Then it didn’t matter. The pressure on me was released, and I slipped against the wall, curling in on myself as a sob broke from my throat. Lights were turned on around me and yelling echoed through the space, the sound of someone being hit repeatedly causing me to shiver. I tried to block out the noise around me, gripping myself further, especially when I felt a familiar pair of hands try to hold me. I couldn’t.
My vision swam as I finally heard my mom’s voice. “Dahlia, honey, I need you to let Sterling help you up. Sweetheart, please.”
My eyes opened as I met her gaze and let Sterling’s firm grasp help me up, then hold me against him. I didn’t realize it, but my nails were practically digging into his chest, hard, clutching him. There were so many people, and chaos was exploding around us. The media was taking photos, and I didn’t realize why at first until I saw something I would never forget.
Yates beating the shit out of Ian.
I don’t mean that lightly—he was literally on top of him, pounding the absolute hell out of him as both King and Lincoln tried to restrain him. Something that I could see was against their nature, because they both looked livid. I was still shaking in Sterling’s arms when Dermot appeared, brushing my hair back from my face as I watched Mr. Ross grab Ian by the collar and pull him away quickly.
Yates was finally pulled away as his father started talking to him in a low voice, the other parents trying to distract the media from what was going on. I could see pictures being taken, and all I could focus on was my boys, Yates shaking with fury. My mom was talking quietly to my father, his face angrier than I’d ever seen it.
I was seeing the moment but not really experiencing it, everything going cold.
Mr. Ross was holding Ian by the collar, his lips against his ear as the kid started shaking, making me feel even more dizzy. I didn’t understand what was going on. King was there then, grasping my face as he turned it away from his father and Yates. I think I was in shock. I also think I’d never seen this side of my family.
“Dahlia, we are leaving, come on,” King said as he literally picked me up. I clung to him, my eyes going to Yates, who was being led away by Lincoln, his face red and blood-splattered, his hair messy. He was yelling something, but my ears were buzzing. I was shaking, and my vision was blurring.
“Yates!” Mr. Carter snapped, his voice harder than before. “Take her home now, before the cops get here. I’m fucking serious. We will talk at home.”
Yates’s eyes snapped to me as he let out a harsh breath, breaking past the twins and Dermot. King watched him cautiously before Yates offered him a look, and I realized he was transferring his hold on me. I curled against Yates, tucking my face into his neck, his entire body shaking, the smell of blood covering him as we walked outside.
“Bunny,” his voice was dark and low, “I need you to tell me you’re okay.”
“I’m okay now,” I promised softly, my lips pressing against his neck. “I just want to go home.”
I wasn’t okay, though. I wasn’t okay at all.
I didn’t remember the ride home, not exactly. I remembered the boys talking, but mostly I was focused on smoothing my fingers through Yates’s hair as he slowly stopped shaking with anger. I needed to shower. He needed to shower. He had blood on him, but I literally smelled like Ian. It was enough to make me feel sick to my stomach.
“Her parents are going to want her home,” Kingston said softly.
“Meet me over at my house, I’m going back with her.” Yates replied, his voice edged in exhaustion. “I need to make sure—”
“I get it,” King’s voice was hard.
“We can’t do anything until he leaves the country,” Lincoln voiced, confusing me.
“He will be leaving tonight,” Kingston leveled.
“Your dad says a call is headed your way,” Dermot said softly. “About thirty minutes.”
“Thank fuck,” Sterling muttered.
I had no idea what was going on, and honestly, I didn’t care. I just kept my eyes closed as Yates got out of the car with me in his arms, carrying me inside. I blinked as I adjusted to the lights of my familiar bedroom.
“Bath,” he muttered. “You smell like him.”
“You have to help me with the dress,” I said softly as he sat me down on a velvet seat. His large frame kneeled in front of me as he gently undid my heels, my eyes tracing the blood on his face as I felt a weird sense of safety filter over me. Yates had made sure Ian wouldn’t hurt me. He had protected me.
I watched as he went to fill up the tub, and I slid off my diamond rings and began to slowly take the jewels out of my hair. I didn’t know what to make of this situation, and I honestly was surprised that I was here with Yates, of all people.
King? Lincoln? Sterling? Sure. But not Yates. It meant way more to me than I could have ever imagined.
“Is everything going to be okay? Kingston sounded worked up,” I murmured as Yates easily unpinned my hair and unzipped the side of my dress. His touch was so gentle despite the tension and anger I could feel coursing through him.
Yates exhaled and nodded. “I need to call my father quickly, bunny. Can you hop in there really quick? I will be right back.”
Instead of feeling weird about the moment, I nodded as he closed the door, leaving me to slip out of the dress and into the massive clawfoot tub that was filled with hot water and bubbles. I sunk below the surface and waited patiently for him to come back in, his voice low and angry in the other room.