Page 152 of Claim & Don't Tell

Fuck. This is the complicated shit Quinn and I were both worried about, but we’ll find a way to deal with it. All I know is that our parents better not have treated her like her real dads, otherwise we’ll have a big fucking problem.

There are a ton of cars on the road, but I make it to Ocean Front in record time. Austin and Dylan aren’t here yet. Dammit.

She’s all alone in there.

I wait for the gates to open, glaring at the mansion and running through exactly what I want to say. There’s no reason our being scent matches should be an issue. Pulling into the driveway, I park and jump out, slamming my door before jogging to the door. I shove it open.

Quinn’s wearing descenting lotion, so I can’t smell her, but there’s something about the air, almost like it’s charged with electricity, that tells me she’s close by.

Voices come from the living room, and with a growl, I storm toward the room. Before I even turn the corner, I start talking. “I don’t give a crap if you’re our parents, we’re mates, and you can’t stop us from being together.”

Quinn’s eyes are red. Fuck, she’s been crying. Goddammit.

I spear everyone with a glare. Lock narrows his eyes at me, but I don’t give anyone a chance to jump in. “Just fucking try to break us apart,” I snarl, prowling in until I’m standing in front of Quinn and shielding her. “She’s our scent match, and I’m not letting you guys make her feel bad for something she can’t control.”

“Brady—”

“No,” I shout, interrupting Wyatt. “You can’t stop this! It’s already happened.”

“Brady, honey,” Gwen says from behind me.

I want to snap at her, but when I glance over my shoulder, I see her hand linked with Quinn’s. “What’s going on?” Turning, I study my stepmom’s face. It’s lined with worry, but she looks concerned, not disgusted.

“They, uh,” Quinn begins with a strained laugh. “They’re okay with everything.”

“What?”

“You heard her,” Lock says, voice firm. “We couldn’t care less that you’re scent matches. I mean, we care and we love you guys, but we’re not going to interfere with what’s happened. You guys are adults, and you’re not really related.”

My gaze flies to Quinn in disbelief. Am I hearing him right, or am I imagining things? She gives me a little grin and nods.

“It’s okay,” she says, untangling her fingers from her mom’s and reaching for me. “I was just telling them about what Mosley did.”

A fresh wave of anger crashes into me, but I allow her to pull me to the free spot beside her. “That fucker is about to go down.”

“We’re here,” Dylan bursts into the room, searching for Quinn and racing forward.

Austin is two seconds behind him. “Brady?” he asks, looking for guidance.

“It’s okay,” I tell them as they find places around Quinn. “I guess they’re fine with it.”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Trenton says with a sigh. “I’m only sorry you all didn’t trust us enough to tell us as soon as you knew.”

“It was complicated,” Gwen cuts in. “I assume they needed time to figure things out.”

Quinn squeezes my hand.

“Well.” I glance at my dads. “Now that everything is on the table, let’s talk about how we’re going to deal with the asshole.”

Lock’s grin is ruthless. He’s bloodthirsty for justice. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

After everyone isup to date on the fraud situation with Mosley and the plan to ruin his life, Gwen orders pizza. Everyone has fallen into easy conversation, but I’m still itching to do something stupid, so I excuse myself and make my way to the back porch, breathing in the fresh air.

Watching Mosley bleed might be worth the jail time. Only, Quinn would be stressed and worried, and as much as I’d like to see Mosley on the ground, begging for mercy, I don’t want to do anything that’ll make her life harder.

The door opens and Lock joins me, sticking his hands into his pockets. “You know you can’t go kick his ass.”

“Yeah,” I grunt. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I want to.”

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