Chapter 19

19

Genny wished Aubrey would, but she doubted it would happen. Aubrey was afraid. Seriously afraid. She didn’t think Chad and Guthrie understood how much. They definitely didn’t understand why . “It’s her decision, guys. Leave her alone.”

They couldn’t understand Aubrey’s pain. Her utter fear.

Not of Justin Michaels specifically, but of doing something to destroy the life she was building for herself and her sister here. Aubrey expected everything good in her life to just be yanked away at any moment. Like it had in foster care as a child.

She’d mentioned once how it had felt when she and Ayla had first been separated. How it had devastated her.

Genny couldn’t imagine it. Her brothers got on her nerves all the time, they were all super-dominant personalities, and she most definitely wasn’t, but to be taken away from them and be put with strangers? Or to have Greer taken away, almost dead, and needing her more than she ever had before?

Genny would never forget how it had felt when Greer had been in a coma after being thrown from a car that day. She understood exactly how Aubrey would have felt that day. Exactly.

They never should have separated Ayla and Aubrey after Ayla had been hurt like that. But they had. Aubrey had told her once that there had been a social worker who had enjoyed using Ayla as a weapon against Aubrey for years. To control her.

And he was still out there.

It would have destroyed Genny. Hands down destroyed.

She stepped back from her friend and Guthrie to give him room to work. And to not crowd Aubrey. Aubrey got antsy when someone was boxing her in like Guthrie was. No way to escape like that.

Genny put too much weight on her ankle and immediately regretted it. She hissed and hopped to the side. Someone’s hands were there to catch her. Then Genny found herself up in the air, in Chad’s arms.

As the man just carried her away, right through her living room, to the couch. People scattered.

“I’m okay. I promise. I even have the elastic bandage to wrap it in right here.” She’d shoved it into her pocket, actually.

“Perfect. Let me see.”

Then he had her foot in his big, warm hands—and he was poking impersonally. In spite of the bandage on one hand.

Grady, Gunn, and Gene were leaning around the couch—watching him like he was a snake in their midst for daring to get too close to her…foot.

Her brothers were insane.

This was Chad. Their best friend. Crazy.

What did they think he was going to do—seduce her, right there?

Of course, if they knew the things Chad had already said to her…well, her brothers could be exceptionally overprotective. She’d hate to see them clobber Chantal’s brother.

Especially since Gene was trying to seduce Chad’s own sister right now. That would be seriously awkward, after all.

In fact—she looked around…

Gene had Chantal practically cornered there next to the couch, his hand on her waist while they watched what was happening. Chantal almost rested against Genny’s brother’s chest.

They did look very pretty together, those two .

Hmmm.

Then again, so did Aubrey and Guthrie, over there, with Guthrie practically sheltering Aubrey as he stitched. Genny studied those two for a moment, as well.

Interesting.

Genny was getting ideas here. Those two would be absolutely sweet to watch. If Aubrey would ever…no. Probably never going to happen.

“How bad is it?” Gunn asked. Her nicest brother was most certainly worried. He could be the worst of the lot when it came to hovering. And protecting, for that matter. Ever since the day they’d almost lost Greer, Gunn had been ridiculously overprotective of Genny and Greer, especially.

“She’ll be okay in a day or two. But wrapping it won’t hurt. Rest it, ice it, compress it, and elevate it.”

“No? Really? I never would have figured on that.” Genny widened her eyes at the doofus Dr. Chad next to her.

“Don’t be sassy, Genny. It’s just too cute on you.” His blue eyes shot a fire at her she doubted anyone else was close enough to see. Her brothers definitely didn’t. “It does things to a man.”

Thankfully, her brothers didn’t hear that last part.

They would kick his ass if they knew what he wanted from her now.

She wasn’t about to end up in the man’s bed. That was not going to happen. She wasn’t going to be just a number.

She let him wrap her ankle, then she sat up quickly. Put space between them. Guthrie and Aubrey were still talking quietly in the kitchen.

Genny considered going in there and rescuing her friend. But Guthrie was safe. He and Aubrey might bicker and squabble at the hospital, but her brother was a good man. He wouldn’t hurt Aubrey.

Genny knew Aubrey felt uncomfortable when Genny tried to protect her.

Giavonna and Greer handled everything after that—they chased off the guys, especially the ones that didn’t live there—Guthrie and Chad—and then made it clear they were going to watch girl movies. And the guys who did live there—Gene, Grady, and Gunn—had to make themselves scarce, or else.

There was a huge family media room upstairs, after all. The boys even had a foosball table up there. And a snack cabinet and fridge. They’d be just fine. Genny and Giavonna told them that, too.

If they needed anything downstairs, only Gunn was allowed to enter, and they had to send him to fetch. Because he was a minister, and it was a sleepover, and they seriously doubted Gunn would be one to go on a panty raid with his sisters’ besties’ undies. Or try to peek at things he shouldn’t.

With the way Gunn’s cheeks had turned bright red at what Giavonna said, that was rather a given.

It took longer than she had expected for Gene to get the message, though.

He just wouldn’t stop hovering over Chantal. Who had a wide-eyed, almost panicked look in her blue eyes.

The two had been at war for years, after all.

Everyone had questions…

Chantal had the answers.

That red-headed witch just didn’t want to cough them up.

Chantal could be so difficult sometimes.

Just like her older brother.