Chapter 23: Hidden In Brutal Devotion: Chapter 20

Cole Harper holds my hand while bouncing on the balls of her feet. “She’s here, can you see?” I point toward the car Lucas just pulled up in.

When he told me to collect Harper this morning from the Lancasters’ and text him somewhere to meet that was child friendly, I knew this was not what he had in mind.

I can feel his glare before he even steps foot out of the car, making me chuckle to myself.

“Mommy!” Harper screeches, then slips from my hand to run toward Tia. Tia’s face morphs from shock to sheer delight, and I steal a glance at Lucas, hoping he realizes what he’s done for Tia. For both of them. His normally stoic face turns up with a small smile as he watches on. Tia hugs Harper in a tight embrace.

“How did this happen?” She looks between me and Lucas.

“He did it.” I throw my arm out toward Lucas. He nervously drags a hand through his dark hair.

Tia jumps to her feet and plants a kiss on his cheek before he has a chance to pull away. I narrow my eyes when he doesn’t shy away from her. Mmm, interesting. What’s been happening while I’ve been working these crazy-ass shifts? And when the fuck is Rage home so I can see?

“When is Rage home?”

Lucas turns toward me, his glare bordering on deadly. “Another week.”

Shit, he’s been gone a long time for him. He’ll be raging at Lucas when he gets home, that’s for sure. I chuckle to myself at my own analogy. Poor dude is going to lose his shit when he realizes not only he has a woman living with him, but his brothers are sharing her and she has a kid I’m quite happy to take on as my own.

I gaze at my family before me. Fucking perfect. Tia introduces Lucas to Harper, and like the little superstar she is, she latches onto his hand and her mom’s, and they start walking toward the beach.

Lucas stops at my ear. “The fucking beach?” He glances down at his business clothes, shirt, and slacks in disgust.

I shrug with a grin. “I bought you some swimmers.” I hold up the bag from the nearby surf shop. “I got Harper some too. Woman in the shop said you can change in there.” I nod toward the store.

“Thank you, Cole. I love you.” Harper throws her arms around my legs, and I grin widely at Lucas.

“She loves me.” I raise my eyebrows and wiggle them.

Lucas stares down at Harper, then back up at me. “Game-fucking-on, brother.” His sly grin makes me throw my head back on a laugh.

Lucas approaches in a small pair of black swim shorts; his toned olive body has the perfect number of ridges. He’s nowhere near as built or as wide as me, but he is ripped. I glance down toward his impressive bulge. I’ve never taken proper notice of this, but now the thought of seeing him naked for me and Tia makes my cock jerk.

It’s completely unlike him to be so naked. If it wasn’t for his clenched jaw and coiled shoulder muscles, you wouldn’t know he’s uncomfortable. To the outside world, he looks pissed, but to me, he’s trying to disguise his discomfort.

I glance at Tia. She’s smiling up at him, as though he’s a hero for arranging this. She’s so damn beautiful, and for a moment, I feel like the air is being sucked from my chest. I’m going to marry this girl. Someday. Someday, she’s going to be my wife, and her adorable little girl is going to be mine too. I’ll make sure of it.

I can’t help but laugh when Lucas almost wipes a whole family out with the giant inflatable princess carriage and then stumbles due to the amount of sand toys he’s laden with.

He drops them at my feet with a huff, making me smile up at him in amusement. “Couldn’t you decide between the pink unicorn or the purple one?” I ask, pointing toward the virtually identical buckets.

He narrows his eyes at me before kicking sand over my freshly sun-creamed abs.

“Lucas, that’s not nice. You don’t kick sand, it can be dangerous,” Harper reprimands Lucas with her cute nose scrunching up and her hands on her hips. “Mommy, tell Lucas to be a good boy.” She wags her finger in Lucas’s direction, earning a low chuckle from him. It’s clear he’s struggling to keep a straight face, so he bites into his lip.

“Be a good boy, Lucas.”

“Yeah, Lucas. Be a good boy,” I mock. He rewards me with the middle finger as Harper bends down to unpack the abundance of sand toys.

“This is incredible, guys. Thank you both so much.” Tears fill Tia’s eyes, and I feel the immediate need to comfort her, but Lucas beats me to it. He places a tender arm around her waist, drawing her into him. Then, she rests her head on his chest like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

To anyone else, it would be, but to Lucas, it isn’t. I scan his body, looking for discomfort, but the only telltale is his toes curling into the sand.

“Lucas. Can you help build a princess castle?”

His eyes snap down toward Harper, who’s sitting in the sand already digging a hole. A smile tugs on his usually grumpy lips, and he lowers himself to the ground to help her. “Sure.” He gifts her with a smile I’ve never seen before, and she mirrors one back at him. The exchange between the two makes my heart swell.

“Hey, what about me? What shall I do?”

“You can go fetch the water, Cole. You have giant arms for that.” She waves the spade around in her hand, pointing toward my arms, sending sand flying without even realizing. She’s so damn cute.

Tia lowers herself to sit beside me. “And a giant cock too.” Her words breeze into my ear.

“Jesus, beauty. Don’t say shit like that to me while we’re here.” I nod toward Harper, causing Tia to stifle a giggle. “I’m going to get water for our princess.” I jump up before my cock has other ideas. No way do I want to be called out for that shit happening on a family beach.

Later, though, later it can be up all night long.

I’m going to make her pay.

Her and Lucas.