Chapter Seventeen
Kat sighed as she stood in front of the large front door to her family home. Funny that despite only living about an hour away, she felt like a stranger each time she showed up.
Well, that and the fact she lacked the code for the gate or locks for the front door…
Bradley, Dean and Olin had come with her—much to her dismay. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand their reasoning or accept it.
Jerry was still out there, and she was still in danger. The fact that she needed to attend a family gathering didn’t change that there was still a risk.
In fact, she was a bit shocked that the men had even agreed to it. Not that they had at first.
At first, they’d told her hell no. Bradley had outright refused at the idea of risking her by seeing her family—after their talk before, he’d gotten a glimpse at their dysfunctional relationship. Dean had been less direct, using the way he twisted facts to make it clear he didn’t care for the idea while not dashing her hopes all at once. Olin hadn’t said no, but had discussed instead the risks.
In the end, however, they’d relented. No one knew how long the issue with Jerry would last, and with the three of them going, there wasn’t nearly so much of a risk.
Well, from Jerry, at least. Kat had a feeling there was a big risk when it came to the men seeing just how wide the chasm between her and the rest of her family was.
It started with the house, with the immaculate gardens, the large, imposing fencing. Everything in its place, everything doing exactly what it was supposed to. Which was exactly why Kat had never fit in…
A weight settled on her lower back and Kat jumped, unable to help it.
“Easy,” Bradley said from beside her, his touch like a reminder that she wasn’t alone.
“Funny that this is scarier than facing off against Jerry, huh? I’ll take a psycho with a knife over my family any day.”
“I wouldn’t,” Olin muttered, the look in his eyes saying he didn’t care for her joke.
“You say that because you don’t know my family.” She took one more deep breath before adding on something else. “Please, don’t fight with them.”
“We’re not planning on embarrassing you,” Dean said, a frown on his features as if insulted by the very thought.
“I don’t mean it like that. My family, they’re…a lot. You three like to be protective, and while I appreciate that, I’m asking you to just let anything they say go. I’m used to it, and it’ll cause me way more problems if you try to argue with them.”
All three men pressed their lips together as if they weren’t fans of her idea, though that was why she’d waited until she was on the doorstep to say a word. She got it, she did.
Kat was sure if anyone said anything about Bradley in front of her, she’d give that person a piece of her mind. The same went for Dean or Olin. She couldn’t even picture sitting quietly as someone talked shit about them.
However, it was what she needed, and the sharp nods from each man said they understood. They’d come to keep her safe, so they had to be understanding about the rules.
Kat rang the button on the intercom, and a familiar voice answered. “Hello?”
“Hi, Tessa, it’s me, Kat.”
There was silence at first, which made Kat want to roll her eyes. She’d called in from the gate already—it wasn’t as if they had no idea she’d arrived. Still, it was part of the games they all liked to play.
“I’ll be right there.” The intercom clicked off, and Kat sighed.
“Family?” Olin asked.
“Almost. Tessa has run the household as long as I’ve been alive. She’s like a second mom.” And she disapproved of Kat every bit as much as her actual mother did.
After a few more minutes, the door opened, and Tessa’s familiar scowl made Kat feel like she was home. Wasn’t that weird? That someone looking at her so negatively could actually make her homesick? If she walked in and everyone was nice to her,thatwould have made her suspicious.
“I wasn’t aware you would be bringing…friends.” The censure in that statement was loud and clear.
“There’s an issue going on, so I needed to bring them.” Kat kept it nice and vague, but Tessa’s expression didn’t soften.
“Very well. Come along.” When they stepped inside, Tessa looked to a man standing to the side. “Set another three places at the table, please, and let Mr. and Mrs. Grant know that Katherine has arrived with guests.” The man scurried off, the same hurry in his step that Tessa could put into any person.