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Author’s Notes

Short chapter excerpt here because I got shate to do.

It’s my anniversary, and I still have to get the weekly post out. Working out the rest of 20 and 21. I’ll catch up by the end of the week, don’t worry.

Have a great day.

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Chapter 20.1 – The Slut
 

There was a full-length, dark blue maxi dress in the guest bathroom that she could slip on – one she hadn’t worn in several years. This was her father’s bathroom, which led to the room he had occupied. However, the bathroom also had a door that led to the upstairs hallway.
When she was ill or just needed to change out of her clothes, she left maxi dresses hanging on the door for her to change into.
Fondly, she opened the bedroom door, which she had not stepped in since he’d been sent to hospice. Twice a year, Tori hired a cleaner for her entire house, and they’d change the bed sheets, remove dust from the rooms, and vacuum. However, since her niece and nephew had left for college a year ago, these bedrooms had been unattended.
She remembered coming in here all the time, sitting on the bed with Keir, watching movies or talking about the old times – her memories, not his. It had all been about her.
Were there looks of regret he held but would hide from her? Possibly hate behind her back?
He’d never said anything!
Slamming out of the bedroom, Tori wiped the tears from her eyes and stormed downstairs to her office. Beck was standing at the window, looking out at the backyard, where the sheds had been built.
Her construction manager didn’t turn around when she walked into her office, but he knew she was there. “The maddening part is I want to tear the fuckers down, but they did a damn good job. I can’t find shit wrong with them,” he growled, sipping on a cup of black coffee.
She was able to get her blush under control, knowing how this man had seen her.
Heavy footsteps came down the steps, and she looked toward the doorway of her office to see Duncan and Shawn coming down the steps, fully dressed.
“Beck Hardy, nice to meet you,” Shawn said, advancing toward Beck, but Duncan jerked him back and shook his head. “Oh yeah, I forgot the touching stuff.” He looked at the time. “I must get to work.” He came over to her desk, where she stood, and kissed her on the cheek. “See you tomorrow at the Cosgroves. I’ll have a car come pick you up, and we’ve promised not to bother you anymore until that time.”
Tori rolled her eyes and nodded. “Thanks?”
“The damage is already done,” Beck growled. “Your family’s filth takes forever to wash off. She’ll need an acid bath for the rest of her life and most likely lots of drugs.”
Duncan sized up Beck. They were both about the same height and build, but there was something all of a sudden dangerous about the look Duncan shot over at the construction manager.
Shawn stepped in front of Duncan. “We don’t want to tear up Tori’s office, trying to kill him, do we?”
Beck snorted. “He can try, and just because you’re all southpaws, it doesn’t mean I won’t beat all your asses. Nor do I care about the thirteen-inch hunting knife down your fucking pants, Dunc. My fist will be yanking your esophagus before you can get it out. “
Duncan smirked as if he wanted to see Beck try.
Tori didn’t doubt Beck could hurt someone if he wanted to, but against three brothers? He sounded damn confident.
“Beck, we don’t practice violence,” Shawn said. “Anymore. We’re civilized. I’m sure what you saw this morning, you’ll keep to yourself.”
“I will in no way embarrass Tori,” Beck swore, cutting her a look before turning to the brothers. “But you can bet your ass if you embarrass her, I’ll make sure none of you will walk for a month. Now fuck off, Doctor,” Beck hissed and turned his back on all of them, glaring out at the sheds again. If a glare could burn them down, by the heated look he gave the sheds, they would have. “And you don’t want to mess with this, Navy.”
Kevin came rambling down the steps, and she was sure her property was not up to these heavy footsteps all the time.
He immediately looked at Beck and then slapped Duncan on the shoulders. “Don’t worry, Duncan. Mr. Hardy ain’t like his brother and cousin. Those are MMA fighters, but he was their sparring partner. I heard he beat the sweat off of them. But I also heard he hates lefties.”
Duncan cocked his head to his other side, and his eye flinched as if he were reconsidering tearing up her office.
Beck didn’t turn around, but Tori could tell he was anxious as he cracked his knuckles when he moved them into fists. The room crackled with tension.
“Out!” she ordered the brothers.
Duncan and Shawn left, but Kevin stayed for a moment, leaning against the doorway. “Duncan made you breakfast, Tori, and here are the keys.” He held them up in her direction, making her walk over to him to retrieve them. “There are extras for your guy over there.” He was deliberately belittling Beck.
“She knows who I am, but does she know who you guys are?” Beck faced Kevin. “While you were untwining from that orgy, a police friend ran your plates of that ridiculous piece of shit vehicle you have, Kevin Carter and maybe she knows you were a handful when you were a teenager and that’s why you had your record is sealed, but does she know you’re suspected of getting high end cars in and out the United States or in your free time you dabble in the Apex?”
Beck’s revelation didn’t ruffle Kevin’s feathers one bit. “Suspected is a long way from being charged, and if I was even close to looking guilty on paper, that police officer friend would’ve been greeting me at the end of the stairway.”
“I think you know how to keep your nose a little bit too clean and probably know how to hide the bodies your middle brother is suspected of taking out.”
Kevin stood straight, and she could see him sucking on his teeth in annoyance. “Then if you know that, shouldn’t you stay out of our business, Rebecca Hardy?”
Beck started to walk towards him, and Tori could see that the man was ready to fight. However, she moved in front of her desk and his view. Tori knew her construction manager’s real name, and Beck hated it when anyone called him by that. His professionalism returned immediately.
“I’m staying in Tori’s business,” Beck declared. “And if you think you’re going to hurt her, you’d better know I don’t give a damn how dangerous you all are, I’ll wipe the fucking floor with each one of you,” Beck threatened. “And I won’t need to bring my family this time.”
Kevin looked at her, seeing her worried expression, and then he smiled as if to calm her. “Tori, have a good day.”
Beck didn’t stop staring at the doorway until he heard the Hummer’s big diesel engine pulling away. It was only then that Tori relaxed as well.
“What the hell was that all about? How’d they know about your skin condition? And your real name? And your family? And what did you mean about this time?”
“Our skin condition runs in our family. My brother and cousin are quite popular on the MMA circuit, and we’ve all engaged in some underground fighting. Those older Carter Brothers were pretty hard-nosed after Duncan came back from the war and had a bout with my brother and cousin. Kevin is the worst. I jumped in when those Carters started fighting dirty, but that was almost a decade ago. Didn’t think I’d ever see them around here again.” He looked rattled.
“What’s the Apex?” she inquired.
“It’s an illegal underground cross-country race. Kevin has done it a couple of times and won, but since it’s unrecorded, no one knows. He has also worked on the mechanics of a couple of cars for the race. He knows how to perform emergency vehicle repairs in the event of a breakdown on the side of the road. People pay big money for that so that they can win.” His freckled face twitched. “Tori, I don’t want to get into your personal business, but I think whatever you got with them, you should drop it like a bad habit.”
Beck was right. The brothers were all bad habits.
“It’s a long story, Beck, and I’m too embarrassed about it.”
“You don’t ever have to explain yourself or anything you’re doing to me,” Beck stated. “I’m just hoping, whatever you’ve gotten yourself into with them, you get out before you lose everything.”
She assured him. “This has nothing to do with my projects, Beck.”
“But you have soul, and very few keep theirs after dealing with those boys,” he warned.
“I’ll try not to lose my soul,” she promised.
“Was Duncan the one who spotted the electrical shit?” he assumed.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“That still doesn’t mean I like his ass one bit.”
“I’ll be careful,” she promised.
“I know you can’t beat them by brute force, Tori, but you can crush them because you’re smarter and emotionally stronger. You own your truth. Wear it like a shield, and I swear you’ll be able to walk away from them.”
He finished his coffee and came over to her desk to start their day, reviewing the agenda, which was already printed. Beck acted professionally and did not ask a million and one questions, but she could see he had a million of them, coinciding with deep worry.
Tori was grateful for this because she really needed Beck.

___ *** ___

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Her Substitute Husband… His Brothers (c) 2025 Sylvia Hubbard All Rights Reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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