group huddled around Amy, his voice soothing as he murmured something Kincaid couldn’t quite make out, Kincaid looked at Marissa and raised his eyebrow.

She shrugged.

“If anyone knows what it takes to get kicked out of Stronghold, it’s me. Noelle crossed one of the lines Patrick won’t compromise on—she took photos of Amy and shared them with a non-member. As soon as I tell him, she’s out on her ass.”

Kincaid would have replied, but a heartbreaking wail rose in the air as Amy flung herself into Zach’s arms and finally started to cry, sobbing as she buried her face in the shoulder of her Dom.

Fuck.

2

Zach

The look on Amy’s face when he and Kincaid first entered the room terrified Zach. He had seen her in all sorts of emotional states, but he had never seen her look likethat. She was stark white, hazel eyes so wide, he could see the whites of her eyes around them, making her look like a ghost among the sage green of her bridesmaids’ dresses. Beside her was an older woman in darker green, who looked enough like Amy, she had to be her mother.

Now, Amy was wrapped up in his arms, sobbing her heart out against his shoulder, while her mother stared at them in consternation. She was the only one still on her knees, appearing unsure as to why Amy was crying onhimand not on her.

“I’m going to go get us some vodka,” Carolyn said, briskly brushing off her skirts as she straightened.

Her words made Amy’s mother jerk out of her reverie, and the older woman slowly got to her feet. She looked like she was on the verge of falling apart, too, but she held it together.

“Can you stop in the ceremony room and tell the guests… tell the guests…” Mrs. Newhart’s voice trailed off. She wrung herhands in front of her, looking lost. What were they supposed to tell the guests?

“I’ll go find the event coordinator and tell her we need to move up the cocktail hour tonow,” Marissa said, interjecting when Carolyn made a face at the idea of having to be the one to tell the guests that the wedding was off. Though, most of them had probably guessed it by now, anyway.

Zach’s arms tightened around Amy. He wasn’t sure how much she was hearing of what was going on around her, she was so lost in her own headspace.

“Then I’m finding Patrick. Here.” As she said ‘here,’ she tossed the phone at Sam, who caught it.

Morgan stood beside her, watching Amy with pure sympathy, wringing her hands in much the same way as Amy’s mother. Marissa and Carolyn left the room together, talking in low voices before the door shut behind them.

Before anyone could do anything more, the phone buzzed in Sam’s hands, and she looked down at it. Scowled, hot fury blooming on her cheeks.

“That fucking dickweed.” She looked up, over Zach and Amy, to meet Kincaid’s gaze. “He just texted to say that Amy needs to be out of ‘his’ house by the time he gets home from Vegas next weekend. He can’t do that, right?”

Kincaid was a former police detective, not a lawyer, but he knew more about the laws than anyone else currently in the room.

“He can’t. She has rights if she’s been living there.” Kincaid’s hand came to rest on Zach’s shoulder, offering support. “She’ll need proof, but he can’t just kick her out?—”

“No.” It was the first word Amy had said since they’d entered the room, and it came out in a gasp. He could feel her head moving against his shoulder as she shook it. “No… I don’t… I don’t want to be there when he… when they…”

Another sob cut off her words, and she shook in his arms. His chest ached with sympathy, tears welling in his own eyes at the sound of her pain. He was a sadist, but not like this. There was no enjoyment to be found here. However, he’d sure as hell enjoy causing fucking Jeremy some serious pain. His focus needed to be on Amy, though. She didn’t want to be there when Jeremy and Noelle came home.

“I don’t understand,” Mrs. Newhart said, still wringing her hands as she looked between Amy and Zach. “What’s going on? Are you the man she’s been…”

“Yes and no,” Kincaid answered before Zach could. “Zach is my boyfriend. He’s also Amy’s Dom, but their relationship has been completely platonic. Whatever Noelle showed Jeremy, it was a lie. Or pictures that could be easily misinterpreted. Holding Amy like this is the most Zach has ever done with her.”

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