A Perfect Ten (Forbidden Men #5)(127)

I didn’t know she’d started to sob, but I could feel it in my bones. And yep, when I glanced over and pointed a finger in her direction, the tears were streaming down her face as she clutched Blondie for dear life. It tore a hole through me.

“Damn it,” I rasped, my voice breaking. “We’re making her cry.”

“Noel,” she sobbed. “Please.” The pain in her eyes killed me. I just wanted to strangle Gamble and make him see reason.

He squeezed his eyes closed as if trying to block out the effect her pleading had on him. Then he gritted his teeth and shook his head.

“It’s not his fault,” she begged. “I tricked him. I snuck into his room in the dark when he was expecting someone else.”

“Oh, f*ck...me.” A sickened revulsion clouded his face. “You’re Midnight Visitor.” He turned to me and pointed accusingly at his sister. “She’s Midnight Visitor?”

“He had no idea it was me,” Caroline said.

Gamble snorted. “Oh, I bet he didn’t.” His gaze narrowed on me as if he knew better.

“He didn’t,” Caroline cried in self-righteous defense.

“Actually,” I admitted with a sigh as I glanced guiltily up at the sky. “I did.”

“What?” She spun to me, her mouth falling open. “No, you did not.”

I looked her straight in the eye. “Yeah...I did.”

She blinked. “No...no, you didn’t.” Except she suddenly didn’t look so sure. “But...y-you got mad at me when you finally found out. You were...pissed because I’d tricked you. I forced you to betray your best friend, remember?”

I shrugged. “I still knew. I mean, you called me Oren. You forgot to disguise your voice too many times, and...f*ck, you smelled like you. I knew it was you. I just...denied it.”

Confusion seized her expression. “What do you mean you denied it?”

“Easy. I told myself it wasn’t you. Knowing it was really you would’ve made it wrong, and I didn’t want it to be wrong, so...I convinced myself it wasn’t you.”

She shook her head, unable to believe my statement. “How the hell do you do something like that?”

“I don’t know, but I can. I did a damn fine job of denying the fact I had a twin sister who died a horrible death four years ago, now didn’t I? I’m like the king of denial.”

“You had a twin sister?” Gamble’s jaw fell open and his eyes grew wide, but I was too busy staring at Caroline to pay him much mind.

She gave another confused shake of the head. “But...if you knew it was me, then why didn’t you stop me?”

I laughed softly. “Because it was you.”

As her lips parted, realization lit her face,

I was so intent on watching her expression I didn’t realize Gamble had broken free of Lowe, Pick and Hart until he shoved me. I went sprawling across the yard until I lost my footing and landed on my ass in the grass.

“You f*cking prick!” he roared. “First, you’re f*cking my sister behind my back, and now you have some twin I’ve never even heard about? It’s like I don’t even know you. And why the hell are you guys holding me back like you’re trying to protect him?”

He shook away Pick, Lowe and Hart when they tried to restrain him again.

Pick held up a calming hand. “Noel, man. You just need to calm down.”

“Calm down?” His mouth fell open before he looked down at me where I was keeping myself planted on the ground and then back to the men around him. “Holy f*ck,” he breathed. “You really are protecting him. He betrays me, and you take his side. Thanks, guys. Thanks for having my back.”

“It wasn’t about siding with you or him,” Hart spoke up. “Caroline wanted him, and he treats her right, so...” When he shrugged, Noel narrowed his eyes.

“You say it like you’ve known about this for a while.” His eyes flashed wide. “Holy shit. You’ve known about this for a while. How the hell many of you have known about this?” When he glanced around, everyone lowered their gazes. A sound of denial crackled from his throat.

A worried-looking Colton glanced up at Brandt. “Does this mean we have to give back all the money Ten paid us to keep quiet?”

Gamble shook his head and laughed hollowly. “And you even paid off my brothers? Nice, man. Nice. Next you’ll be telling me my own wife knew.”

When Aspen shifted a step back, he zipped his gaze to her. She covered her mouth with her hands, and his eyes flared wide.

“Oh God,” he croaked. “Aspen?”

“I’m sorry.” She shook her head as if to deny it even as she kept apologizing. “I’m so sorry. But Asher’s right. He made her happy again. Caroline was so sad when she first came here, and then suddenly, she was happy. Ten...he’s good for her.”

“Yeah, he just so f*cking great. He had to sneak her around like a cheap, dirty slut that she’s not, but no...he’s awesome.” He spun away and stalked out of the backyard.

Aspen buried her face in her hands and started to cry. As Brandt and Colton moved to comfort her, Caroline tore herself away from Blondie. She hurled herself at me, and I caught her around the waist, then buried my nose in her hair. “Are you okay?”