Lucy lifted her hands, cutting him off. “Not once in that speech did you ask what I wanted, how I felt. You ignored my wishes. You refused to leave me alone when I asked you to. All you care about is yourself. You need me, you want me. What about what I want, what I need?”
The guy opened his mouth to speak, but Lucy got there first. “I never wanted to be your dirty little secret. You made me that. You’re a liar and a cheat. I want nothing more to do with you. Leave, Daniel.”
A sick, unsettling feeling started to grow and expand in the pit of Adam’s gut.
The other man stood there for several seconds, then finally getting that it was finally over, turned to leave.
Adam still wanted to be sure. “If you ever call her again, or come within one hundred yards of her, you’ll be in for a world of hurt. Do you understand?” he said past the boulder in his throat.
Everyone stayed quiet as they watched the guy nod and walk away.
The sick feeling grew stronger. Adam was no better than that asshole, that fucker who had just stood there and begged for Lucy, who had kept her a secret to get from her what he wanted. Adam had allowed his own wants and desires to come before what was right. What was right for her.
He knew without doubt he sure as hell wasn’t it.
He was no good for anyone. Shit, he couldn’t even sleep on his own, and had fucked more women than he could remember purely so he could forget the hell he’d grown up in, the image of his mother lying in that bed, the sheets soaked in her blood.
Lucy deserved better, so much better than him.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lucy was leaning against the counter in her trailer when Hugh walked up to her, and his giant hand went to the back of her neck, tugging her forward. She collided with his massive chest and he wrapped his arms around her, giving her one of his famous bear hugs. Hugh might be a grumpy bastard at times, but he’d always given the best hugs.
His breathing was rough, ruffling the hair at the top of her head. “I’m sorry, squirt,” he rumbled.
She could feel his big body shaking. “I’m okay, Hugh.”
“You should never have had to go through that on your own. Fuck, and the way I laid into you when you came home.” He shook his head. “The shit I’ve been giving you…”
She gave him a squeeze, shutting him up. “It’s okay. You were worried. I get it.” She pulled back and he loosened his hold enough that she could look up at him. “But I need you to get it through that thick skull of yours that I’m grown. I don’t need you to protect me anymore. You can’t. I have to make my own choices, my own mistakes, and that’s okay.”
“I don’t like seeing you get hurt, Luce. Been protecting you your whole life. I’m not sure I can just step back like that.”
“You have to,” she whispered, throat getting tight. “I survived. It hurt, it still does. But I survived. If I need you, I’ll tell you. You can count on that.”
Joe stepped up, eyes suspiciously damp, and tugged her out of Hugh’s arms, engulfing her in a bone-crushing hug. “Can’t…breathe,” she choked.
Joe loosened his hold but didn’t let go. “Stop complaining and let me cuddle you for a second, would you, squirt?” He rocked her from side to side. “It’s taking everything in me not to go after that fucker, tear off his dick, and feed it to him.”
She patted Joe’s back. “Okay. We’ll cuddle as long as you need.”
“That’s all I’m asking.”
Lucy glanced over at Adam. He was propped against the wall, momentarily forgotten by her brothers. He’d stayed quiet while she’d told them the real reason she left school, what had been going on the last few months, and about the pregnancy. His eyes were locked on her, more intense than she’d ever seen them. She offered him a small smile, but he didn’t return it. Adam looked troubled and the sight kicked off another round of butterflies in her belly. Not the good kind either.
She finally got Joe to let her go and herded them toward the door, hoping to have a moment with Adam alone, but he was right behind them. He was leaving?
Curling her fingers around his forearm, she pulled him to a stop. “Stay. We need to talk.”
“I…” He cleared his throat. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Hugh had turned to watch them and was scowling again, but he kept his mouth shut, so she was counting that as a win. She got it. Adam didn’t want to rub their relationship in her brothers’ faces. And after their morning, emotions were volatile to say the least. She nodded and let him go, trying to communicate to him that she understood the way he was feeling. Still, she hated watching him walk away on his own, the three of them not talking as they got into their trucks and drove away.