Devastated (Anger Management, #1)(65)

“No, she probably won’t,” Ryan said, sighing in frustration.

“Why not?” Hunter demanded even though he would never let those sick fucks near her again.

“That would mean facing them and being forced to relive what they did to her while she was forced to sit there and listen to them tear her apart,” Grey said, sighing heavily as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“That and they’d probably find twenty people to say that Kylie’s full of shit,” Ryan added with a sympathetic glance at Kylie.

“Yes, they would,” Grey agreed. “They’d have everyone that they’d manipulated over the years into believing their bullshit coming forward, eager to put Kylie in her place. Her family would drag it out, relishing in making Kylie’s life a living hell, and doing everything in their power to make sure that they looked like the victims.”

“What about a restraining order?” Hunter asked, wondering if he’d ever felt this fucking helpless before.

“She’d still have to face them,” Ryan pointed out before adding. “I could send them a cease and desist letter hoping that they stop, but it won’t be legally enforceable and it won’t stop them. The only way to stop them would be to get a restraining order, but something tells me that wouldn’t do anything.”

“Look, anything she does is going to set them off. If she responds, they’re going to double their efforts. If she tells anyone what they did, they’re going to spread more lies. If she sues, they’ll sue her for twice as much. If she tries to press charges, they’ll do whatever they can to ruin her,” Grey explained.

“Why are they doing this?”

Grey met his gaze as he said, “Because they can.”

“I don’t understand how any of these people are stupid enough to believe any of this bullshit,” Ryan said, gesturing to the balled-up letter.

“Because they want to,” Grey said, sighing as he sat back. “Part of them knows that her parents are lying, but they crave the drama almost as much as her family does. So, they overlook the fact that her family gossips about everyone they know, the seriously fucked-up accusations they make about anyone that crosses them and try to convince themselves that they’re not doing the same thing to them. If any of them start asking questions or do anything to risk her family looking less than perfect, her family will devour them.”

“What can we do?” Ryan asked.

“I spoke to Jonathan,” Grey started to say only to add, “The D.A. that you just decked,” at Hunter’s blank look. “His office already contacted her family this morning and asked if they were planning on pressing charges for the supposed threats.”

“My men didn’t threaten them. Everything was recorded and I’d be more than happy to hand the tapes over,” Hunter said, shaking his head in disgust as he gently rubbed Kylie’s back, noting that she was still trembling.

“Which is probably why they said they weren’t going to press charges. He’s advised them that unless they’re willing to press charges that it would be in their best interest to ask their friends and family to stop what they’re doing. His office is also responding to each email and letter, notifying them that there are currently no charges against either one of you with the hopes that will help.”

“Did he happen to mention when he was going to have the asshole here arrested?” Ryan asked, pinching the bridge of his nose as he slowly exhaled, no doubt trying to figure out how he was going to save his ass on this one.

“He’s not. He felt bad about yelling at Kylie and scaring her, so you lucked out, again,” Grey said only to frown when Kylie mumbled, “I’m sorry.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Hunter asked, as he pressed a kiss against the top of her head.

“I’m sorry, Hunter,” Kylie mumbled, sounding so damn miserable and making him feel absolutely fucking helpless because he had no idea how to fix this.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Hunter asked, as he gently pushed her hair back behind her ear.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen, Hunter,” she said, tilting her head back so that she was looking him in the eye as she said, “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he promised her, noting just how pale she was as he leaned down and pressed a kiss against her forehead as Grey offered her the one thing that he couldn’t give her.

An answer.





Chapter 35

“Haven’t you ever wondered why they’re doing this?”

“What are you talking about?” Kylie asked, as she tried to figure out how she was going to fix this.

Hunter didn’t deserve this and if she’d thought for one second that her family would drag him into this, she never would have-

“Haven’t you ever wondered why your parents do these horrible things?”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Kylie mumbled, but something about the way he watched her told her that he knew more than she wanted him to.

“How about this?” Grey suggested. “For the next twenty minutes, you and I will talk and if I’m able to convince you that I can help you, then you tell me about the first time that you realized that there was something wrong with your family. But if after twenty minutes, you think I’m full of shit then I’ll never bother you again.”