I shifted slightly so I could see North’s profile, watched as she licked her lips. “You wanted to go to art school. You know how he thought about that. He was going to destroy you. Somehow.”

South’s eyes widened. “How the fuck was he going to do that?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t say. Whatever it took to push you away from it.” The words came easier for her now.

“And me?” East asked. “He got me kicked off the football team and I almost lost my scholarship. You got him to change his mind?”

She nodded. “He was going to have your leg broken so you couldn’t get the scholarship.”

East spun on his heel, walked away.

Holy fuck. The man was going to have his kid’s leg broken?

“And me?” West asked, his teeth clenched.

“Does it matter?”

West’s nostrils flared. “To me it does! So we got college and what did he get in return?” West asked.

North shook her head and she was almost brittle in my arms. “I can’t tell you that. You know the truth and that’s enough. I did what I had to do to get you out of here. To protect you. To make your dreams come true.”

“What about your dreams?” South asked. Now he wasn’t angry but devastated.

I loosened my hold when she tried to turn. She faced me, set her forehead on my chest. I sighed, pleased that she sought comfort from me, from my arms around her.

Fuck me, this woman. She was killing me.

I didn’t know all of it, like what she’d bargained away. I had a feeling she’d done a hell of a lot more of it than just for her brothers. Like with Jock, too.

This was a start. I bent down so we were eye to eye. “You did good.”

“I’m… I’m not hungry,” she murmured. The fire was gone from her eyes. No ice either. Just… weariness. “I’m going to go to bed. See you around.”

See you around? Fuck that.

I kissed her forehead, then released her. She headed out of the kitchen, but South went around the island to stop her. He tugged her into his arms, gave her a fierce hug. East and West joined him, one stroking her head, the other taking her hand. Then they let her go.

They didn’t say anything for a bit, perhaps to let North work her way through the big house. West grabbed the whiskey bottle and fiercely unscrewed the lid. Took a huge swallow.

“She turned to you,” he said.

I nodded. “I may have shown up at the wake for Marshall, but I’m here for North.”