Page 367 of Branded
“No.” I pushed between Cas and Lake, fought against the hold Cas had on me. I didn’t succeed in breaking it, didn’t succeed in getting in front of the only two men in my life who’d loved me.
Lake’s love was that of a big brother, a friend.
Cas’s was…well, Cas’s was everything else.
So, I wasn’t surprised that they kept me hemmed in with their bodies, kept me safe. I wasn’t surprised when Cas exchanged the grip he had on my hand and slid his arm around my waist, pulled me against him.
What I was surprised about?
The expression on Nate’s face.
“Promises are made for keeping,” he whispered.
And lightning shot through my veins. After all this time…I’d forgotten.
Forgotten who’d told me that the first time, who’d made promises of his own but then hadn’t kept them.
Nate.
He’d said that. He’d made the promises.
And he’d broken them.
“That’s my son,” he whispered now.
“No,” I repeated. “He’s my son. Mine. You haven’t spent a minute with him, haven’t tried to know him, haven’t provided for him.” Nate rocked back on his heels like I’d punched him, but I didn’t stop. Not when his expression went stark. Not when his throat worked, and he looked away. “He will never be your son. You don’t love him. You’ve never loved anyone.”
His head jerked up, eyes filled with shadows.
And that had me amending my statement. Slightly. “You’ve never loved anyone who couldn’t give you something,” I said, jabbing a finger at him. “You’re selfish and an asshole and if you think I haven’t seen the way you are in the many dozens of news stories about you, then you’re wrong. I’ve seen them. I’ve seen you. And I know you haven’t changed.”
This time he took a physical step back.
“So, no,” I growled. “You’re not going to bring your bullshit into my son’s life. You’re not going to poison the light he has inside him. You’re not going to hurt him. Not today. Not in the future.” Nate stumbled back another step. “Not ever.”
Nate swallowed.
Cas’s arm tightened.
And since I was on a roll, I kept going. “What you are going to do is sign the papers your lawyer has had for years and get the fuck out of Ethan’s life. Forever.”
“Promises,” Nate said again, and—fuck me—but his gaze dropped to his feet, and it made me feel the slightest bit guilty.
When, dammit, I had nothing to feel guilty about.
“Promises.” His head shot up, and I couldn’t read his eyes, couldn’t read his expression.
Because then he’d turned away.
Then he’d walked away.
I looked at Cas, at Lake, searched for an explanation, but their faces told me they were just as clueless.
“You have got to be shitting me.”
I jumped, spinning toward the voice and saw that a petite blonde with deep brown eyes was behind us, teeth biting into a lush bottom lip, her curvy body pressed so tightly against the expanse of wall, it was as though she were trying to disappear.
“I’m sorry,” she said, meeting my gaze. “I-I didn’t mean to overhear.”
