Page 93 of Papers Don't Lie

Plus, staying in this bed would be torture. It still smells like her blueberry scent, and it’s enough to fool myself in my sleep that she’s still here next to me, at arm’s reach.

Purple jumps on the bed and licks my face to make sure I’m alright. I groan, gently pushing him aside. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Stop licking me.”

He throws me a look before making a few circles and finding a comfortable position.

“Where’s your wife?” Ryker asks, his jaw twitching.

Lacey comes to the edge of the bed and sits down next to me. I take her hand in mine, caressing it and kissing it.

“I’m okay,” I tell her, removing a strand of hair from her cheeks when I notice the pool gathering in her eyes.

She nods, gulping. “We can’t lose you too, Kai. If you don’t want to take care of yourself, do it for us."

That has my mouth closing shut. She’s still a child, but when she talks like that, it’s hard for me to consider her one.

“Lacey, why don’t you take the dog on a walk in the garden?” Kiaran suggests, raising his brows at our sister.

Lacey stands up, making a sound with her lips glued together to make Purple go to her. She loops him in her arms, patting him on the head as he pushes his nose into her cheek.

“What’s his name?” she asks on her walk to the door.

I clear my throat, covering my mouth with a fist. “Purple.”

My sister immediately turns to me. “Purple? But he’s a he.”

Our brothers throw me a weird look but don’t push it. “Esmeray chose it.” Even her name sends a pummel right to my chest.

Lacey laughs, making herself unseen. “She’s funny.”

I get out of bed, pushing their hands away from me. I’m not going to fucking lie down when my wife is in danger.

My palm travels my hair, gripping tightly on the ends as I let out a sigh.

Fuck me for forgetting about this Sunday. Now I owe my brothers some explanation, and I know they’re not the type to let it slide easily. At least not after they baby-sat me after Lacey found me passed out at my desk.

Esmeray missing has ruined me. Her being married to another man—that man—is one thing that could’ve made it worse.

The only thing that keeps me going is hope.

Hopethat she never wanted to do it and the signature isn’t hers.

Hopethat she never wanted to leave me.

Hopethat she will come back to me.

“Tell us what happened, Kai, and don’t lie to us." Tristan steps in, followed by Kiaran and Ryker’s nods.

With a much-needed and deep inhale, I tell them everything from day one. I tell them how I hit her with my car, the story behind the gift she sent me when they came for our usual Sunday, the way I found out about Carter threatening her, and how I made a ruthless decision to marry her so I could save her from him.

They are silent the entire time, not making any faces or commenting about my choices. When I finish talking, I’m out of breath.

“It might seem stupid, but I didn’t realize it then. I did it because—”

“You love her," Kiaran intervenes.

My mouth is still parted open from the sentence I didn’t get to finish, and I lock it shut, swallowing. “Yes," I admit. “I didn’t plan for this to happen, but she’s everything I can think about, and now that fucker has her against her will.”It’s what I want to believe, but I don’t say that.

My brothers exchange looks before an unspoken agreement passes between them.

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