Priceless (Forbidden Men #8)(73)

Flinging her hand away from me because even touching her skeeved me out, I growled, “Don’t touch me. Don’t talk to me. Don’t even be in the same room as me. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“But that’s not fair,” she whined, reaching for my arm. “I’m your mother; I deserve a second chance.”

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM!” Colton boomed from the back door as he ripped it open and barreled inside, startling the shit out of me because I hadn’t even heard him approaching.

He shot straight for Daisy and shoved her. Hard. Hard enough to make her stumble backward and away from me. From the look on his face, he wanted to charge her again.

Afraid he might hurt her, I grabbed him, holding him back. “Colton! What the hell?”

He strained against me as he glared at our mother. “What the f*ck is she doing here?” He was so upset his voice shook.

Worried about what he might do to get himself into trouble, I kept hold of him. “I don’t know. She said she wanted a second chance.”

Colton laughed. “A second chance at what? To mess us up even worse than she already has?”

“Colton,” Daisy gasped as she straightened herself and stepped toward him. “Why are you acting like you hate me? I’m your mother.”

Colton spit on her. It shocked me so much that I lost my grip on him. He surged toward her, looming in her face. I started after him to contain him again, but he wasn’t touching her, so I paused.

“You are not my mother.” His voice was low and certain as he spoke. “My mother’s name is Aspen.”

A sharp intake of breath from the opening of the kitchen that led into the hall made me look to find Aspen and Noel, along with Ten and Caroline and all their children gathering in the entrance, gaping at us with alarm.

“Who the f*ck let her into this house?” Colton demanded. “I’m not going anywhere with her.”

“Of course you’re not,” Noel said calmly, lifting his hands as he stepped forward. “You don’t have to go anywhere you don’t want to go.”

A relieved breath shuddered from him, and he visibly relaxed. Then he pointed at Daisy. “I don’t want her here.”

“Fine. That’s fine,” Noel answered. His voice was still gentle and overly calm as if trying to talk Colton off some kind of ledge. “She’s gone.”

“What?” Daisy spun to gape at him in outrage. “But—”

“You need to leave,” Noel said sternly. “I was only going to give you a chance if everyone agreed to it, but clearly...” His gaze settled on his youngest brother, who was still breathing heavily. “They don’t. Now go.”

“But I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Noel snapped his attention to her, his face growing dark. “Didn’t do anything wrong?” he repeated softly. “Then why have I been raising your children since I was four f*cking years old? Why haven’t you tried to see us once in the past nine years? Why did Colton have nightmares for over a year after I got him away from you? How dare you come into my home and tell me you did nothing wrong? Get out, and don’t ever come back.”

Daisy’s chest heaved. Her eyes filled with tears before she slid her gaze toward Caroline, who was clutching Teagan to her while Ten wrapped an arm tight around her waist. Her gaze strayed toward Aspen, holding Beau. When Beau pressed his face against Aspen’s shoulder to hide from her, she looked at Colton.

“You heard him,” he hissed. “Leave.”

Finally, her gaze settled on me. I dropped my stare, unable to look at her.

So she huffed out a breath and silently walked toward the back exit. It opened and then just as quietly closed. For a moment, no one spoke. Then Noel asked, “Are you okay?”

I zipped my eyes up, only to find he was focusing his concern on Colton, not me.

Colton nodded before asking, “How the f*ck could you let her in our house?”

Noel shook his head apologetically. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t sure how you’d react. I was afraid to send her away in case any of you wanted to give her a chance.”

“Give her a chance?” Colton laughed bitterly. “After what she did to Brandt? I don’t f*cking think so.”

Dread dropped into my stomach just as I felt everyone in the kitchen swivel their attention to me.

“What?” I whispered, or more aptly gasped, because it felt as if all the oxygen in my lungs suddenly vacated the premises. Color and warmth drained from my face.

Praying he wasn’t talking about what I feared he was talking about, I shook my head when Noel sent me a questioning look.

Noel turned back to our baby brother. “What did she do to Brandt?”

I sank back against the counter and slunk in reverse until my back hit the wall, all the while holding my breath in terror as Colton glanced at me with apology.

“I saw,” he choked out, his face filling with grief. “I saw what she did, and I...I’m sorry. I didn’t help you. I was scared. I was so scared I ran back to bed and hid under the covers. And I’ve felt like shit all these years because I...I couldn’t help you.”

Back to whisper-gasping, I demanded, “Wha-wha...what the f*ck are you talking about?”

He couldn’t have seen. No way. Nothing could be more horrifyingly worse than learning he’d seen.