Page 31 of Baby For The Mountain Man

“Did she just say ‘sex’?” Hunter asked.

“Wait for it. Dad’s head is literally going to blow through the roof,” Lorenzo said.

“If he hits her again, it’s done. I’m not going to stand by and watch him do that again,” Finn said.

“I’m sorry I worried you, but I hope I proved my point. Dad, I’m not marrying anyone. I’m not going on anymore of your dates. You’re not going to sell my virginity off to the highest bidder. That is mine to give to whomever I choose,” I said.

“Is that where you were last night?” my father asked. “Did you spread your legs like some whore for someone?”

“Honey,” my mother said. “Calm down.”

“Shut up, woman. You weren’t harsh enough on our daughter, and now look at where it’s gotten us! We did it your way for twenty-two years. Now, we’re going to do it my way,” my father said.

“Sweetheart, please. She’s just a girl. She won’t respond to the way you raised the boys!”

I watched my father cock his hand back and I braced myself for the impact. But instead of feeling his hand crack against my skin, I heard a thud as people surrounded me. I opened my eyes and saw Finn in front of me, his hand wrapped around my father’s wrist. Lorenzo and Hunter were blanketing me with their bodies, shielding me from the impact if Finn’s barrier didn’t work.

“What the hell is all of this?” my father asked.

“I will not stand by and watch you hit the women of this family any longer,” Finn said. “The only thing your daughter is telling you is that she wants to live her own life. Like we get to, in a way. She wants to make her own decisions, and her first decision is that she doesn’t want to get married. And we support her in that.”

“Sit your ass down, you ignorant child,” my father said. “You leave your sister to me.”

“Actually, I don’t think we’re going to do that,” Lorenzo said. “Because we were the ones that tried to help her get away.”

“What?” my mother asked.

“Yep. We gave her some money so she could get herself to California,” Hunter said. “Though I have to admit, coming back here was gutsy. I’m proud of you, Ava.”

“Thanks,” I said with a smile.

“What the hell is going on?” my father asked.

“What’s going on is the fact that your children aren’t taking anymore of your shit,” I said.

“You watch that mouth, young lady. Or you won’t see the sun for a month!”

“You don’t have control anymore over this situation,” I said. “Stop it, Daddy.”

I watched him falter for just a moment before his hand came down at his side. He looked weary. War torn. Very unlike the strong man I grew up with. Now, he seemed weak. Vulnerable. All of those things he tried to teach us not to be. All of those times I heard him beat my brothers’ asses for pulling stupid shit and all those times my mother shielded me from his anger.

It brought us all to this point. Where the four of us stood against our parents.

“I will not tolerate this. I still have control of your trust funds, boys,” my father said.

“I don’t have one so, you guys have a rebuttal for that?” I asked.

“One, we think you should have a trust fund. That’s a load of shit,” Hunter said.

“Two, we’re hoping if you stand your ground on this marriage thing, then maybe we can marry people we love as well,” Lorenzo said.

“What?” I asked.

“Yeah. It’s different for women, obviously. But men get married off, too,” Finn said. “Dad tried to do it to me a couple of years ago, but things fell through. Mostly because Lorenzo sabotaged the efforts.”

“You what?” my father asked.

“I did. Trickled some lies through our group that got back to Dad. Had to do some serious damage control, though. It almost ruined that young woman’s reputation,” Lorenzo said. “She was a great lay after, though.”

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