Page 103 of Truck Up
I lean forward and squeeze his shoulder. “She’s okay. He hurt her pretty badly, but she will heal.”
He nods, and a tear breaks free and runs down his cheek. “What about Cameron?” He looks at me with so many questions in his eyes. Questions I don’t have the answers to. “He’s mine, isn’t he?”
“She never confirmed that,” I say truthfully.
“Yeah, but you saw him. He’s a Mutter.” Liam pushes the issue. He’s not wrong. And if I was placing a bet, I’d put every penny I have in my bank account at that paternity test, proving that the boy is Liam’s son.
“I’d say that’s a safe bet.” I admit.
“Fuck.” Liam drops his head, and his shoulders shake like he’s crying.
Fuck is right.Seeing my oldest brother fall apart has me doing something I’ve never done.
I pull Liam toward me and wrap him in a hug. Several gasps come from the women. I doubt anybody in this kitchen has ever seen me hug one of my brothers like this.
“He’s a good kid,” I whisper. “Protective and strong. He’s a fighter. Knocked Charlie out to save his mom.”
“He never should have had to do that,” Liam says. He pulls away and falls back on his ass. “If I’d been a better man, Hannah never would have married that asshole.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
He shakes his head. “No, it is. I pushed her away all those years ago. This is on me.”
“Well, I think I’ve heard enough of this bullshit,” Grams says. “You two get your asses up off the floor. I’ll get the whiskey. I think we all need a drink after all that.”
Chapter 21
Break it up.
Amelia
The sound of a car door slamming as the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. A bad feeling washes over me and I shiver.
“Well, who the hell could that be at this hour?” Grams asks. It’s after ten o’clock and everyone is still sitting around the table drinking. The men are close to finishing the bottle of whiskey Grams dragged out earlier, while the women made margaritas. Everyone except me is tipsy or wasted.
“I’ll go check,” Christian says. He pushes to his feet, and I grab his arm.
“No, let me.” I have a bad feeling about this. Something in my gut is telling me if he or any of his brothers go outside, it’ll be nothing but trouble.
Christian isn’t too drunk. He handles his liquor well, but he’s had enough to drink that he’ll probably stumble to the truck when we finally head home. He’s impaired, which means he’ll be easily provoked.
“I’m not letting you go out there.” He furrows his brow and looks down at me like I’ve lost my mind. Maybe I have, but I’m still not letting him go out there alone.
“Trust me.” I push to my feet and head toward the front door. I hear several chairs scrape across the floor as the rest of the Mutter men jump to their feet. I roll my eyes in frustration.
Men. They always have to act tough and be the saviors. Why can’t they just trust me?
Because my gut is right.
“What are you doing here?” I say as soon as I open the front door and see three of my brothers standing out front. I’m not surprised to see Linden and Tanner are dumb enough to show up at the Mutter homestead, but seeing Aaron outside is shocking. Especially after how he helped Hannah.
I’m relieved when I don’t see Badger. Wherever Linden is, he’s usually right behind him. At least he’s not stupid enough to show up here. If he took one step on the Mutter homestead, Christian would probably beat him to the edge of his life.
“You need to come home,” Linden says.
“I am home,” I say, knowing damn well that is going to sting. I shouldn’t poke the bear, but I’m pissed at my brothers, and not just for showing up here tonight. They’re acting like children and it’s time they grow up.
“Fuck, Lia.” Tanner looks like I just punched him in the gut. “How can you say that?”