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  “Dad,” I huff out. “I’m not…whatever you’re thinking…”

  “You seemed close out by the truck.”

  “She was worried. I was reassuring her.”

  His eyes narrow, the browns flickering with distrust. “And just now? Holding her hand?”

  “You’re reading too much into shit,” I growl. “You take what Will and Mom say and add to it to create this fantastical shit?”

  “Tone it down,” he snaps. “I’m just making sure.”

  “Well, I’m sure. I’m not sleeping with her.” I pin him with a glare. “Why do you even care anyway?” I grumble, irritation fueling my words. “It’s not like you didn’t start dating Mom when you were young. Wasn’t she still in high school when she got pregnant with Will?”

  His features darken. “You misunderstand.”

  “No,” I challenge. “I understand clearly. There’s always been a code your kids have had to live up to that you and Ma didn’t. Will? Vic? They deal with it. You molded them into perfect pillars of the community.”

  “Atticus,” he warns.

  I’m done holding this shit in.

  “Me? I tried. I disappointed everyone when I didn’t follow Will onto the force. Chose football and couldn’t even cut it at that.” I grit my teeth. “Your boy’s been living off his NFL earnings and hasn’t found a job.”

  “Atticus…”

  “Want to know why I can’t find one? Because I don’t want to be a fucking cop. I want to be out there.” I wave my hand toward nothing. “Remember when I wanted to be a park ranger and you told me to get my head out of my ass?”

  Apparently now’s the time to get all the shit off my chest that’s been festering for the last couple of decades.

  Dad’s eyes gleam with fury, but he remains silent, allowing me my rant.

  “And Judith…fuck. I should have watched her better.” My voice cracks. “Fuck.”

  “That wasn’t your fault. Accidents happen.” His voice is soft and his features have lost their edge.

  “She doesn’t fit the mold either, Dad. We’re both fucked up because we can’t make our personalities fit into your and Mom’s perfect world.”

  “Are you done with this rant?” Dad asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “I guess.” I deflate like a balloon.

  “I’ll ask you again. Are you sleeping with the girl?”

  “No, Dad. I’m not.” Despite his own love life starting with a teenager, I don’t push it. Those were different times back then. Nowadays, you just can’t get away with that shit. If I give him the truth, it will not fucking set me free. It’ll give me a free ride to the station in the back of my brother’s police cruiser.

  “Good,” he breathes out.

  “I’m glad you’re pleased.”

  He scrubs his palm down his face. “Just…just wait here. I want to show you something.”

  As soon as he leaves the office, I head out looking for Eve. The couch is empty when I make my way to the living room. Panic assaults me.

  “Bathroom,” Judith says, a knowing grin on her face.

  I walk down the hall and rap on the door with my knuckle. “You okay in there?”

  Eve opens the door, suspicion in her stare. When she confirms it’s me, she throws her arms around me. I wrap an arm around her waist before walking back into the bathroom and closing the door behind me. I lift her by her waist and set her on the edge of the counter before cradling her cheeks in my palms.

  “We can leave,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “They’ll get over it. I’m sorry.”

  She darts her eyes away. “We can stay.”

  “But you’re scared.”

  “No.”

  “Eve, baby, don’t lie to me.”

  Her head tilts up and she regards me with fire in her eyes. “I’m not scared.”

  “Not right now. Ten minutes ago, you passed the fuck out from fear.”

  “He has teeth.”

  I blink at her in confusion. “So do I. So do you. It’s a thing.”

  A knock on the door has me jerking away from her.

  “It’s me,” Judith says. “Everyone’s looking for you two. I suggest if you don’t want them making their own conclusion, you get out here.”

  “Be right out,” I grunt.

  I step back over to Eve and gently grip her throat, my thumb running along her jaw bone. My lips fuse to hers and I kiss her in a protective way that’s filled with vows to take care of her.

  “We’ll eat and bail,” I assure her. “Come on, beautiful. Let’s get this over with.”

  * * *

  * * *

  His family is loud.

  Kind of like all the friends when they gather in Monica’s apartment. It’s chaotic and filled with laughter. A longing burrows its way deep in my chest. I’m beginning to think families are supposed to be this way. On television, here, at Reed and Devon’s, it’s all the same.

  My home was the wrong one.

  When my mother was around, I remember our days being happy. My brothers weren’t cruel then. There was laughter and love. It all changed when my mother got sick. Everyone grew angry and quick-tempered. She died, but it never went back to the way it was.

  They replaced her.

  Papa took Esther and forced her into my mother’s role. I was confused, but I loved Esther. She sometimes was like a mother to me. I tried to accept what happened as something natural.

  But then my brothers got involved.

  They never touched my mother, not like they touched Esther. She became something for them to stick their cocks into or beat with their fists. Papa allowed it. Simply looked the other way. And then Ezekiel hurt her for good. Was so rough with her she bled out and died.

  I became the woman of the house then.

  A shudder wracks through me as I force away horrible memories of them. Papa would whip me on occasion and bed me, but it was my brothers whom I hated so much. They prowled around like starving wolves, just waiting for my father to go hunting or fall asleep. Like I was their dinner, they’d drag me away someplace where they could all take turns pawing at me. One by one they’d try to breed me like I was some animal meant for carrying their young.

  An ache forms in my chest as I remember the blood.

  Tears well and roll down my cheeks.

  “Eve.”

  I’m snapped from my inner thoughts as Atticus regards me with furrowed brows. His family all watches me like I don’t belong in their home. With his hand on my lower back, his fingers brushing along my bottom over my dress, he guides me into the room with a giant table. Delicious looking foods sit arranged on top, just waiting for us to devour.

  “Do you feel faint again?” he asks, pulling a chair out for me to sit.

  “No.”

  “What’re you thinking about then?”

  “My family.”

  His features darken. “You don’t have to be afraid of them anymore. They’re gone.”

  He sits next to me and brushes a hair behind my ear. I lean into his touch. When I catch his mother’s glare on me, I pull away and look down at my lap. Judith takes the seat next to me. His parents sit at each end while his two brothers and nephew sit across from us.

  Will, the policeman, sits directly across from me. His penetrating glare burns into me. He reminds me of Ezekiel with his intensity. That thought makes my heart speed up, thumping violently in my chest.

  “Well, I think I can speak for the entire family when I say we’re glad to have you here, Eve,” Judith says, winking at me.

  I like Judith. She’s nice and funny. Reminds me of a smaller version of Atticus.

  The rest of the family mumbles out some sort of agreement. Then, the dinner gets a little loud as everyone starts scooping food onto their plates and passing dishes. Atticus makes my plate and his. I love that he always looks after me. I’ve just picked up my fork when Will speaks up.

  “Reed, you say?”

  He’s staring at me, bu
t I think he’s talking to Atticus.

  “Yes.” Atticus’s voice is clipped.

  “Reed Jamison who you sold your extra land to?”

  “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Atticus growls. “You couldn’t let shit just lie?”

  “Language,” their mother huffs.

  “Language,” Judith mimics her under her breath. “They totally won’t mind their language. Watch.”

  “When you act shady, I have a civic duty—” Will starts.

  “To be fucking nosey?” Atticus snaps. “Seriously, man. Back the fuck off.”

  “Told you,” Judith says with pride in her voice.

  “Atticus,” Abel warns, making the hairs on my arms stand on end.

  “Why invite us over if we were just going to be walking into an ambush? The nasty looks are getting old, Ma,” Atticus bites out, giving Susan a pointed look. “And Will, for once in your damn life, stay the fuck out of mine.”

  Will’s nostrils flare. “Who is she really? Because when I researched this Reed guy, he has a wife and daughter with blond hair.” He points at me. “Not her.”

  “She’s Eve. Still someone I’m looking after,” Atticus growls, clinging to his lie harder than ever.

  “How old is she really, man?” Will demands. “Because I’m tired of all the lies. I asked Suma—”

  “For fuck’s sake!” Atticus slams his fist down on the table. “Stop!”

  Will stands, his face turning red with anger. Vic tries to pull him back into his seat while Evan’s face burns red with embarrassment. Judith whispers that they’re animals and do this sort of thing a lot.

  “Suma said you were being inappropriate with the girl,” Will hisses.

  Their mother gasps. “Oh my God.”

  “Oh shit,” Judith whispers.

  “For the tenth goddamn time, I’m not sleeping with her!” Atticus’s words are practically screamed at them.

  Each syllable rattles my bones and poisons my blood.

  His lies sound so real.

  Thank goodness I know the truth.

  He loves me.

  “Everyone just calm down,” Vic says, finally managing to jerk Will back down into his seat. “Eve, hon, how old are you? We’re all family here. You’re not going to get into trouble and neither will Atticus. We’re just trying to make sense of all this.”

  I dart my eyes over to Atticus. I’m not sure what answer he wants me to tell them. He pinches the bridge of his nose, defeated. Will pins me with a glare that dares me to lie. I decide to tell them the truth.

  “I’m…”

  “Nineteen?”

  My head snaps over to Atticus’s father, who watches me with interest. I squirm under his stare.

  “Yes.”

  “What?” Atticus snarls, turning his anger on me. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

  I wince at his tone. When he reaches for my hand, I jerk it back. Judith gently touches my shoulder and I don’t shake away her hand.

  “You told me you were sixteen!” Betrayal shines in Atticus’s stare and I hate that I’ve somehow put it there.

  I don’t remind him it’s because he practically force-fed those words into my mouth. I thought that’s what he wanted to hear. Then, I realized eighteen was the number he wanted. It was too late then. They were both lies anyway.

  “You must be thrilled,” Will deadpans. “Now you can fuck—”

  “Enough!” Abel booms. “You two boys need to put a goddamn lid on it.”

  Both Will and Atticus radiate with fury.

  “I’ve already checked with Atticus,” Abel tells Will. “He’s not having a sexual relationship with her. And that’s good. Really good.”

  “So this is awkward,” Evan mutters.

  “I think it’s delightfully entertaining,” Judith disagrees.

  “Eve, darlin’, what are your parents’ names?” Abel studies me as though he can see right into my brain.

  “David and Rebekah.”

  A beat of silence.

  Susan drops her fork and gasps. “Abel…”

  “I knew it,” Abel mutters. “Holy shit.”

  Abel reaches past Atticus to hand me something. A photograph. As soon as I see it, I recognize it. My parents had one just like it. It was of them when they were children. The one from the photo they never spoke about…

  “David and Rebekah are my brother and sister.”

  Atticus freezes as Abel’s words sink in. I’m too busy staring at Abel with new eyes. He has Mother’s smile. The eyes are Papa’s. While my parents were gaunt, Abel is filled out and muscular. But all the similarities are there.

  “You’re confused,” Atticus whispers to Abel. “Really fucking confused, Dad.”

  “I’m going to be sick,” Susan chokes out before rushing from the table.

  Vic follows after with Evan hot on his heels. Will continues to glower at me. Judith has taken to stroking my hair in a soft, reassuring way that makes tears form. It reminds me of Esther.

  “Impossible,” Atticus growls.

  Abel shakes his head. “I saw your parents when they had you,” he tells me. “Almost twenty years ago. Your mother was having trouble and they brought her to the hospital. A friend of mine at the hospital called me.” He frowns. “You look just as I remember my sister when she was young. They looked so different, though.”

  They were unclean.

  Wild.

  Toothless.

  Compared to these people, I can see that they would be very different.

  “Stop,” Atticus pleads.

  “Are you…” Will scrubs his palm over his face. “Are you saying the aunt and uncle we never knew…”

  “Were fucking,” Judith blurts out. “Call a spade a spade, Will.”

  “That’s…” Will trails off.

  “Incest.” Atticus’s hand shakes.

  I reach for it and he yanks it back as though I’m diseased.

  “The children were a product of incest,” Abel agrees. “But they’re still our family. I don’t know how you happened upon Eve here, but I’m glad you did.” He turns his eyes my way. “Do you have any siblings? They had a little girl in tow with them at the time, but I didn’t see any others with them. How are David and Rebekah?”

  “Everyone’s dead,” I choke out, my bottom lip trembling.

  Atticus stands so quickly, the chair falls back and hits the tile with a loud bang. “Do you know what they did to her?” His fury is aimed at his father. “Her brothers…her father…”

  “Wait,” Will growls. “Did what? How old were you?”

  “Policeman Bob, now’s not the time,” Judith warns.

  “They fucking raped her repeatedly!” Atticus bellows. “Your fucking brother—my uncle—and his shit for brains sons! They killed her sister!”

  I start to cry because all I can think about is Esther’s pale face as the blood and life drained from her body.

  “No,” Abel says, his voice a choked whisper. “That’s…why would…I can’t…”

  “I’m calling this in—” Will starts.

  “You call this in and I’ll fucking kill you.” Atticus points a finger at Will. “Do you understand? You will not drag Eve through a media circus over this.”

  I tense at the mention of my name.

  Will stands too, not backing down from his brother. “Fine. But I think it’s high time you stop putting your dick in our cousin.”

  * * *

  * * *

  This isn’t happening.

  This isn’t fucking happening.

  “Let’s go.” I march back into the dining room and snag Eve up by her wrist.

  Dad and Will swarm me, but I’m not having any of it. I need to think. I need to get the fuck away from this house. Away from the bomb Dad just dropped on me.

  “Man, I don’t like the way you’re fucking handling her,” Will barks out after me. “Calm your ass down.”

  I turn mid stride, releasing Eve, to shove his chest. “She’s n
ot yours to concern yourself with.”

  “And she’s yours?” he challenges.

  My gut twists.

  Was.

  She was mine.

  But now?

  Fuck.

  “Everyone just relax,” Dad orders. “Tempers are hot. That was some heavy information I unloaded on you all. But we can—”

  “Do what, Dad?” Undo the fact I’ve been fucking my cousin?

  “Where are you going?” he asks, his tone defeated.

  “I’m going back home. I need to think.”

  “Do it without your dick,” Will warns.

  “Will, go sit your ass in the dining room,” Dad barks out. “Now!”

  Eve flinches and cowers behind me. Protectiveness roars up inside me like a beast. It screams: mine, mine, mine.

  But that’s not true.

  She’s family.

  Blood.

  My goddamn cousin.

  Shame boils my blood and bile rises in my throat. I’m disgusted. Flashes of what we did in the truck on the way over here make my stomach twist violently.

  “We’ll talk later,” I growl at my father. “Let’s go.”

  I toss Eve her coat and she hurries to put it on. The moment she does, I grab her wrist and haul her out of the house. She stumbles in the snow, but catches herself before falling. When we reach the truck, I let go of her hand and climb inside. It isn’t until I have the truck started that I realize I’ve always helped her get into the vehicle.

  My mind and heart war with each other.

  Don’t be an asshole, man.

  Apparently I am an asshole, though, because I don’t fucking move. It isn’t until the truck door opens and my dad’s angry face meets mine that I release the breath I’ve been holding. He assists his tiny niece into the truck.

  “If you can’t cool off over this, maybe you should take a breather from each other. I can send Judith—”

  “Close the door,” I say coolly. “Now.”

  He slams it shut, making Eve jump. I rake my gaze over her, my stomach churning. She looks too fucking pretty to be my cousin. Your cousin shouldn’t have your cum still leaking out of her body.