Page 124 of Triple Pucked
“Dee,” I push myself to my feet on shaky legs, stumbling toward my brother because he’s the only one who was there the first time and so knows the most about Blythe, “tell D’Angelo why we can’t?—”
“How can I tell him anything,” Eden takes a smart step back from me like he can’t stand to be touched right now, except he’s never backed away from me before; it drives the breath from me, “when you didn’t tell me anything?”
I stop dead.
“I wanted to protect you.” It sounds weak.
It is.
Eden’s dark gaze meets mine unwaveringly. “You swore after what Blythe did last time…after how I found you…that you would always come to me.”
I know what he’s not saying: if I hadn’t been able to talk about what Blythe had been doing to me with Robyn and D’Angelo, then he would have understood, but I’d made a promise to tellhim.
We never break promises to each other.
I become ashen, swaying. “Dee…”
Eden’s eyes flash, before he grabs me by the arm and tugs me closer. “You will always tell me if you’re being hurt. We’re the Circle of Twins. I’m not invisible.”
“You’re not.” I grab him around the neck, yanking his forehead to rest against mine; we’re both breathing too hard. “I know that.”
“Swear to me.”
“I swear.”
I hurt my twin.
The guilt is making my skin itch. I want to scratch it off.
I twirl away to face D’Angelo. My eyes are wild.
“Punish me,” I more demand than beg.
D’Angelo shakes his head, exchanging a complicated glance with Robyn, who pushes herself to her feet.
“Do you want me to beg?” I grit out. “Bloody punish me.I lied to your face. I hid that someone else was domming me. I hurt all of you. I…”
“Want to admit that you’re Jack the Ripper as well? Take responsibility for the sinking of Atlantis?” D’Angelo snatches me by the scruff of the neck and yanks me closer. His gaze is chilly enough to make me shiver. “You will be punished, cucciolo.”He shakes me. “But only for hurting yourself by writing those untrue words on your body and writing that essay, which breaks our negotiated rules. You know better than to punish yourself. Only I have the right to discipline you. But all the rest…? I don’t victim blame. Blythe is the guilty one here. You know what I want most…?”
He tugs me even closer, and my breath stutters.
I can’t look away from D’Angelo’s intense blue eyes. His words are so unexpected that I don’t know what to think.
It’s like falling off the edge of a high cliff, but instead of breaking your bones on the hard ground far below, you find that you’ve landed on the soft mattress placed underneath.
“I want you to show her how strong you are,” D’Angelo says, fiercely. “I want you to show her that you are going towinboth these ice hockey games and the game of cards. You’re going to call her bluff.”
“What if she’s not bluffing?” I ask, quietly.
“She may play poker online professionally. But I play it in real life, and the stakes are the man I love’s entire life. It gives me the advantage. And I say that she’s bluffing about sharing the photos, videos, and the story. She would be admitting to crimes, even if she spins that it was consensual. She won’t take that risk.”
“We’ll protect each other.” Robyn walks closer, laying her hand on my shoulder. “It isn’t all on you to do that. It never was. You’re going to slay in that game tomorrow. Then we’ll meet up with Cody and Neve for our Friday night out at Merchant’s Inn and together, we’ll work out how to kick Blythe’s ass. You have friends now. Family. No matter how much Blythe tried to drag you back to a place where you felt that you were alone, you’re not.”
She didn’t abandon me.
I still have a place here.
Warmth spreads through my chest.
