“Where are you goin’ now?” I bellowed, throwing my hands up in the air.

“You don’t need to fucking worry about it!” He shouted back.

When the front door slammed shut I screamed with frustration. Without thinking I turned, picked up the plate containing the potatoes I already peeled for dinner and threw it against the cupboards. I watched as it smashed into pieces and flew in all directions.

I stood staring at the mess I just caused and crumbled to my knees. Everything was a mess. My kitchen. My relationship. My fucking life. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to regulate my breathing, but it was no use, I was close to my breaking point.

“Bran,” I heard a voice murmur.

I looked up, and when I saw the grey eyes of Damien, I burst into tears.

“He’s being a dick, Bran,” Damien said as he bent down and put his arms around me. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but you both weren’t exactly being quiet. I heard what was said, and Dominic clearly fed Ry some bullshit and he just lost it.”

I hugged Damien back and let all my built up sorrow come out.

“Branna,” Damien sighed and swayed me from side to side. “Don’t cry, Mama Bear. It’ll be okay.”

That only caused me to cry harder because I knew how false that statement truly was.

“It won’t, Dame,” I sniffled.

He pulled back from our hug and frowned at me. “What do you mean?”

“I’m breakin’ up with him,” I whispered.

Telling another person, especially Ryder’s brother, about my plan made it feel much more real, and much more harrowing.

Damien swallowed. “You both just had a stupid fight, you don’t need to jump to—”

“I’ve been plannin’ on breakin’ up with him,” I cut Damien off. “I just haven’t found the right moment to do it.”

Damien stared at me with wide eyes.

I nodded. “You look how I feel.”

He blinked his eyes a couple of times, opened his mouth then snapped it shut. I felt like another dam was about to break within me when an expression of pain flashed across Damien’s eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I pleaded.

He cleared his throat. “Like what?”

“Like I’m goin’ to take your entire world away.”

The muscles in Damien’s jaw rolled back and forth.

“You’re my big sister, Branna,” he murmured. “Not having you here, or by Ryder’s side, will change everything… just everything.”

My heart hurt.

“I know, sweetie, and trust me,” I whispered, “I didn’t want it to turn out like this, but I’ve been puttin’ up with Ryder’s shite for a long time. He has pushed me to this, and left me no choice.”

“I’ll help fix whatever he has done. Just tell me what he did and I’ll make it better, I promise.” Damien said in an almost desperate attempt to try and change my mind.

“Honey, I won’t leave your life, not when I’ve just gotten you back. I love you to death, you’re me family and that will never change whether I’m with Ryder or not.”

“Tell me what he did,” Damien bit out, ignoring me. “I can’t help if I don’t know what he did. Just tell me, please.”

“He’s done a lot of things,” I replied, my shoulders sagging. “While you’ve been away, things changed between us and they’re just goin’ from bad to worse.”

“But… why?”

I managed a snort. “Sweetie, I’ve been askin’ meself that question for months.”

“I don’t understand, Branna,” Damien grunted, furrowing his brows. “I need to understand, help me to. Please.”

He took my hands in his and carefully pulled me to my feet then we sat at the kitchen table across from one another.

“It started off small,” I began. “He’d go out for a late night run or to grab some food, but instead of being gone only a little while, he’d be gone most of the night. Honestly, I didn’t notice a pattern until a few months after it first occurred. Workin’ at the hospital wipes me out so I paid no mind to when he left the room at night because I’d fall into a dead sleep, but when I started to mention it, that’s when the fightin’ started. He refused to tell me anythin’ when I asked so he resorted to blockin’ me out and ignorin’ me. It got worse when nothin’ was resolved so we’ve just been growin’ apart from one another ever since, and I’m at a point now where I want to detach meself completely from ‘im so I can start to move on from ‘im.”

Damien’s brows were drawn together. “My brothers, do they know what he is up to?”

“I’m confident that they do.” I swallowed. “Keep what I’m about to say between you and me, okay?”

Damien nodded.

“All of Ryder’s money—our money—is gone.”

Damien’s jaw dropped open. “I don’t understand. How?”

“I’ve no idea,” I said with frustration at my situation. “I asked about it, but Ryder threw up his wall and blocked me out so eventually I stopped askin’ and just started payin’ the bills and for food out of me own wages.”

Damien looked more confused than I felt.

“It gets more mind bogglin’,” I frowned.

“Jesus, how?”

I gnawed on my inner cheek.

“Dominic’s money is gone too, and so is Alec’s. Ryder told me about a bad investment they made with Brandon Daley. It’s why Dominic started to fight again, he needed money and he knew fightin’ got ‘im good money and that bein’ a personal trainer didn’t. He tried the ‘normal’ side of workin’ and it’s obvious he finds fightin’ is best suited for ‘im. I’m sure me sister is in the dark as to what happened to his money, too, she’d tell me otherwise.”

I hated not telling Bronagh the real reason I thought Dominic was back fighting, but I couldn’t do it. Not now. Not while she was pregnant for him.

I turned my attention from my thought back to Damien and noticed he was processing everything I told him, I could see the wheels turning in his mind as he thought.

“How could I not know any of this?” he whispered after a few moments of silence.

I frowned. “You’re the baby of the family. From the start, the deal was to keep you out of the life they were roped into, and I guess they’re still tryin’ to protect you.”

Damien growled. “I don’t need any fucking protection. I’m not a damn child, Dominic is only four minutes older than me!”

I sighed. “I know that, sweetie, it’s just that you’re precious to them. They risked everythin’ to see you safe, it’s a trait that’s instilled in them. You can’t blame them for wantin’ to keep you safe from harm, can you?”

“No,” he agreed, “but I’m not in danger anymore. Marco and Trent, they’re dead.”

“And thank God for that,” I said and blessed myself.

“I don’t see why they couldn’t fill me in on their problem. I’m a brother, too.”

“Of course you’re a brother, too. You’re my favourite Slater brother, if I’m being honest… don’t tell Alec that though.”

Damien managed a snort. “You say I’m a Slater brother, but since that day back in New York with Trent when he baited me into a fight about my dad, I’ve felt like nothing but an outsider to my own flesh and blood.”

“Damien,” I whispered.

He sighed. “I’m cool, it’s cool. Don’t worry about me, you’ve got enough going on.”

I wanted to argue that I’d always worry about him no matter what I had going on, but he didn’t give me a chance.

“You stay here in case Ryder comes back, I’m going to see Dominic. I’m bringing all this to him. He may be silent with you, but let’s see him give me the run around.”

I blinked. “You look a little scary right now, Dame.”

His lips quirked. “Well, hell, I might be a Slater after all.”

“Smartarse.”

He kissed the crown of my head then walked out of the kitchen, and a few steps later, out of the house, closing the front door behind him. I didn’t like the silence, so I got my phone and dialled my sister’s number. I put my phone to my ear and waited for her to answer.

“Hello?” a cheery male answered.

Dominic Slater.