Page 58 of Silent Betrayal

“Okay, I’ll take the first flight out, can I reach you back at this number?”

“Yes, but it’s Dominic’s phone, so he’ll be the one answering it.”

“And who are you both to, my daughter?” Gideon looks me in the eye as he answers, “we’re her family.”

“Hmm, Well… You two better take care of her and keep her safe until I can get there, I’ll text you the details of when I should arrive.”

They say their goodbyes, and Gideon passes the phone back to Dom. My tears have stopped and I grab Gideon’s hand as I tell him, “thank you.”

He smiles at me, then grabs his flask and moves to the kitchen, probably for a refill, since he seems to have a bit of a tea addiction.

“Why don’t we watch some tv and relax for the rest of the night?” Tucker asks, switching it on as we all get comfortable. I snuggle into Atlas’s side, deciding to forget the fact that I’m mad at them right now. I don’t want to be alone. I know I’m going to have enough trouble falling asleep tonight as it is, with so much going on between my mom, Simon and now, my dad.

Sleeping alone the past two nights has been awful. I kept having nightmares and tossing and turning all night long… It felt like I was constantly on the brink of a panic attack. But I knew that if I left my door unlocked, and Dom or Atlas came in, I wouldn’t be able to say no to cuddling them, and I was still mad.

Maybe mad was a strong word. I’m frustrated and confused now. I’m frustrated at what they did, but confused about why I still care about them. Shouldn’t I hate them? Shouldn’t the last thing I want is to be touched by them? I thought I couldn’t trust them.

But if I didn’t, then why am I leaning against Atlas right now? Why did I tell them about everything Simon did to me?

When Dom reached out to touch me, then stopped himself. I felt frozen with disbelief. I could see it, clear as day in his expression, he wanted to hold me. But he stopped because he thought I didn’t want him to do it. And he was right, I wasn’t sure at that moment. I wasn’t sure if I trusted them. At least that’s what my head says. My heart never stopped loving them, not even for a moment.

Tucker puts onThe Officefor us as Atlas runs his fingers up and down my arm in a soothing motion. It’s become my favorite tv show, always making me laugh and feel better. Gideon gets up to grab us drinks and Tucker steals his spot at my other side, sitting against me without really touching me.

Gideon and Tucker have been a bit more reserved with their attention and affection than the others have, Gideon even more so. Them and Ben are the only ones I haven’t slept with. But, despite everything going on, I know that I want to do that with them, at some point. I fear Gideon and Tucker see me more as their student still, and that’s why they haven’t pressed anything with me, or asked me to be their girlfriend yet.

I shouldn’t even be worrying about that right now, I need to decide if I even want to pursue anything with all of them.Of course you do!My head screams at me, clearly coming onboard with my heart, telling meI can’t live without them, that I never lost trust in them and that, even if we did have a rough start, they have always been trying to take care of me, even from afar.

What more could a girl want?

I play with the coffee mug in front of me as we sit in the diner, waiting for my dad to show up. I can’t believe I’m actually going to see him after all this time.

Atlas and Dom sit on either side of me in this large booth. It’s shaped like a giant U, and the other guys sit along the back, on the other side of Dom.

When Paul, my dad, arrives, he’ll have to sit on the opposite side across from me, giving me some space from him. The guys are worried about my safety. I understand, but I’m sure he’s going to feel uncomfortable sitting here with seven guys staring at him.

But until we get some answers, they aren’t willing to let me be alone with him yet, and I’m thankful for their protection. They make me feel safe, so I’m willing to listen to them on this.

The bell chimes at the door, and we all look over. I recognize him right away. It takes him a minute to spot me, sitting with all the men around me. His eyes widen at the group, then his gaze locks on mine, and I know he recognizes me, too. Part of me wants to run to him and throw my arms around his neck, but the other part is still angry that he left me and unsure of where it leaves us now.

He walks up to the table, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Mina,” he says with a sigh. “Gods, I’ve been looking for you for so long. I never thought I’d actually see you again. You’ve grown into such a beautiful young woman.”

I don’t really know what to say to him, so I give him an awkward smile and say, “hi.”

He glances around the table, and Dom speaks. “Mr. Stevens, I’m Dominic. Please, take a seat.” He motions to the empty chair at the end, beside Tucker.

Paul takes a seat as he speaks. “So you’re one of the men claiming to be my daughter’sfamily?” He says the word like it tastes bad. “And who’s the other one?”

A chorus of, “I am,” goes around the table, and his eyes go wide as I bite my lip nervously.

“Excuse me? What is this? Some sort of orgy? What are you mixed up in, Mina?”

“Oh my god, Dad!” I gasp, my hands covering my heated cheeks. His eyes go wide and he freezes, staring at me. Then a huge smile slowly crosses his face.

“God, you don’t know how good that is to hear after all these years.”

“Tell me what happened,” I demand, wanting to move past the orgy comment and get the information I’m desperate for.

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