Page 25 of Auctioned to her Stepbrothers

Meyers looks stunned. "That's very generous, Mr. Aston, but the other part is out of my hands. I have no way of preventing—"

"You will call off your dogs, either way, Meyers. Perhaps a chat with our lawyers will help." I hit a button on my phone. "Yes, this is Nate Aston." I lower the phone for a moment but don't cover the speaker as I look Meyers in the eye. "The firm of Barton, Rogers, and Hill are at our beck and call, 24/7. Mr. Barton will explain to you what will happen if this hospital or the people it hires continue to harass Honor about the medical debt she no longer owes. Mr. Barton will speak to you now."

I hand the phone over. Meyers opens his mouth to speak but doesn't manage to get a word in. His face turns a mottled shade of purple and then white as he listens. He nods rapidly, his eyes wide. When he finally gets his chance to speak, his only words are, "Yes. Yes, sir. I understand. Yes, sir.”

Honor seems stunned as we walk out of the hospital. "Is it really over?"

"Yes," I say.

"And they'll never bother me again?"

"No."

"But if they do, just let us know," Lyle says in a dangerous voice.

Honor's quiet as she exits the dreary building for the last time. She raises her face to the sun, and a tear track glistens in the warm light. "Thank you. Thank you both."

"You're very welcome," I say, and Lyle squeezes her hand.

She's silent until he opens the car door. Then she looks at us. "You guys really have a team of lawyers who'll yell at anyone you want, any time?"

"Yes, we do," I tell her truthfully. "But that's not who I called."

Her pink lips part in surprise. "Then who did you call? Who made that man so scared?"

I exchange a smirk with my brother. "Kylian."

12

KYLIAN

THE LION’S DEN

My phone rings. Little Virgin flashes across my screen. Why the fuck is Honor calling me? Out-of-hours chats aren't part of the contract, and we've not exactly been developing a relationship over the past few days. And why me, and not Lyle or Nate? They're the ones that are so fixed onsaving her. On beingher friend. So much for sticking to the deal.

"Kylian." Her voice is breathy and nervous. Almost as if she's afraid she's reached me.

"What do you want?"

She pauses long enough that I wonder if she's hung up, but then it comes, quietly, in a whisper. "I need help."

"Again?" As if Lyle and Nate's debt forgiveness stunt hadn't been enough. Despite myself, I catch myself grinning. Nate's phone call referencing the fake law firm had come out of nowhere, but chewing out that guy and pretending to be a belligerent attorney had been exactly what I needed. Backing each other up without warning or explanation is a longstandingAston brother tradition. Those fuckers could’ve told me we were about to renovate a fucking hospital wing just so they could feel better about getting their dicks wet in Honor.

"My car broke down."

Her voice pulls me back to the now. "I'm not a fucking mechanic. Call a tow truck."

She huffs at the other end, finally something more than this meek virgin act. I like her better when she fights back. "I can't afford to, okay? And I'm right around the corner."

"We just bought a cancer ward for you. How much more money could you fucking need?" More like, how much does she think she can fucking squeeze us for?

"The auction money doesn't clear until the deal is complete. You know that. Just because there aren't any debt collectors calling doesn't mean I have money for the tow truck yet. Please." I'd probably pick her up anyway, but it's the breathypleasethat gets me.

"Well, I do like hearing you beg. Not going to lie."

"Kylian."

"Fine. Fuck. Just send me your location, and I'll come to get you. You can show me how thankful you are afterward." I hang up before she can reply. That's the problem with deals like these, isn't it? You buy a girl for the week, and suddenly she's convinced she's the one who fucking owns you. But I'm going to make sure she earns her keep.

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