Chapter Twenty-One

Leo

“She’s married.”

I reared back, staring at Tatum like she’d just grown a second head. “Who?” I asked, already sensing where this was going but needing her to spell it out.

“Brynn,” she said, her eyes wide like she’d just dropped some kind of bombshell.

I couldn’t help it—I laughed. It wasn’t loud, but it came out all the same, a deep chuckle rumbling from my chest.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest like she was sure she’d cracked some kind of mystery. “I heard Murphy and Creed talking the other day.”

That made me pause for a second. Murphy and Creed? Talking about Brynn?

“I didn’t get a good feeling about her when she first got here, and now I know why.” Tatum gave me this smug look, like she’d figured out a puzzle only she could see.

“I appreciate the concern, Tatum, but you might want to give up eavesdropping when you don’t have all the information,” I said, trying to keep my tone light.

Before she could fire back, Murphy’s voice echoed down the hallway. “Tatum!”

She glanced back, exasperated. “I think I’ve got all the information I need.” She stepped closer to me, looking almost defiant. “She’s married, and she’s—”

“What are you two talking about?” Murphy asked as he approached, his voice casual but his eyes sharp, clearly catching the tail end of our conversation.

I folded my arms across my chest, more amused than anything. I should’ve been annoyed, but it was almost funny how far off-base Tatum was with her little theory. “I think Tatum overheard something and now thinks she knows everything.”

Murphy’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “What?”

Tatum let out a frustrated sigh like she couldn’t believe we weren’t seeing her point. “I heard you and Creed talking about some guy who’s married to Brynn.”

Murphy’s face shifted from confusion to surprise in an instant. His eyes practically bugged out of his head. “You heard what?”

“Don’t play stupid, Murphy. I know what I heard,” she insisted, standing her ground.

Murphy shot me a quick glance, his expression pleading. “I didn’t say a word to her, man.”

I believed him. Tatum had already admitted to eavesdropping, and knowing Murphy, he wouldn’t have spilled anything intentionally. I turned my attention back to her. “Brynn’s no longer married, Tatum. She was, about two years ago, but it ended.”

“But I heard—”

Murphy shook his head, cutting her off. “Baby girl, you heard wrong. We were talking about her ex.”

Tatum tipped her head, still not fully convinced. “You guys knew her ex?”

I sighed. This was a rabbit hole I didn’t particularly want to dive down, but it was clear Tatum wasn’t letting this go. “Heard of him,” I shrugged, trying to keep it vague.

Her eyes lit up, though not in the way I hoped. “He’s in your world?” she asked, clearly putting the pieces together.

Well, that backfired. I should’ve known Tatum wouldn’t let it slide with just a half-answer. I kept my face neutral, not wanting to give away too much. “You don’t need to know anything else, Tatum. If you do, you’ll have to talk to Brynn herself.”

Tatum pouted, her lips pushing out in a way that almost made me laugh. “Well, I’ve been kind of standoffish with her. How am I supposed to ask her questions now?”

“Maybe stop being standoffish to her,” Murphy chimed in with a laugh and was obviously amused by the whole situation.

Tatum huffed, clearly not as entertained. “I felt like something was off with her, like she wasn’t telling us the whole truth.”

Well, she wasn’t wrong. Brynn hadn’t exactly been open with the girls about everything, but it wasn’t like she owed anyone an explanation either. Still, it was impressive that Tatum had picked up on it, even if she didn’t have the full picture.

“Talk to her,” I suggested. “She’ll tell you what she wants you to know.”

Tatum furrowed her brow, considering it. “I mean, I guess I could do that. Maybe I’ll get Kitty and Jada to talk to her with me.” She shot Murphy a quick glance before pressing a kiss to his cheek. She winced at me, like she realized she’d gone a bit overboard. “Sorry about being all… whatever.” She waved her hand dismissively before heading off toward the kitchen.

I watched her go, then glanced at Murphy.

“Swear to God, man. I didn’t say a word to her about Brynn being married,” Murphy said, looking genuinely concerned.

I patted him on the shoulder. “I know you didn’t.”

Murphy crossed his arms, his brow furrowed in thought. “You think she’s gonna tell them everything?”

I shook my head. “Maybe not everything. But enough to get them off her back. Tatum’s not going to let it go, and if she pulls Kitty and Jada into it, Brynn’s going to have three of them sniffing around.”

Murphy blew out a breath. “Great. Just what we need right now.”

It wasn’t that big of a deal. I knew that Brynn could handle whatever Tatum and the girls asked her.

Eventually, the world would find out who Brynn actually was. Maybe she could start by telling the girls the truth.