Siren in Waiting

Chapter Seventeen

“You look really pretty, Beth.” Bo couldn’t help but look into the backseat of his cab as they turned down the road that led to the ranch.

Beth frowned at him, her eyes narrowing. “I look naked.”

“Yeah, that’s what I meant.”

Trev snorted a little as he drove. Though it was Bo’s car, Trev had insisted on driving. Control freak. Bo was getting used to it. And it meant he could look at Beth, who lay across the back bench.

“You don’t like the dress I made for you?” Trev asked.

The dress Trev had “made” for Beth consisted of nothing beyond the jute rope he’d pulled from his kit. Trev had ordered Beth back inside the house where she’d taken off her clothes and submitted to him. Bo had watched as Trev wound the rope around her body. Beth’s hands were tied behind her back, the rope twisting in a pattern that formed an odd dress. Bo had gotten hard as a rock watching the rope wind around her breasts, forcing them to thrust out. The rope wound all the way down her body, holding her legs together. And the rope descended into the valley of her sex, splitting the lips of her pussy and the cheeks of her ass.

Beth hadn’t been able to walk by the time Trev was done. She’d been thoroughly trussed up like a pretty little sex toy waiting for her Masters’ use. She’d knelt on the ground, obviously waiting for the sex to begin, but Trev was way kinkier than that. The minute he was done with his elaborate knots, he’d announced it was time to head out to the ranch. And he’d picked Beth up and loaded her in the truck, naked breasts and all.

“What if we get pulled over?” Beth asked.

“You’re in a seat belt, darlin’,” Trev replied. He seemed to be in a much happier mood now that he’d had some caffeine and gotten his morning bondage session in.

Bo felt good, too. “Two in fact.”

“And whoever pulls us over isn’t going to care that I’m naked?”

Bo had an answer for that. “If we get pulled over, I’ll just throw this blanket over you. It’s okay, I use it on horses.”

“Nice, Bo,” Beth replied, sarcasm dripping.

Trev chuckled. “Maybe we should try a little pony play. I think she would look good with a tail.”

“I know what that is, Trevor McNamara. I am not letting you shove a horsetail in my backside. Consider that a hard limit.”

Bo couldn’t help but laugh. She sounded so prim and proper for a woman wearing a rope dress. The whole time Trev had been tying her up, he’d explained Shibari to Bo. It was Japanese rope bondage, he’d explained. Naturally, Leo taught a class.

Trev slapped lightly at the steering wheel. “I blame Lexi for that. Imagine, I find that most elusive of prey, the natural submissive. I manage to take her down, to make her mine, and Lexi writes a book that explains all the ways for a sub to manipulate her Dom.”

“A contract isn’t manipulation,” Beth retorted. “And shouldn’t we talk about this? Shouldn’t we talk about whether or not I want my vajayjay on display?”

Trev turned to him. “Bo, there’s a ball gag in my bag.”

“I’ll be quiet,” Beth said quickly.

“I think I have something I could gag her with,” Bo offered. His dick had been hard as a rock ever since she’d taken her clothes off.

“We’ll get to that.” Trev turned up the long driveway.

The house came into view. Bo stared at it. Sometimes he hated that house. There was a reason he’d moved into one of the smaller houses on the ranch the minute he’d been able to. That house held a lot of bad memories.

“We’re going to talk about it, you know.” Trev was looking at him, his face set in a serious expression.

Bo didn’t say a word, merely watched as his brother stepped out on the porch, Lucas at his side. Trev had to park behind a Volvo. Ike, Aidan’s big mutt, was trotting across the yard. “Hey, isn’t that your sister’s car?”

Trev nodded. “Yes, I want to talk to her. I thought it best we did it away from her husband.”

Aidan waved as he stepped down from the porch. Bo took a minute. His brother loved him. Bo knew that, but Bo had never shared what had happened that night with anyone but Beth. Was he ready to open up to Trev? Hell, was he ready to trust Trev? He was happy with where they were, just starting to wrap his mind around it, but to tell him what had happened was to show Trev a piece of his soul he wasn’t sure he wanted to share.

Lucas looked into the back of the truck. “Ah, it’s going to be one of those days. I look forward to them.”

“Oh, my god. I’ll take the blanket now, Bo. I don’t care if it smells like a horse.” Beth’s whole body had turned a bright shade of pink the minute she’d realized Aidan and Lucas could see her.

Trev got out and quickly moved to open the back door. “No, you won’t. And think very carefully before you use your safe word. This is the lifestyle, darlin’. You’re not going to shock anyone here. What do Doms do with their pretty little subs in Lexi’s books?”

Bo was going to have to read Lexi’s books. Apparently they were a how-to manual of some kind. BDSM for Dummies. He hopped out of the cab and went to stand by Trev.

“They show them off,” Beth replied.

Trev turned his eyes to Bo. “Is this not the prettiest sub you’ve ever seen?”

Bo watched Beth relax a little. She was getting turned on, and more than that, she was gaining confidence. She never would have handled Clarissa the way she had this morning without Trev. Bo had wanted to save her, but Trev had explained that part of her training was to learn to stick up for herself. She wasn’t a fragile flower. She was an amazing woman, and hell, yeah, Bo wanted to show her off.

Bo smiled down at her. “You’re gorgeous, baby. And I really do want to watch that football game. Seriously, if you had wanted to stay home, you would have fixed the satellite dish first, but no, you had to make the bedroom all pretty.”

Trev hauled her out of the cab like a piece of luggage. “Come on, sweet thing. Aidan and Lucas aren’t going to blush.”

“No, I’m already thinking about how to get Lexi to turn her bratty mouth on me so I can truss her up, too.” If Aidan was shocked by the fact that Bo had come over for Sunday dinner with a woman dressed only in some rope, he didn’t show it.

“She’s being punished for far more than a bratty mouth.” Trev had her over his shoulder, her gorgeous ass in the air. The rope split her cheeks like a thong.

“She lied and didn’t let us protect her,” Bo explained. Just thinking about it made him angry all over again.

“I tried to explain that.” Beth wiggled on Trev’s shoulder.

Without really thinking about it, Bo reached out and smacked her ass. “There’s no explanation for letting some asshole shoot at you and not even calling out my name.”

Aidan’s eyes got wide. He turned to Trev. “I thought you were going to take him as a sub.”

Trev shook his head. “He’s not really a sub. He’s Bo. He’s different. And I’ll train him the way I think he needs to be trained. I do not expect, nor welcome, your interference. This is between me and Bo.”

Aidan took a step back. “He’s my brother.”

“And he’s my partner. I don’t give you advice on how to deal with Lucas.”

“I’m fine, Aidan.” The last thing he wanted was for Trev and Aidan to throw down. He could smell dinner, and the game was about to start. And he really wanted to get to the part of Beth’s punishment where he got to shove his cock into her mouth. “I’m happy. Stay out of it.”

Lucas put a hand on Aidan’s shoulder. “Careful what you wish for. Your brother already seems different. Now, let’s head inside. Trev, your sister is waiting on you. She and Leo have been sniping at each other since she walked in the door. It’s funny.”

“Can I get into the barn?” Trev asked. “She’s got at least four hours of this.”

“Four hours?” Beth practically shouted.

Trev smacked her ass now. “I can make it more. It’s only fair. You shaved a good year off Bo’s life.”

“Yep.” He could still remember the terror he’d felt. It had only been matched by that night his father had asked him to come into his office. Bo shoved the memory aside. “I think four hours is too little.”

“Traitor.” Beth’s face was deliciously red, and her lips pouted.

Bo just gave her a wink that had her huffing as Trev walked her toward the barn.

Leo stepped out of the house, his face red and his fists clenched. He looked like a man ready to hit something, but his expression eased quickly into the placid look he normally wore. “That is an excellent tortoiseshell design. You’ve been practicing. Ah, and you’re obviously an indulgent Master. You’ve tied that perfectly. She’s going to really enjoy that.”

“I’m not enjoying it now,” Beth complained.

Bo smacked her ass again. It was actually kind of fun.

Leo reached out and patted Bo’s back. “Ah, Bo, exploring your inner Master. Very nice. You wanted to talk to me, Trev? You need to talk fast because I’m heading back to Dallas as soon as I can. It’s been pointed out to me that I’m only causing trouble here.”

Bo watched Trev’s face tighten. He shifted Beth off his shoulder and passed her to Bo. She was a sweet handful, and her breasts poked out of their bindings like flowers waiting to be plucked.

Trev passed him a small bag. Bo was pretty sure he knew what was in it. “You’ll know what to do with that. Settle her down in the barn. I believe Aidan has a place for her to rest while she thinks about what to do the next time someone shoots at her.”

Bo knew his way to the barn.

“Are you sure he’s treating you right?” Aidan asked, walking behind him.

“It’s fine. What, did you talk to him or something?” Bo didn’t like that thought.

“I just asked him to consider taking you as his sub.”

Bo felt his eyes roll. “Thank god he didn’t listen. I’m not a sub. I’m really not. Trev offered to share Beth with me, not spank my ass when I’m bad. Though I suspect he would kick it. And he might kick yours if you keep putting your nose in our business. Seriously. I will help him.”

Aidan stopped and allowed Bo to walk into the barn on his own.

Bo placed her gently on the long cot Aidan affectionately referred to as the rack. He rolled her to her side. A deep sense of love rushed across him. He was getting used to the crazy lifestyle Beth wanted. “You comfortable?”

Her lips curled up. “As comfortable as I can be while tied up fifteen different ways. Kiss me and I’ll feel better.”

He could do that. He leaned over and kissed her, brushing his lips against hers, reveling in her softness. He let his hands find her breasts. “I think you’re beautiful like this. I’m beginning to understand why this lifestyle is so tempting. It’s the only time I get to be in charge of anything.”

He pulled the bag up and opened it, letting her see the anal plug and lube Trev had sent.

Beth groaned. “Seriously?”

“Maybe next time, you’ll mention someone’s trying to kill you.” Bo rolled her over and pushed her knees up. Trev knew what he was doing. She was perfectly placed for what Bo needed to do. He lubed up the plug and rolled the rope up so he could get to her asshole. “Damn, that is pretty.”

“I thought you didn’t like anal sex.”

Bo placed the plug’s tip to her anus. “I changed my mind. I want to fuck you every way I can. I want to try everything. I think I was hesitant before because I didn’t really love those other women. I want it all now. I want it because I can trust you. You won’t hold anything against me.”

“Never, Bo.” She groaned as he started to fuck her with the plug. “Oh, god. Oh. Oh. Oh.”

And Bo finally got what Leo had meant when he’d praised Trev for being a kind Master. The rope dress he’d made hit Beth’s clitoris any time Bo touched her backside. Plugging Beth was going to prove to be a very pleasurable punishment. Maybe Trev hadn’t meant for that to happen, but Bo doubted it. Trev wasn’t some sadist who only got pleasure from another’s pain. Trev was a Dom because he needed it. Because he was out of control without it.

Maybe Bo needed it, too. Aidan was wrong. He didn’t want to be someone’s sub. He didn’t want to be taken care of. But he did want this.

He pressed the plug in as Beth cried out. Her legs twitched, but there was nowhere for her to go. She was caught.

Bo let the rope slide back into place. “Can you do that on your own?”

She wiggled, and the glaze that came across her eyes told Bo yes. “Do you think Trev knows?”

“I think he knows. Now behave. I’ll see if I can’t get Trev to relax your punishment a little.” He’d like to have her on his lap while he watched the game. He and Trev could pass her back and forth.

The door to the barn came open, and Lexi O’Malley entered, her hands full of her laptop and a glass with a straw. Beth gasped.

“Aidan told me what was happening. Oh, he tied that really well. Aidan’s not so good with Shibari. I bet that knot feels really good.”

Beth’s whole skin flushed.

“Do you want a blanket?” Trev hadn’t given him specific instructions.

Lexi looked between Bo and Beth. “Oh, she’s worried about being naked? Seriously? I could get naked, too. And I bet she got plugged. Yeah, I’m not going to join in on that one. I get that enough on my own, but I thought, while you’re all tied up and stuff, we could work. I need to brainstorm the end game of this book.”

Beth’s eyes swung up at Bo.

“Your punishment is complete, baby.” Bo couldn’t help but smile as he stepped away.

Lexi was already talking about external plots and wrapping up something with secondary characters as Bo stepped outside. He could still hear Lexi talking.

It wasn’t the same place. It wasn’t the home where his father had pulled a gun on him and let fate make the decision whether he lived or died. Everything had changed. His father was dead. Time had moved on. He’d survived, and his father hadn’t managed to force him and his brother to hate each other.

He was alive, and he was in love.

Bo stepped toward the house. For the first time in years, there was nothing in his heart but hope.

“So you called Ben and Chase last night?” Trev asked the question, hating the look in Leo’s eyes. Despite the fact that Leo’s face was perfectly placid, there was no way to mistake the hollow look in Leo’s eyes. What had his sister said to put that look on his mentor’s face?

“Yes, I called them last night after our unfortunate incarceration.” Leo leaned against the front porch railing. “Chase sent me a little report this morning. I can give it to you. Bryce’s financials are interesting in that they show a very middle-income man. Yet he paid cash for his Escalade. That car was eighty thousand dollars. Now, Shelley’s financials are a little different.”

“You ran my sister’s financials?” Trev hadn’t expected that.

Leo’s eyes went cold. “Your sister has an account in the Caymans. Chase can’t crack into it. Do you know what kind of security Chase can’t crack? He’s wanted by several foreign governments for hacking. The only reason the US hasn’t arrested him is his work with the CIA.”

Chase Michaels, along with his twin brother Ben, was The Club’s resident private investigator. The two Doms were known for being able to ferret out information that no one else could find. “Why would my sister have a Cayman account?”

“Because she’s laundering his money.”

What the hell was going on? Trev simply couldn’t believe his sister would do anything illegal. “He’s a real estate agent. Why the hell does he have dirty money?”

Leo shrugged. “No idea. It could come from any number of things. He could be embezzling. He could be evading taxes. I don’t know. Here’s what I do know. Bryce has spent a lot of time travelling. I just asked Shelley about his travel habits. She claims to only know about some trips to Austin for conferences and training seminars. Either she doesn’t know or she’s not willing to tell me the truth. According to his flight records, he’s been to Washington D.C. and Mexico City. We can’t track him once he hits Mexico City. He could have gotten anywhere from there. His passport doesn’t show anything beyond Mexico, but he was gone for weeks at a time.”

“How is Shelley involved?” What had his sister been through with this guy? And what was Bryce’s angle?

The stony expression was back. “I don’t know. She claims she doesn’t know about any of it. I’ve been told in no uncertain terms to stay out of her business. I’m headed back to Dallas. She doesn’t want me here. If you need anything, call me. Ben and Chase are continuing to look into it.”

Trev put a hand out. “Let me talk to her.”

“No. She’s made it plain that she’s happy where she is. She doesn’t want to be rescued. For all I know, she’s perfectly happy with whatever her husband’s doing. So I’m going to leave and stop fucking up her perfect life.”

“Leo, I don’t know what’s happening with her, but that doesn’t sound like my sister. If she’s involved in something bad, she has a good reason for it. If she just said something terrible to you, it’s probably because she’s trying to protect you.”

The little laugh that came out of Leo’s mouth didn’t hold an ounce of humor. “And that’s even worse. Look, I haven’t slept with your sister. I haven’t touched her. She’s married. I have a lamentable habit of falling for women who are, shall we say, unobtainable. I’m not really in love with your sister. I’m interested in her because she’s lovely, submissive, and attached to another male. I can at least be honest with myself about my own flaws. I need to spend some time figuring out what I want. I can’t do that here.”

Trev’s heart ached for both of them. “I’ll take care of her.”

“According to her, she doesn’t need any help. At least she probably won’t threaten her own brother with a restraining order. Bring Bo and Beth to The Club. I would love to see you. And call me. I expect to talk at least once a day for the first few weeks. Just because your sister hates me doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.”

Leo turned and stalked off, his keys in hand. It wasn’t more than a minute before his Jeep was flying down the road.

“Is he gone?” His sister’s voice sounded small and fragile.

Trev turned, ready to give his sister a piece of his mind. All thoughts of yelling at her fled when he saw the way her mascara had run down her face. His sister was always perfect. Since the day she’d discovered makeup and boys, she’d presented a perfect façade. It was gone now, and he could see the girl she’d been. He cursed and pulled her into his arms, wrapping his sister in a bear hug. “What are you doing, Shell?”

Her head moved against his chest. “I don’t know anymore.”

He held her for a moment, allowing her to cry, trying to be the solid rock he should have been all these years. Shelley had been on her own for far too long, and that was his fault. “Why did you marry him?”

She pulled away, wiping her eyes with her hands. “I can’t tell you that. Just know that you’re not the only one who can screw up in a really huge way. Um, I had to marry Bryce, or he would have sent me to jail. Don’t ask me. I’m not going to bring anyone else into this. Just know that Bryce didn’t have anything to do with what I did. He didn’t force me to commit a crime. He just used it to his advantage.”

And Bryce would pay for that. Trev decided not to push his sister on her secret. He could figure it out. She could go on believing no one knew, but he would find out and protect her. “What’s your husband into?”

Her fists clenched at her sides. “I don’t know. I think it’s something bad. He doesn’t talk to me, you know. Look, at first, it wasn’t so bad. It really wasn’t. Bryce can be charming, and there was this odd part of me that wanted to make it work.”

Because Bryce had, in effect, “claimed” her. He could see how his sister had fallen for it. Leo was right. Deep down, Shelley was submissive. She was looking for a strong man to take care of her and empower her. Bryce was not that man. And the one man who might have been able to do that had just left. “Why do you have an account in the Caymans?”

“I have no idea. I swear to you, Trev, I didn’t know that account existed until Leo showed me. It’s apparently tied to my decorating business. I let him do my books. I’m not good with money. I just want to do what I do, you know? I thought about hiring Mouse…Beth to do the books, but Bryce threw a fit. He said he didn’t want to lose the money, that he could handle it. Actually Barry was the one who handled it before he died. That was when everything seemed to change.”

“Barry Bellows?”

Shelley nodded. “He was Bryce’s business partner for six years. They started the real estate company. Barry had family here. He’s the one who brought Bryce to Deer Run. They met in college. After Barry died, Bryce seemed to lose it. He’s paranoid. I’m not allowed to answer the phone anymore. He goes on long trips. Sometimes strange people show up at the house at odd hours of the night.”

“Like who?”

“Do you know a man named Nelson Hall? He owns a garage two towns over. I’ve seen him with Bryce several times. Bryce told me Nelson was going to do some upgrades on his Escalade. Really? At two in the morning?”

Trev closed his eyes. They had talked about the man earlier. He was the meth dealer. “Nelson Hall. Yes, I’ve heard the name. And he has a son named Austin.”

Shelley nodded. “Yeah. He’s in trouble with the law a lot from what I hear.”

Trev could guess what kind of trouble that was. A nasty pattern was being laid out. He just couldn’t figure out how his brother-in-law was involved. “Beth said Bryce had tried to buy her place.”

“I love that house. I actually talked to him about trying to buy it when Maudine was alive. There was talk that she would need the money for a nursing home, but Bryce said no. He didn’t want to spend the money. Then he flew into a rage when he got back from Austin and found out the house had been auctioned off.”

What had changed? He didn’t bother to mention to his sister that her husband hadn’t been in Austin. He’d flown to Mexico City.

Trev needed to talk to a few people, but he had a horrible suspicion. It still didn’t explain why Bryce would suddenly want Beth’s house, unless he just needed the money. But any money he would have gotten from the house would be months away. Bryce had talked about turning the whole place into a small shopping center. He would need to first buy the place and turn around and sell it, after getting through all the red tape of rezoning the property for business.

Shelley’s voice trembled as she spoke. “He hates you, Trev. You need to stay away from him. I don’t think he’s stable anymore. It’s why I had to send Leo away. I’m worried about both of you. Bryce was so angry when you came back into town. He thinks it makes him look bad. He’s obsessed with his perfect image.”

“Enough to kill someone over it?” If he discovered that Bryce was the one who sent Austin Hall into Beth’s house, nothing would stop Trev from hurting his brother-in-law.

“I hope not, but then, I don’t really know him at all. You know, I haven’t even slept with him in over a year. I’m just the doll he takes out and shows off. I hate him.”

He pulled his sister back into his arms. Trev hated Bryce, too. And he was going to figure this out. His sister was in danger. “You’re not going back home.”

“Have you listened to anything I’ve said?”

“Listened to and made a decision. You’re divorcing that asshole. You can stay with me and Beth and Bo for a while. I have some questions to ask. If I don’t like the answers, I’m sending you and Beth to The Club, and you’ll stay there until I deal with Bryce. Is that understood?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I know I haven’t earned the right to protect you. I know I left you high and dry for the majority of our adult lives, and it’s not fair that I’m coming in and dictating to you now. You did what you had to do to help our mother, but that’s over now. The medical bills are paid off. I’m going to get you out of this situation with your husband. I’m back now, and I’m taking care of things.”

Her face turned up to look at him. “The medical bills?”

“Bo’s paying them off, and I’ll pay him back in a year.”

“Trev…”

He wasn’t going to listen to arguments about this. “No. I won’t accept anything less. If I have to tie you up and force you to Dallas, I will. If I tell Leo everything you just told me, I assure you, he’ll help me.”

“I don’t think Leo Meyer will have anything to do with me again.” There was a sad longing in Shelley’s voice.

Trev wasn’t sure if there was anything he could do on that front. In the two years he’d known Leo, he’d come to realize that the former Navy SEAL was an unbelievably tolerant man, but once he was done, he was through. He felt for his sister.

“I’m going to sit down and have supper, watch the game with Bo, and deal with Beth. After that, I’m going into town for a few hours. I have some questions to ask. I expect you to stay with Bo. I expect you to mind him.”

She frowned. “I don’t know that I like the sound of that.”

“You’re my sister, but I’ll tie you up, too. Oh, I won’t treat you like Beth. I’ll leave your clothes on, but you won’t find the experience pleasant.”

“I don’t know that I like the new you.” But he caught a hint of a smile through her tears.

“Get used to it, sister.” He looked at her, his sister. No one else in the world knew what it had been like to grow up in their house. No one else knew how it felt to be loved by their parents. Each family’s existence was strangely individual, no matter how many events or emotions were universal. Only Shelley knew how their father had tickled them and called them “little bugs.” Only Shelley knew how their mother’s banana bread tasted on a cold morning. Only Shelley knew what it meant to mourn them. “I love you, sister. I failed our parents. I won’t fail you.”

The tears were back. “Oh, Trev, she knew. She knew you were in rehab. Let me tell you about the day I fell in love with Leo Meyer. It was a week after you accepted the deal from Curt Goff. You were still in the hospital under observation. Leo explained how hard detox could be on a body. He came to see our mom in the hospital. He sat down beside her, and he promised her that you would be okay. He swore to her that you were ready to change. When our mother died, she was so proud of you.”

Now Trev felt tears prick his eyes. “I had given her nothing to be proud of. I had fucked up every opportunity given to me.”

“And yet you chose to fight. You chose to fight for your life and your sobriety. God, Trev, you make it sound like you’ve had it easy. I can’t imagine the pressure you were under. Not many men would have the strength to walk away. You could have been one more cautionary tale, but you did it. You got through it. You get through it every day. She’s proud of you. She’s proud of how strong you’ve become. She’s proud of how you take care of the people around you. She’s proud of the man you’ve become.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because I’m proud.” She wrapped her arms around him, her love surrounding him.

Trev looked over her shoulder and saw Bo standing there. He’d heard everything. Trev felt himself flush with shame. Bo was one of the people he’d let down.

“I’m proud, too,” Bo said, his voice choking for a moment. “And I can speak for Beth when I say we wouldn’t be where we are without you. I need you to know that I forgive you.”

Trev’s gut tightened. “Will you please tell me what happened?”

Bo’s face turned down. “My dad got drunk one night in my junior year. Aidan had left town. Aidan was his golden boy, but he was angry that Aidan was pursuing music as a career. He didn’t think that was a masculine profession, if you know what I mean. Well, he got snockered, and he beat the shit out of me. I thought he was going to kill me. He pulled out his old Colt and shoved a bullet in it. He put it to my head and pulled the trigger.”

Trev’s blood ran cold. How could someone do that to his own child? “Bo, I had no idea.”

Bo simply shook his head. “I think Dad was shocked that he’d done it, too. He dropped the gun after it didn’t go off that first time. I ran. I ran to Austin, but I realized that if told my brother, Aidan would have killed our father.”

Trev sighed. He couldn’t imagine it. He couldn’t imagine how helpless Bo must have felt. “Bo, why didn’t you call the cops?”

Bo shrugged. “Because they would have put him in jail and then Aidan would have had to leave college to keep the ranch afloat. Because I didn’t want to go into foster care.”

“I turned you away, didn’t I?” Trev wished he could remember the night. Wished he had been a different person.

“You weren’t mean about it. I’ll give that to you. You were never a mean drunk. You just told me to get cleaned up and find some black-and-white clothes so I could join the party.”

The annual Black and White Ball at his frat. Of course. Trev had always been plastered for that. “Bo, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what I was doing. Well, I did. I knew what I risked every time I took a drink. Where did you go?”

Bo smiled. “Beth came and got me. I think that was the night that really solidified our relationship as friends. I started spending more and more real time with her. I started to love her.”

Shelley walked up and gave Bo a hug. “I’m so sorry to hear that. How could you have ever come back here?”

Bo patted her back, accepting the affection. “The strange thing was after that night, my father actually calmed down. He never hit me again. We got along for a little while. He was still a mean bastard, but he kept his distance. I stayed on because I didn’t have anywhere else to go, and I moved into the guest house. It was better after that. I loved this ranch even when I hated my dad.”

Guilt threatened to overwhelm Trev. “But I could have helped you.”

Bo shook his head. “Trev, everything happens for a reason. I believe that now. We’re here today because we did stupid shit and got our asses kicked. We made mistakes and we learned from them. That’s what brought us here. I wouldn’t take a single one back. I wouldn’t be anywhere but right here, right now.” He cleared his throat as though banishing the deep emotion he felt. “Now, dinner’s ready. You two need to come inside. Apparently we’re going to need our strength. Lexi already made a plate for Beth and headed out. She’s got five different plotlines to read to her. I think I saw Beth crying just a little.”

Trev laughed, the feeling of shame leaving him in an instant. He felt lighter. “Well, I don’t want to keep your stomach waiting.”

Shelley stepped away from Bo. “I agree with Bo. I’ve made mistakes, too. Now’s the time to start fixing them. I’m going to wash my face. I’m sure I look a mess. Does Bo have to follow me to the bathroom?”

Trev was fine with his sister’s sarcasm as long as she didn’t fight him on Bo’s bodyguard duty. “I think Aidan’s bathroom is safe enough.”

Bo frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t know. I hear sometimes women get assaulted in there.”

Trev snorted. “Damn, you heard about that, huh? Well, how about after the game, we go out and visit our little sub? You know, we promised we would give her a little something.”

“Eww!” Shelley put her hands over her ears. “Too much info, brother.”

Bo and Trev were laughing as they entered the house together.