Chapter Seven

Leo

“What do you think the guys are going to do when they see me?” Brynn asked.

I shrugged, watching the familiar countryside roll past through the car window. “You should be more worried about how they’re going to react when you tell them who the hell you were married to.”

Brynn quirked her lips, a sly smile tugging at the corners. “Yeah, that might be the shocker.” She let out a soft laugh, but I could tell she was thinking about it.

I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. Brynn married to Guy Maranga? It was the kind of thing that would make anyone question reality. Hell, I was still trying to make sense of it.

We were on our way to Wyndemere from the airport and I was trying not to let the weight of the situation get to me. The moment our wheels hit the runway we were in a car heading straight to my home. Brynn didn’t have to lift a finger, but everything ran like clockwork. It was seamless—effortless even. That just showed how much power she had now. She might not have been barking orders, but I knew she had an entire team working tirelessly behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly.

Sig was driving, and as we turned into the long, tree-lined driveway, he pulled up to the gate and pressed the intercom.

“Can I help you?” came Apollo’s familiar voice through the speaker.

Relief washed over me. He’d made it back from South Carolina in one piece.

“We have a delivery from Guy Maranga,” Sig called out, deadpan.

“Jesus,” I muttered from the backseat, leaning forward between the front seats. “Are you trying to freak them the fuck out?”

Sig just smirked, but I called out myself, “It’s me, Apollo. Let us in.”

There was a long pause before Apollo’s incredulous voice crackled through. “Leo? What the fuck? You’re with Maranga?”

I glanced at Brynn, who sat there, calm as ever, a faint smile playing on her lips.

She shrugged, clearly enjoying the situation. “I mean, you are.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I’m with them. Open the damn gates,” I snapped.

A moment later, the heavy gates creaked open, and Sig rolled the car forward. The long, winding driveway to Wyndemere stretched out before us. My home. The place that had become my sanctuary after years of chaos. I kept an eye on Brynn, curious about her reaction. Wyndemere was a world apart from what she used to know with me. We had lived in Chicago and there wasn’t a peaceful minute.

“You thought my G280 was overkill, but I think your mega-mansion might be overkill, too,” she laughed, looking out at the sprawling estate.

I smirked. “As if Guy didn’t have estates spread all over the place.”

She glanced at me, a bit of nostalgia in her eyes. “He did, but I rarely ever went to them. I stayed at my apartment while he traveled. Kept my job at Wayne Plastics until he was diagnosed with cancer.” She paused, the memory flickering in her gaze. “I’m not saying it wasn’t nice to have Guy’s money at my disposal, but I still liked to keep things simple.”

“Like flying in a G280,” I teased, shaking my head.

Brynn blushed, a soft pink spreading across her cheeks. “Well, no one’s perfect,” she laughed. “I really do like that plane.”

Sig pulled up in front of the house, and there they were—Apollo, Princeton, Creed, and Murphy—standing at the top of the grand steps, all of them looking a little worse for wear but solid as ever. They weren’t just my men; they were my brothers. We’d been through hell together, and now they were about to be reunited with the woman who had somehow been part of my past and present, in ways none of them could have imagined.

“You get out first,” I said, a grin spreading across my face.

Brynn gave me a confused look. “What?”

“I want to see their jaws hit the ground when they lay eyes on you.”

She laughed, her eyes narrowing playfully. “You’re bad, Leo. You know they’re all going to freak out when they see me.”

“Likely shit their pants,” I chuckled.

She shot me a look, her lips still curled in a smile, but she shook her head and reached for the door handle. As she stepped out of the car, I leaned back in my seat, watching the scene unfold.

For a moment, the guys didn’t move. They just stood there frozen as Brynn climbed out of the car. It was like time had slowed down. The shock on their faces was priceless. Princeton’s jaw literally dropped *need to add that he heard stories about her*. Apollo blinked as if he was seeing a ghost. Creed crossed his arms over his chest, trying to play it cool, but I saw the way his eyebrows shot up. Murphy, though—Murphy was the first one to break the silence.

“Holy shit,” he muttered, stepping forward slightly. “Brynn? Brynn ?”

Brynn gave a small wave, as if she were greeting an old friend at a dinner party instead of standing in front of four men who had no clue who she’d become. “Hi, guys,” she said casually.

Apollo recovered first, his usual bravado slipping back into place. “What the hell is going on?”

I hopped out of the car before things went south.

Apollo shot me a look like I’d just pulled the world’s biggest prank on them. “You bring Brynn fucking Delaney back to Wyndemere? Without telling us?”

I was grinning like an idiot. “Surprise.” Brynn was back for some serious stuff, but it was still nice for the guys to see her again.

Creed shook his head, looking between me and Brynn like he couldn’t decide if he was dreaming. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Brynn turned to me, raising an eyebrow. “Told you they’d freak out.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think they’d be this shocked,” I admitted, joining her at the bottom of the steps. I turned to the guys, who were still processing what they were seeing. “Look, it’s a long story but she’s here now. She’s part of this.”

Apollo took a step closer, and his eyes narrowed. “Part of what, exactly? What does Maranga have to do with it?”

I glanced at Brynn and realized how much weight she carried now. She wasn’t just the girl from our past. She was someone with real power and real influence. And these guys—my guys—were going to have to come to terms with that. I wasn’t even sure I had fully come to terms with it yet.

Brynn held up a hand, her voice calm but firm. “It’s actually Brynn Maranga now.”

“Holy fuck,” Princeton gasped.

Apollo’s jaw dropped.

Murphy ran his fingers through his hair, and it looked like a feather would knock him over.

“Shut the fuck up,” Creed blurted. “Did you marry into the family, or did they adopt you?”

Apollo slapped Creed upside his head. “I think she’s too fucking old to be adopted, dipshit.”

“Isn’t Maranga old?” Princeton asked.

“Yeah,” Creed agreed. “I’ve never seen the dude, but I figured he was old.” He leaned in. “I’m talking older than Leo old.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

“I know this is a shock. Believe me, I get it. But I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m here to help,” Brynn laughed.

“She didn’t answer the question if she married Guy or he adopted her,” Creed muttered.

“Creed,” Apollo snapped. “She wasn’t fucking adopted, dipshit.”

Creed held up his hands. “Look, I know I sound stupid, but Brynn just showed up on the front step, which in itself is shocking. Then she said her name is now Brynn Maranga. Fucking crazy.” He shook his head. “Fucking crazy,” he repeated.

“Help with what?” Princeton asked, crossing his arms. It seemed he wasn’t so hung up on Brynn being a Maranga now.

“With Candace,” I said, stepping in before things got too tense. “She’s a problem we need to deal with, and Brynn—well, she’s got the resources we need.”

Apollo’s gaze flicked between me and Brynn, suspicion still in his eyes. “She can get us Maranga’s resources?”

Brynn didn’t flinch. “Yes,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Maranga can help you.” She left out the part that she was Maranga. That was her little secret she could tell when she was ready.

There was a long pause as the guys processed that. Eventually, Murphy was the first to speak again, his voice gruff but a little softer than before. “You’ve changed, Brynn. How the hell did you manage to hook up with Maranga?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I have.” She avoided talking about Maranga.

“So have we,” Creed added, though his tone wasn’t accusatory. More resigned.

For a moment, there was an unspoken understanding in the air, a mutual acknowledgment that time had passed and none of us were the same people we used to be. This was a reunion of sorts, but it wasn’t going to be like the old days. We all knew that.

Finally, Apollo sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Well, shit. I guess we’ve got a lot of shit to do.”

Brynn smiled softly, and for the first time in a long time, I saw a glimpse of the woman she used to be. “Yeah, we do.”