“You deserve one.”
He shook his head. “I just don’t want any half-truths between us. I—I don’t know, it doesn’t seem right somehow.”
I fought the urge to press my face into his palm. “I know. I don’t want that, either.”
A gentle smile stretched across Beckett’s face. “Good.”
The door to Beckett’s office swung open. “You guys okay—?” Hayes’ words cut off as he took us in, standing close, Beckett’s hand still cupping my cheek.
I immediately stepped back, my face heating.
Beckett cleared his throat, beckoning his brother in. “We’re fine, just a less-than-friendly visit.”
I moved to the small couch in the corner of the office, lowering myself to the cushions.
Hayes looked in my direction. “Dolores said that Brandon threatened you.”
I linked my fingers into a tight knot. “I think threatened might be a bit of an exaggeration.”
“I wouldn’t,” Beckett cut in. “He told Addie to watch her back and alluded to some things I don’t even want to think about.”
I stared down at my hands. I didn’t want Beckett or Hayes thinking about them. All I wanted was to disappear from my father’s memory—as if I could simply erase myself there, and then everything would be just fine.
“You can press charges, Addie. Get a restraining order in place,” Hayes offered.
“It would only make things worse.” And not just for me. For Hayes, Everly, and the whole Easton family, as well. I couldn’t take that on my shoulders. It was bad enough that Hayes had gotten called over here because of my drama.
The cushion next to me dipped as Beckett sat. “This isn’t on you.”
I looked up at him. “Pretty sure it is.”
“Brandon came in here to give me a piece of his mind. You just had bad timing.”
I stiffened, my spine snapping straight. “He knows Cora came here.”
Beckett winced, and that was all the information I needed. I turned to Hayes. “You need to send someone out to their house to check on her.”
Hayes’ eyes went glacial, and I fought the urge to pull my knees up to my chest. “You think he’d hurt her?”
I glanced at Beckett for a split-second before looking back to Hayes. “I know he would.”
Hayes muttered a curse but pulled out his phone to place a quick call. “I’ve got Young and Ruiz heading out there to do a wellness check.”
My chest tightened. How many times had I wished that someone would check on me? Rescue me and take me away from the hell on Earth I’d been walking through? But even when I received those first olive branches, I’d been too scared to reach for them.
Beckett moved in closer, the heat of his body seeping into mine. “Cora had a black eye the last time she came in.”
Hayes’ jaw worked back and forth. “She tell you how she got it?”
“Said she hit her head on a towel rod.”
I’d never had to come up with any excuses because the people I
’d seen on a daily basis hadn’t cared in the slightest if I was black and blue. Discipline. That was what most of them had called it. The ones I’d seen flickers of pity from were too scared to go against my father. And after everything that had happened with Everly, some of them had quit working for him altogether.
Hayes blew out a harsh breath. “Hopefully, Young will be able to get through to her. She has a way.”
I wasn’t as hopeful, but maybe over time, Cora would realize that she had options. I glanced at my watch. “I need to go. Birdie and Sage have a half-day today, and I’m watching them until Hadley gets off shift.”