Sweet Retribution (Rydeville High Elite #3)(25)

He sighs, scrubbing a hand along his jaw, looking world weary.

“What’s up?” I harrumph. “Besides the obvious.”

“I haven’t told Abby yet, but Dad’s found a new fiancée for me.”

“What. The. Fuck?” Rick explodes, almost falling off the couch.

“We wants us both happily married and settled before the vote.”

“He can’t force you,” Rick naively says.

“I had to agree,” Drew says with a loud sigh. “It was that or endure another punishing beating because he’s pissed at me again for defending Abby on Christmas Day.”

Blood boils in my veins, and a red layer coats my eyes. When he told me Charlie had bugged Abby’s purse and he’d seen everything that went down between us that weekend in my house, I wanted to shoot the bastard. Then he explained how Hearst had shown it to the room, on a large screen projector, and how everyone was witness to the first time Abby and I had anal, and I went fucking nuclear. Only the fact I was drugged up and in a shitload of pain stopped me from charging off and riddling Hearst and Barron full of bullets.

That and the fact I don’t want to make my wife a widow so soon after our wedding, because there’s no denying it would be a bloodbath with few survivors.

But I’m wracking my brains now for some way I can protect her. I know she’s tough as nails, smart, and reactive. I know she can take care of herself. But she needs to realize that’s my job now too. And I’m not going to let her do this without additional protection.

I just haven’t worked out what or how I can make this happen.

Getting back on my feet is priority number one. Then finding a way to protect my wife will take precedence.

“I’m sorry, man.” Drew took one for the team, and now, it’s come back to bite him.

“You don’t have to apologize. I was trying to help my sister and I’d do it all over again. It doesn’t matter anyway. He’d have found some way of foisting it on me anyway.”

“Who is she?” Rick asks.

Drew shrugs. “Who cares?” His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat. “The only woman I want to marry is Jane, and she’s gone.”

Gloomy tension hangs in the air, and I’m grateful when Lauder bursts through the door without knocking.

“Abby’s gone,” he confirms. “Xavier has gone after her to ensure she gets back okay.”

I nod, slowly warming up to the quirky tech nerd.

“What’s going on?” Hunt asks, leveling us with his sharp, observant eyes.

“Hearst is forcing Drew into marriage too,” Rick supplies, as two sets of eyes flit to Manning.

“Is she hot?” Lauder asks, and I roll my eyes.

“Have you been smoking again?” He promised he was going to lay off that shit. Because we need everyone with full working brain cells.

“No.” He frowns.

“Then engage your brain, fuckwad.” I jerk my head in Drew’s direction. Lauder isn’t known for his tact, but he could cut the poor guy a break.

Funnily enough, the strain that’s been evident between Lauder and me since Abby appeared on the scene is gone now. Allowing him into our bedroom confirmed what I’ve known all along.

Abby is mine.

For now and always.

Deep down, I know Lauder knew that, but he needed something visual to confirm it.

It’s weird that that broke the ice.

But it did.

I still can’t fucking believe it went down.

I mean, we’ve done shit with chicks together in the past.

But Abby is different.

She has always been the exception to every rule. And I’m not sharing her with anyone. Ever.

My dick stirs in my pants, reminding me it’s been six days since I was buried balls deep in my woman. At least I know that part of my anatomy is still in full working order.

“Manning knows I’m joking.”

Drew slants him a deadly look that confirms he knows nothing of the sort.

Hunt and Lauder are still suspicious of him, and I know it’s in part tied up with the renewal of our friendship. They still don’t trust him one hundred percent and until he has completely proven himself to them, they will continue to hold back.

Can’t fault them for that.

“Was anything else agreed with Abby before she left?” Hunt asks. He can always be counted on to refocus any conversation.

“No. We pretty much already agreed to the plan,” I say. “You and Xavier will continue to dig into Hearst’s background and work on hacking into the basement security system. Drew will get Abby those names, and she’ll get her crew to start digging for dirt on the board members and the few elite members we target. Drew will set up meetings with the board members so him and Abby can get them on our side. And Abby will work on being the perfect wife, while manipulating Charlie into getting him to bring her to the dungeon.”

Lauder arches a brow, and I shake my head. I’m not getting into another discussion about it because I’m liable to hit one of my friends if all this pent-up anger doesn’t find an outlet soon.

“I’ll repair my relationship with Charlie too. Pull the brother-in-law card.” Drew’s eyes flit to mine, as if it’s only just occurred to him that that’s what we are to one another now. “I need to stay close to him and that asshole Montgomery.”