Page 99 of War

“Xander Warren.” He holds out his hand to Liv.

“Tyler’s brother,” I explain.

“Stepbrother.” Out of nowhere, my husband appears, clearly doing his best to temper the glower he wants to shoot at my ex. They have never liked one another, and I’m only starting to understand why.

“Which makes her my sister.”

That sets Tyler’s scowl free. Probably because he finds the idea as disgusting as I do. Fortunately, Beckett and Liv seem none the wiser to the tension.

Beckett dips his chin at Tyler. “You know, my brothers and I have a podcast.”

Eyes drifting to the ceiling, Liv sighs. “You and this podcast.”

Beckett pinches her side, making her giggle. “We talk to players, get their perspective on the game?—”

“That’s not why he’s trying to get you on,” Liv warns.

Based on the charming, calculating smile Beckett is wearing, I know I won’t like where this is going. “We also talk about love and all the matches I’m responsible for.”

While Liv snorts, Xander frowns, clearly confused.

Tyler lets out a light chuckle. “I wasn’t aware you set me up with my wife.” Stepping around Xander, he pulls me against his chest and rests his chin on my shoulder, then he presses a gentle kiss against my cheek. He’s claiming me, and while I’d normally be annoyed that he’s playing such a trivial game with his stepbrother, in this moment, I can’t find it in my heart to care. I like being claimed by Tyler. Far too much.

“If not for this very charity, I doubt the two of you would be standing here right now,” Beckett continues, both brows lifted.

Tyler squeezes me. “Why this one?”

“Because this is the charity that brought Ava to Boston,” Beckett explains.

My chest tightens. Shoot. He has no idea that my husband knows almost nothing about my family and certainly doesn’t know why I moved to Boston.

“Really?” Tyler straightens behind me, unable to hide his surprise.

Xander clears his throat. “Because of her sister. The Langfields’ charity provides all sorts of things for children’s hospitals. Ava and her sister loved the movie nights they hosted best.”

I study Xander, surprised that he remembers. “That’s true. And it was my sister who saw the job posting online. As soon as she saw the Langfield name, she said I had to apply. She said it was fate.”

“So you’ll come on the podcast?” Beckett asks, completely unaware of how still Tyler has gone behind me. I’m afraid to look at him. It’s been easy to live in our bubble, avoiding talk of my relationship with Xander as well as my past. But with my ex standing right here, acting like he did when we started dating, like the man I thought I was falling for, it’s hard to swallow.

Tyler straightens, his chin bumping the crown of my head as he nods. “Of course. Just let me know when.” He steps back, and his warmth goes with him. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to steal my wife for a moment.” Then, without waiting for a reply, he grabs my hand and pulls me away from the group.

“What are you doing?”

“Not another word.” His voice is pure gravel.

As he guides me through the ballroom and to the hallway, my stomach sinks. I know he’s pissed that Xander is here, but we can’t just leave.

I stop moving and tug against his hold. “Tyler.”

Without looking at me, he forces me forward again. This time he doesn’t stop until we’re in an empty back hallway and the music from the room has faded completely.

“Tyler,” I say again, irritation flaring.

Shaking his head, he finally releases me, only to turn and pace back and forth in front of me, his jaw hard and his breathing erratic. Without warning, he stops and cages me in, slapping the wall on either side of me with athwack. Eyes lit with pain, he looms over me. “I hate that he knows anything about you.”

I’m not scared, despite the way anger radiates off him and the way his whole body trembles. He’d never hurt me. With a calming breath, I press my hand to his heart. “I can’t change my past. He and I dated. I can’t erase what we had.”

He searches my eyes, his lips pressed in a straight line, as if he’s considering his words carefully. Finally, he says, “You told him about your family.” The breath he exhales causes the hair at my temples to tickle my face. “You only told me about them a few days ago, and all you gave me was a few vague details. He knows things I don’t. About your childhood. About your hopes and dreams.”

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