Page 50 of Mountain Mens' Curvy Obsession

“Just recovering, taking it one day at a time,” I add, patting the stump for Breonna to join me. “It’s nice and quiet out here if you want to sit awhile.”

“Thank you, you’re kind. I was hoping to get some steps in, though. If another blizzard hits, I’ll be stuck in my cabin for another week or two.”

“Why don’t you go back to the city then?” I ask. “Denver, wasn’t it?”

She gives me a frosty smile. “And leave you here alone with those three hunks? In your dreams, girl.”

Whoa. Shots fired.

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“You think I didn’t pick up on your game?”

I’m even more confused. And my blood is starting to boil. What the hell is she going on about? “What game?”

“Come on, Anya, I can see right through your little charade: Playing the amnesiac damsel, tugging at their heart strings. The Hayes brothers are good men, decent men, and I don’t like it when someone swoops in and tries to take advantage of them,” Breonna replies, her tone clipped as she crosses her arms. “At least admit you don’t have any memory issues.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about me.”

“Oh, I met your friend Max the other day. He said you two got separated during the blizzard,” Breonna says.

My throat closes up. She was in contact with my assailant? “Wait, wait. Breonna, hold on. What did Max tell you?”

“Tht you’re his girlfriend. That you’re playing the Hayes brothers,” she says, narrowing her eyes at me. “I can see right through you, you know.”

“I’m not! Oh, God, Breonna. He lied to you.”

“And why should I believe you?” she scoffs, crossing her arms. “Leave them alone. They’ve been nothing but good to you. They don’t deserve to get dragged into whatever scheme you’re hatching.”

I stand up, angered and emboldened. “You don’t have the full picture here—”

“I’ve got enough. I welcomed you into my home, Anya. And you’ve been lying. The whole time, you’ve been lying. Listen, I care about Nico and his brothers. They’re decent men, which is a rare thing to find in this day and age. Why don’t you just leave? Go back to New York, fix whatever toxic relationship you’ve got going on with Max, and stay away.”

Max has poisoned Breonna’s mind. But what hurts most is the speed with which she gobbled it up. She isn’t even giving me a chance to explain myself, and the anger amplifies an already bothersome headache.

Moments flash before my eyes.

A man, in particular. His face becomes clearer with each breath I take. Dark hair, cold blue eyes. But he’s not Max. They must be related.

I can’t hear what he’s saying, but he looks confident. I feel uneasy. Threatened. Vulnerable.

Helpless.

But I am not helpless. Not here.

“For your information, Max tried to kill me,” I calmly tell Breonna. “And my memory lapses are real. Dr. Rollins can confirm, though I’m pretty sure he’s beholden to his doctor-patient privilege. Max is the reason I was injured in the first place. He shot me.”

All of a sudden, Breonna’s anger vanishes. Confusion and shame take their place. I don’t need a psychology degree to read her expression.

“What?” she manages, lowering her gaze for a few seconds.

“I can’t remember everything, but one thing is certain: That man was not my boyfriend. He tried to kill me. Twice. And the Hayes brothers can confirm that. They saved me from him. Twice.”

I pause, giving Breonna a moment to gather herself, but she’s too stunned, too embarrassed. “I’ve given you no reason to doubt me, I’ve been honest about who I am and what I remember from the beginning.”

“Anya—”

“No. I don’t deserve any of this, and I sure as hell won’t take it. Not from him and not from you,” I shoot back, finding the strength to move away. “I’ve been through enough. I don’t need this crap.”

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