No Apologies (Bomar Boys Book 2)

by Jess Bryant

  “Thank you mom.”

  She wiped a stray tear from her cheek and managed a small smile. Her family was amazing. They would support her, no matter what. They loved her, unconditionally. They worried and protected and babied her because they cared so much but when it came down to it, they knew they’d raised her to be a smart, compassionate, independent woman and they trusted her decisions. If she chose Colt, then they would do their best to make him part of the family too.

  “Don’t thank me yet.” Her mother smiled in return, “I expect your young man at the next Sunday dinner after he’s recovered and is well enough to attend. I want to meet the man my daughter has given her heart too.”

  Skylar managed a watery laugh, “Ahh, Mom!”

  “How you feelin’?”

  Colt tried to resituate himself against the headboard without wincing. It was weird having Lincoln here, in his bedroom, but he refused to let his cousin see how uncomfortable it made him. He was already at a disadvantage, half-clothed and tucked into bed like a sick child. He wouldn’t let Lincoln see that just sitting upright made his head swim.

  “Fine.”

  It had been two days since he was attacked. The first twenty-four hours, as well as most of the events following getting hit with what must have been that bat, were nothing more than a fog to him. Only since he woke this morning had he fully come out of the haze of what he’d learned was a concussion. Even still, he was already sick and tired of everyone asking him that question.

  His brothers had been downright overprotective as they did their best impressions of Florence Nightingale. Cash and Remy had checked on him hourly, even throughout the night, even when he kicked them out and cursed at them. They came back every time, with pain pills, with antibiotics, with fluids and food to help him keep his strength up.

  After a fight that had left him more than a little lightheaded, he’d ordered Cash to go back to work. He’d even thrown enough of a fit that Jemma had said she knew better than to stay where she wasn’t wanted and left as well. That had only left him with Remy so he’d told his older brother to go home, or at least to the place he’d been crashing the past few weeks. He’d honestly been surprised by how difficult it had been to get rid of Remy.

  It was weird. He was used to Cash making a fuss over him when he was hurt. They always had each other’s back. But Remy’s hovering and fretting left him feeling strangely off-kilter. He’d expected Remy to take off again at the first sign of trouble but he’d done the opposite and dug his feet in deeper.

  The man he’d convinced himself his older brother was after he left them was becoming harder and harder to reconcile with the Remy that had returned. The cold, selfish son of a bitch that hadn’t cared if his little brothers survived their parents wasn’t the same man that had helped him free Jemma from her abusive ex, no questions asked. He wasn’t the same man that he had vague memories of gently carrying him out of his shop the other night and reassuring him that he was going to be okay. It was a worried, protective big brother that had spent God only knew how many hours the past few days in the chair he’d dragged next to Colt’s bed.

  It had been that brother he had hell convincing to leave him alone for a few hours this morning and somehow he wasn’t surprised that Lincoln was here now. Remy had been crashing on Lincoln’s couch since his unlikely return to Old Settlers. If he’d gone home to shower and get some clean clothes like Colt had told him to, it seemed likely he’d talked to Lincoln and sent him to watch Colt in his stead.

  And, for the first time since she kissed him goodbye and said she had to run some errands, he was relieved Skylar wasn’t around. She’d been by his side every minute since he woke up and unlike his brothers he hadn’t minded her worry at all. He’d loved waking up each morning with the feel of her close by, the scent of her clinging to him and his sheets. He’d decided sometime around the moment she offered to help him shower that she could baby him all she wanted.

  Of course, the shower hadn’t ended as happily as he’d been hoping. She’d told him he was still too banged up for sex and put him back into bed with nothing but a sweet kiss. He’d tried to explain to her that if his body was well enough to sport wood the instant she touched him it was plenty well enough for some of her attention but she’d only giggled and told him maybe she’d get creative when she got back.

  He’d been looking forward to that moment, when she came back to him, crawled into bed with him, and pressed her soft body against his. But then Lincoln had walked in the door and he knew the discussion they needed to have wasn’t one that she needed to hear. It was best if he kept those two parts of his life separate. There was never a time when he could see himself being okay with having Lincoln and Skylar in the same room.

  “Yeah, you look fine.” Lincoln only snorted and collapsed into the empty chair, kicking his booted feet up onto the corner of the bed, “You need anything?”

  “Nah, I’m good.”

  “Uh-huh, and where’d your nurse get off to?”

  He frowned at Lincoln’s curiosity, “Skylar had some errands to run.”

  “Yeah, I meant your twin sister.”

  Colt snorted at the joke but it hurt his ribs too much to laugh, “I sent Cash to work.”

  “And the concerned mother hen?”

  He raised an eyebrow, “I figured you knew. I sent Remy home a while ago. He didn’t go to your place?”

  “Nope. Haven’t seen him in a day or two.” Lincoln scratched his jaw uncomfortably.

  Two days? Colt narrowed his eyes at the admission. It had been two days since Remy found him curled into a ball on the floor of his shop, beaten and barely conscious.

  “You haven’t seen Remy since the night I was attacked?”

  “Yeah, well, we kinda had a disagreement that night and he’s not so happy with me. I’m not surprised he’s gone MIA but I’m sure he’s found somewhere else to crash. I ain’t exactly had time to go tracking him down.”

  “Why is he not happy with you?”

  Colt felt the beginning of a bad feeling twitch inside of him and then take hold. He remembered how both of his brothers had been quiet since he woke up. Cash hadn’t once asked him what happened. Remy had told him not to worry about it and to focus only on getting better. Now, with Lincoln sitting in front of him, his mind finally clear, he realized how stupid he’d been. There was only one reason his brothers wouldn’t have been asking questions and that was if they already had the answers.

  “Link?” He prompted when his cousin didn’t immediately answer him.

  “Look, Remy told me to give you time to recover but I figure you deserve a heads up.”

  “A heads up about what? What the hell is going on?”

  “Your brothers know about our deal.”

  Colt was having trouble breathing and his ribs weren’t to blame, “Brothers? Plural? So… Cash?”

  Lincoln nodded and Colt felt dizzy. He’d pretty much accepted that Remy knew the situation. Despite what he’d thought for years, his older brother did care and he’d been paying attention. He’d been there after the failed fight and he’d been part of Lincoln’s power play at Fine Lines. Remy was aware Colt and Lincoln had business.

  But Cash… Cash was never supposed to know. Never supposed to find out.

  He blew out a strangled breath, “How?”

  “Come on C.” Lincoln gave him a skeptical look, “I know you were mostly unconscious but they didn’t knock all your brains out of that pretty head of yours. Do you really think there was any way out of this where your twin didn’t figure out what you’ve been doin’?”

  “He knew about the fights but he didn’t know why.”

  “Well he does now and he’s pissed.”

  “He hasn’t said a word to me.”

  Lincoln snorted, “Of course not. Yet. He’s too worried about you to be angry with you right now. I’m the bad guy in this little story.”

  “Cash doesn’t think you’re a bad guy.”

  “That’s a pret
ty little lie. Was that for my benefit?” Lincoln’s lips curled into a sneer, “Don’t bother, Colt. It’s not exactly new territory for me. I’m always the bad guy.”

  It was clear he wanted Colt to think he was unaffected but he wasn’t buying it. Lincoln could be a hard ass. He could be cold and ruthless. But when it came to the family, nobody looked after the other boys like he did. He wasn’t just their leader because he was the oldest. Hell, technically Ford was a few minutes older than his twin. Lincoln was the leader because he put them all first and did whatever it took to keep them together.

  “I’ll set him straight.”

  Lincoln rolled his eyes.

  “I mean it. I’ll set him straight. Him and Remy both and anyone else that wants to chime in with an opinion. I’ll tell them it was my decision. I’m a big boy. If they want to be mad at someone they can be mad at me.”

  “Nobody gets mad at the person forced to make a deal with the devil, Colt. That’s not how it works.”

  “You’re not the devil.” He gave Lincoln a sharp look when his cousin only shrugged indifferently, “I grew up with the devil, Link. You’re not him.”

  “Hmm… yeah. Dear old Uncle Deck did a number on you boys didn’t he? It’s a wonder really that any of you survived let alone grew up to be good, decent men.”

  Colt raised his eyebrows, surprise showing on his face before he could think to camouflage it. Had that been a compliment? From Lincoln? Surely not.

  “Don’t look at me like that.” His cousin smirked.

  “I mean, I know I hit my head pretty hard but…”

  “Shut it. You tell anyone I’m secretly impressed by you little shits and I’ll deny it.” Lincoln ran a hand through hair and then smiled, “I am though, just for the record. Impressed. You three stick together like… like…”

  “Family?”

  The smile disappeared and Lincoln’s eyes narrowed, “Don’t be an asshole. We’re all family. It’s just nice seeing you three together again. That’s all.”

  “Cash and I always have each other’s backs. That’s nothing new.”

  “Ya know, you keep treating your big bro like an outsider and I’m gonna knock some sense into you.”

  He frowned at the reprimand, “Link…”

  “No. Listen up. Remy is here for you. He came back for you and he stayed for you.”

  His temper flared despite himself. He wasn’t doing this. He wasn’t having this fight and yet. He was. He was yelling before he’d ever even realized he opened his mouth to speak. Years of anger flaring up at the first opportunity.

  “Yeah, of course he’s here, now, but I don’t need him now. I needed him when I was fourteen and Decker broke Cash’s arm. I needed him when I was seventeen and I had to call an ambulance because Chrissy tried to drown herself in the bathtub. It would have been nice to have my big brother around to help me with those things but I don’t need his help anymore.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Bullshit? You know what’s bullshit? I don’t even know why he left. Why’d he leave? Why’d he stay gone for ten years? Where was he when I was trying to hold our fucking family together and keep Cash alive huh?”

  “Why don’t you ask him?”

  “No, I…” Colt opened his mouth to continue his rant and then paused, “Wait. You know don’t you?”

  Lincoln shrugged and Colt barely resisted the urge to grab his cousin and shake him until his teeth rattled and all of his secrets spilled out. He knew everything, about all of them. Of course he knew why Remy had left.

  “Damnit Link.” He growled, “What aren’t you tellin’ me?”

  “Nothin’ I’ve got a right to tell. You want to know why your brother left, you ask him. Until you man up and do that, don’t you dare say another bad word about him to me, got it?”

  He flinched backwards at the venom in his cousin’s voice. So protective. That was Lincoln. But this was something more than just protection, something else, and it didn’t sit right with him that Lincoln knew more about Remy’s choices than he did.

  “Remy’s back. He’s been helping around here. I ain’t got nothin’ bad to say about him but I’m not going to start trusting him to have my back instantly either.”

  “Are you fuckin’ kidding me?” Lincoln snapped.

  “No, I…”

  “Listen up you little shit because I’m only gonna say this once. Your brother didn’t abandon you. He left because he had to. If he’d stayed…” Lincoln shook his head as if he couldn’t even find the words, “He had his reasons for leaving and he had his reasons for staying gone. He knew you wouldn’t understand and wouldn’t welcome him home but he came back anyway because you needed him. He’s staying because you need him.”

  “I don’t need Remy!”

  “No? So, is Cash gonna climb in the cage for you then?”

  Colt froze. All of the heat of his anger dissipated. He faltered, unsure if he’d heard his cousin correctly.

  “What?”

  “That’s right. You heard me. Remy’s takin’ your spot in the cage.”

  “No.”

  It came out choked with denial. No. Remy wouldn’t do that. No way.

  “Yes.” Lincoln sneered at him, sharp eyes flashing with barely restrained anger of his own, “He offered and Abel and I accepted. He’s in. You’re out and that’s thanks in large part to your big brother so you better show a little respect around me or what those guys did to you won’t be half as bad as what I do.”

  Colt felt lightheaded again, “But… but… but what about the money? Remy doesn’t have that kind of cash. I don’t just owe the fights.”

  “Your girl took care of that so we’re square.”

  “My… what?”

  His head exploded. It was the only explanation for the ringing in his ears. The pain in his body receded, replaced by the pounding of his heart, by the rush of blood in his ears. His hands curled into fists and he was up with his feet on the floor before he even realized he’d moved.

  “Hey, easy there.” Lincoln reached for him but Colt jerked away.

  “Fuck that. Say it again. Tell me what you just said.”

  “Shit.” Lincoln scrubbed his jaw again and looked strangely apologetic when he met his eyes, “I figured she’d already told you what she did.”

  “What did she do?”

  He felt like the world was shifting under his feet and he didn’t think it was his body’s reaction to standing up after days in bed. No. No. Disbelief coursed through him. There was no way Lincoln meant what he thought he did. There was simply no way.

  Skylar wasn’t that stupid. She wouldn’t have done something so rash, so crazy, so goddamned criminal without at least talking to him first. Right?

  “Your girl paid off your debt. She owns a majority stake in Fine Lines now, not me. We signed the paperwork this morning.”

  This morning? This morning when she’d told him she had errands to run? Errands he’d assumed were grocery shopping and picking up mail. Errands like checking in with her family and running by her salon. Never in a million years could he have imagined her errands included paying off his criminal cousin to release him from his debts.

  She had the money. He knew that. He’d known that all along. But she had to know he never would have asked her to do this. He’d never wanted this. Never wanted to corrupt her by letting this dark, dirty side of his life touch her.

  She was his angel and she had made her own deal with a devil. For him. It was his fault. He’d dragged her into hell just like he always feared.

  He grit his teeth and tried to focus, “Lincoln, you’re gonna tell me exactly what happened while I was unconscious.”

  “I don’t know if…”

  “Lincoln!” He snapped, “You’re gonna tell me. Now. You owe me that much. Tell me how the hell Sky and Remy both got tied up in my mess. I want to know. I need to know!”

  “Why?” His cousin eyed him carefully.

  “So I can undo it.”

  “Co
lt…”

  “Start talking Link. Now!”

  His cousin must have sensed how serious he was, how on edge, because for once in his life, Lincoln followed orders and started talking.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Skylar put her car into park and sighed. Home. She was finally home.

  Even though she’d spent several hours in the house where she’d grown up, she didn’t consider that home anymore. She hadn’t in a long time. She loved her family house. She’d loved growing up there, loved that she was always welcome back there but it wasn’t home.

  She’d always thought that home was the place you wanted to be at the end of a long day and lord, it had been a long day. It had been a long week. If she was honest, it had been a long couple of months.

  Her life had been in a state of upheaval ever since Jemma came home. Not just because she’d gotten a roommate for the first time in her adult life or because her best friend had finally come home. That day had been a turning point in all their lives.

  She hadn’t known it at the time. Hadn’t known it when Colt came storming into the woods after her and interrupted her weekend away with Trey. Hadn’t even known it when she stumbled into that apartment next door and found Jemma and Cash cuddling like the old lovers they were.

  It was crazy to think that had been over two months ago. Crazy to think that she’d been living and working next door to Colt for years before that and hadn’t pushed the issue between them. She hadn’t been happy with their strange, sometimes strained, friendship, but she’d been content.

  It had taken Jemma coming home, falling in love with Cash again and getting her happily ever after for Skylar to finally own up to what she wanted.

  She wanted Colt. She wanted them to build a life together. She wanted them to have a future, together.

  And after spending most of the day talking to her mother, she knew that if she was going to get what she wanted that she had to talk to Colt. She had to tell him the truth about what she’d done. She had to explain why she had done it.

  He was going to be angry. She didn’t doubt that for a second. But she prayed that he would understand. She could deal with his anger, had done it before and would likely have to do it again. She hadn’t done anything wrong. She loved him and she’d done what she needed to in order to protect him. He had to understand that.