Page 138 of At the Edge of Surrender

“Yep. We started living in this abandoned warehouse when I was nine…right after River had snatched me away from my abusive father. It’s when we met all of them…” She pointed at the group. “Plus Cash, who you haven’t met yet. He’s a little more private than the rest.”

She said it all so casually while I felt stunned.

Floored by her easy confession.

“You were…homeless when you were nine…and living with River?”

A crest of emotion swelled in her eyes, though they were bright with adoration. “They took us in. Protected us as if we were their own. All of them only sixteen or seventeen themselves.”

“I’m so sorry that happened to you.” I felt dazed, trying to process the ton of information that had come out in those two sentences.

A million ghosts played through her expression. “Me, too, but once River got me out, my life was filled with love. So much love.”

“I can’t believe…” I trailed off, once again looking out at the group I couldn’t put my finger on.

“They’re good men.” Raven’s words lowered in emphasis. As if she were making more than a general claim.

“What’s with the matching tattoos on their left hands?” I didn’t know why it was so difficult to get the question out.

I swore that both Raven and Charleigh flinched, a subtle rigidness ticking through their demeanors, though Raven took another casual sip of her margarita.

“It’s a symbol of their oath to each other. Of what they stand for and fight for in this life. The fact that they will always take care of each other. Be there for each other, just as much as they’ll strive to stand for anyone who might be in trouble or need help. No matter what.”

I peered over at her, trying to gauge what that meant.

Clearly trying to change the subject, Raven groaned in pleasure when she took another sip of the sweet, lime-infused concoction. “Well, the one thing I can say for certain is what I’m really going to miss when Otto finally knocks me up are my bestie’s margaritas.”

I choked over the sip I was taking.

Caught off guard. Dragged from the most intense of subjects to this bombshell.

I could feel the weight of her smile when she leaned in and whispered in my ear, “But don’t breathe a word of it to my brother sincehe still gets all surly and grumpy whenever he thinks of Otto having his wicked way with me.”

She truly had no filter. No shame or worry or fear that I would take advantage of who she was. Things I would never dare to trust others with just dropping from her tongue as if it were natural to share them.

“No luck yet?” Sympathy filled Charleigh’s question.

Clearly, she was privy to details her fiancé was not.

Raven pouted her full, red lips, her words light but still tinged in disappointment. “Nope. I started my period this morning.”

Then she shrugged it off with a grin. “Which only means Otto is going to have to double his efforts this month, so we can hardly count that a bad thing, can we?”

Charleigh scoffed a playful sound. “I’m not sure how he’s supposed to double his efforts when the only thing you two do is get naked.”

“As if you’re one to talk? And can you blame me? I’ve been trying to make that man mine for years, and now that he is, I’m taking full advantage of the whole package.”

She flourished a hand in the direction of Otto. Otto who was currently gobbling up the sight of her from across the yard, as if he had direct access to her thoughts and was envisioning all the ways he wanted her to takeadvantageof it.

“I mean, that cock is something to behold.” She made a dreamy sound toward the sky. “Even better than I imagined, and with the amount of romance novels I read, you can bet I was imagining something spectacular.”

I spluttered again, and my cheeks went flaming red. I was so unaccustomed to this. Talking about men like this. About sex like this.

My foolish gaze traveled to Kane where he leaned against the fence.

Casually king.

How was it possible my insides flipped?

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