Chapter 217

By the time I get back to the Pyramid, my blood is absolutely boiling and I’m ready to throw down. Knowing the only way to end this stupid plan the brothers have concocted is to convince the leader, I go straight for Neil’s room.

I’m fired up, hands in fists, strategizing every argument in my brain.

I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. No, I don’t need you guys to sacrifice our friendship just so you can keep me safer. This is all ridiculous. It’s pointless. It’s foolish. It makes no sense.

I won’t stand for it.

I’ll chain myself to something, if they won’t listen to me. They aren’t going to kick me out without damn good reason, and ‘to protect me’ isn’t a good enough reason, as far as I’m concerned.

I storm to the hallway with all the brother’s bedrooms. I stomp my way to Neil’s door.

I stop dead in my tracks when I hear a doctor’s voice.

“Three days, Mr. Hayes,” the doctor says. “If you don’t get that silver out of you in the next 72 hours, it will cause irreparable harm.”

“I’ve survived this long,” Neil says, stubborn and overconfident as always.

“With the help of advanced medical procedures and sheer luck,” the doctor says. “You cannot expect those things to hold indefinitely. I’m afraid, Mr. Hayes, that we have reached the limits of what modern medicine can do you for. You need to get that silver out of you as soon as possible.”

“Respectfully,” Neil says, voice firm. “I know the risks. This is my decision, not yours.”

“I merely ask you to consider, Mr. Hayes. Your body is strong, but it is not without limits.”

“I understand,” Neil says. “The matter has been considered.”

The anger rushes out of me like air released from a popped balloon. I’m still pissed off, certainly. This plan of theirs is reckless and doesn’t consider my feelings at all.

But any thoughts I had of staying go flying right out the window. I have to leave tomorrow, or Neil’s whole life could be jeopardized.

I’m stuck in my spot, conflict push pulling me in both directions. For Neil’s sake, I need to leave, and I don’t really want to argue with a sick man.

On the other hand, letting these brothers push me away to more fully put the targets on themselves was something I couldn’t stand for.

I need to talk to Neil. If I voice my concerns, I’m not sure it will actually do anything, but I know he’ll at least listen to me. I’d feel better having my opinion heard.

I wait for the doctor to finish his check-up, then I rally myself and take a step forward.

A hand clasps around my arm and yanks me backwards. Immediately, I’m drawn up against a strong muscled chest. I turn my head, looking back over my shoulder. I could have guessed it was Archer from the mountain of muscle at my back, but seeing him confirms it.

The doctor is heading toward the door. Soon he’ll join us in the hallway. Before that can happen, Archer yanks me back by the arm. It doesn’t hurt, but he’s not exactly gentle as he drags me to his bedroom and shoves me inside.

I cross my arms and face him, ready for a fight.

His eyes are cold as he looks down at me. “Whatever you are planning, forget it,” he snaps.

I haven’t even said one word yet! “I want to have my opinions heard.”

“I won’t matter what you say.”

This absolute raving asshole.

“We’re going forward with our plan,” Archer says. “And if you have a problem with it, you can go ahead and leave right now.”

The words hurt.

But if I push that initial hurt aside and remember what Angela said, about the brothers planning to hurt me to protect me, then maybe even this is part of their plan to cast me aside.

Archer wouldn’t be kind to me if he wanted me gone tomorrow anyway.

“You don’t have to do this,” I say, because this plan is really very juvenile. Even if they want it to appear on the surface that they hate me, they could clue me in on the act. They don’t have to actually treat me like shit.

Although, knowing them, maybe treating me like shit comes second nature. None of the guys, even Neil or Steven, can handle and express their emotions very well.

“You think you belong here,” Archer says. He stalks closer to me. The height difference between us feels even greater when he’s a jerk like this. He glares down at me like I’m nothing, and it makes me feel smaller than I am. “You don’t.”

I stretch myself to my full height and lift my chin some for extra effect. His words hurt, but I’m not a frail little wilting flower. I am strong. He’ll hurt me but he won’t see it. That is my vow.

“I know this is an act,” I say with false bravado. Truly, I don’t know. Archer is so good at cruelty. He slides it on like a glove. He could be faking, but it’s so easy to believe he means what he says. With a mountain of insults from him against so few compliments, it’s difficult to believe he might actually like me.

Even though I really want to believe it.

Because unfortunately, curse my foolish heart, I like him.

“Do you have any idea how easy it will be to replace you?” Archer says, his voice a low growl. Usually that tone sends pleasant shivers down my spine. Like this, it makes my stomach twist into uncomfortable knots.

“I know nannies are easy to come by,” I say, to deflect the hurt.

His eyes narrow. “I’m not just talking about you as a nanny.”

Ouch. Okay. He means he can easily replace me as a bedpartner too. That shouldn’t hurt me near so much as it does. I’ve always known that with all of the brothers, I’m only one of many. I’m the convenient choice, the one nearest on hand.

I never really convinced myself that the brothers wanted to fuck me for any other reason than it is enjoyable for both of us.

That is an understood fact. Something that none of us need to talk about. Why would we? It would only lead to unnecessary hurt. I know my place. That is that.

Yet here Archer is, throwing it all in my face, like I don’t know it’s true. Like I haven’t considered this from every angle.

I’m one of many. I don’t belong.

I don’t need either of those reminders.

“We won’t even miss you,” Archer says, and that feels like too much. It hurts.

It hurts.

Take away my duties as a nanny, that’s fine. Tell me he has other people to fuck, sure. I get that.

But to deny the existence of our friendship by saying I won’t be missed.

That’s the one that stings.

I don’t know what to say to that. I have no counter.

In the past, maybe I would have lashed out. Hurt him like he’s hurting me.

But I don’t even want to do that.

What I feel right now is not a lust for vengeance.

It’s just… sadness.

So I rush past him and out the room.

He doesn’t move to stop me. He doesn’t even look at me.