Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
His gaze shifted from Cohen to me before he winked, obviously intuiting what we’d been up to the night before.
“Just in time for the tea,” Walker assured him as Isaac made his way to the table to join the others.
“Oh, that reminds me,” Mel said. “Lee, we need tea and coffee.”
Isaac guided Lee while I returned to the issues at hand. “Wait. Mel, you aren’t even acting surprised that Dwain had his tongue down some guy’s throat last night?”
“It’s my magical pansexual powers,” she said, totally unfazed. “We can sense these things.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yes, of course. You didn’t suddenly start mind reading after you discovered you liked dick?” I could tell by the annoyed expression on her face and her overdramatic tone that she was putting me on. She shook her head. “No, Mr. Gullible. Dwain told me. Everyone tells me everything because I’m good at keeping secrets. You guys are the ones who can’t even do a good job of keeping your own.”
“All I know is,” Cohen said, “Big Daddy is in for a very busy Pride next year.”
The room erupted in laughter, Dwain cringing through it because of what must’ve been a massive hangover.
“But just wanna make sure we’re all on the same page,” I went on. “No one tells Big Daddy anything about what happened last night.”
I noticed Cohen eyeing me uneasily. I was sure he was wondering, if not now, then when the hell we would, but I had to figure out the best way to deal with that. It was all fun and games that we’d made a bunch of fools of ourselves, but for now, it needed to go no further than the Mitchell place.
“I know, I know,” Dwain said. “You’re worried Lee will say something. Fucking blab that he is. But seriously, Brodes, why did you have to go and start fucking around with a Mitchell? This is so like you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Cohen asked.
“Like me?” I jumped in. “Dwain, you have to see that this feud is absurd. It always has been.”
“It’s not about the feud. It’s about family. You know as well as I do how important this is to Big Daddy.”
“He’s not upset over some guy he’s never met before. He’s upset because the distillery is hurting, and he’s struggling to keep it afloat. And if you’d open your eyes, you’d see that this is something he’s clinging to because he can’t control the rest.”
Dwain’s gaze settled on the table. “Even if that’s the case, I don’t see why you can’t do this for the family. You never wanted to be an O’Ralley. Admit it. You went on to college, and then Mom got sick and—”
“That’s enough, Dwain,” Walker said.
“Mom’s the only reason you came back, and she’s the only reason you stayed. And you wish you could have gotten out of the distillery, far away from your own blood. You think any of us see it any different than that?”
For a room that had been full of arguments and laughter, it had quickly turned silent.
I could tell by the way my siblings turned to me, knowing expressions without a single damn protest, that Dwain wasn’t the only one thinking that. No, it had been hanging in the air since I’d first gone off to college.
I felt a warm hand on my shoulder…Cohen’s. Nice as it was to have his support, it reminded me of all the support I didn’t have from my family.
“Is that what you all think?” I finally asked, already knowing the answer.
“Brody, it was just a hard time,” Mel said, and it was impossible not to notice the lack of an outright denial of Dwain’s remarks.
Even Walker didn’t come to my defense.
“Well, maybe I don’t want to be a fucking O’Ralley anymore,” I spit out, feeling utterly betrayed by my own. I couldn’t think straight, the blood rushing to my face as I dashed out of the kitchen and through the front door.
Cohen was right behind me. “Brody, come on. Come back inside. That’s not how you want to end a fight with your brothers and sister.” He firmed his grip on my shoulder.
I was all tension, nerves, tears forming in my eyes. “You heard them. I don’t even want to be a part of this family. I’ve just been waiting for my chance to bail on them…after everything I’ve done. And even this one thing I’m enjoying—and they know this feud is stupid as hell—to just live my life is a betrayal to them. It isn’t right.”
He rubbed a thumb gently against my shoulder, the sort of sensation that I knew, if there had been any hope of him soothing my pain, that would have done it. But I was clearly too far gone. He added, “This is something you guys need to talk out.”