A Rogue For Four Alphas
Chapter 51

Chapter Fifty One

I'm primed to argue, but Lilyis standing at the foot of the stairs looking like she's on the verge of tears, and I don't want to create more stress

"They're gone," I say, putting my arm around her and leading her upstairs. "Everything's okay. What time do you need to be at school?"

If it wasn't down to her final weeks of school, I'd encourage her to stay home, but I'm sure this isn't a good time to miss a day, not with graduation so close. I get towels for her out of the linen closet and help her sort her things out so she can get ready.

Alpha Damon and Alpha Harry are waiting for us by the front door when we come downstairs.

"Do you have everything?" Alpha Damon asks, looking at Lily's backpack.

"Do you have time for breakfast, or do you want to grab a protein bar?" Alpha Harry asks.

The two of them sound like concerned dads, and I almost have to laugh, even though I'm annoyed by Alpha Damon's insistence on being our escort.

Does he think my mother and Santos are waiting by the side of the road to ambush us?

She's annoying as fuck, infuriating, and rage-inducing, but she doesn't scare me, and neither does Bill. Alpha Damon is really overreacting, and I'd tell him about it if Lilywasn't standing right here.

She accepts a breakfast bar from Alpha Harry and we get on our way, Alpha Damon driving with Alpha Harry next to him, and Lilyand me in the back. At the school, I make plans with Lilyto pick her up after dismissal. She mentions wanting to go to a friend's house after school, but I ask her to wait. I'll feel better having her with me until we make sure everything has calmed down. I'm not afraid of our mother, but I don't want her messing with Lily anymore

"I'm sorry you had to deal with all of that shit," I tell the men when it's just the three of us in the truck. Alpha Harry moved into the backseat to sit with me when Lily got out

"We're sorry you had to deal with it," Alpha Harry says. "Have things always been like that with your mom?"

I sigh and shrug. "More or less. There were some good times when I was little. My mother was okay when she was between men, but then she'd get with a new one and things would go off the rails. She'd do everything for them, and they'd treat her like shit. After a few months or a few years, when a guy moved on, she'd find another one just like him.

"It doesn't make any sense," I say, "because my mother owns her house. It's not like she needs a man to take care of her, and it's usually the opposite, like with Santos. The guys she's with take money from her while they keep her under their thumb. I don't see what she gets out of it."

"Some people seem to get into a pattern of abusive relationships. Did she grow up seeing a relationship like that?" Alpha Harry asks.

"Not that I can tell, but The pattern's going to end with me. No man is going to take over my life and tell me what to do.

"What about your father?" Alpha Damon asks.

"Santos killed him" I say, another thing I do know is that Lily and I were fathered by different men, but I don't mention that to Alpha Damon and Alpha Harry. They've heard enough of my sordid tale already. "Growing up, couldn't you have reported the abuse to your school or to a relative?" Alpha Damon asks.

"She didn't beat us. I'm not sure her behavior is the kind of thing that really counts as 'take your kids away' abuse, and even if it did, where would we have gone into foster care? That might have been worse."

Neither of them says anything in response, but Alpha Harry takes my hand in both of his and rubs the back of it in a way that soothes me.

AT THE HOUSE, I TAKE A SHOWER THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR EARLIER, and then devote my attention to expanding my apartment search. I'm determined to find something, even if it's farther away than I'd been previously considering. I don't want Lily going back to our mother's house, and I can't keep imposing on the men's generosity, not when there are two of us. Also, I don't want the men to have to deal with Santos and my mother again, on the off chance that they're stupid enough to come back.

Since I last looked for apartments, two new possibilities are listed in Whitman and, amazingly, one is available on the island. I find Alpha Damon and Alpha Ian in the office, but before I can tell them I'm going out, Alpha Damon speaks first. "I'm going to go to work with you tonight," he says in a tone that's far too matter of fact for my likin

"Why is that?" I ask, even though I know he's still in overprotective, bodyguard mode.

"In case your mother bothers you there. I'll go tonight; Alpha Ian will go in with you tomorrow. We'll set up a schedule."

"No, no, no, no, no," I say, cutting him off. "You are not going to do that. My mother's apparently known I worked there for a while and she's never come in. If she did, and on the off chance there was something I couldn't handle, Lukas usually there, and one of the bartenders, Fuke, is a big, imposing guy."

Alpha Damon frowns. "I'd feel better being there, making sure." "And I'd feel better not having a babysitter."

Alpha Ian almost grins, but he also looks concerned.

"Anyway, I just came to tell you I'm going out," I say, turning for the door. "There are a couple of new apartment leads, and I'm going to check them out before they're snatched up."

"What?" Alpha Damon's voice is booming. "You can't get an apartment now. You and your sister won't be safe."

"Jasmine, we love having you here, and your sister can stay too," Alpha Ian says, sounding much more reasonable, but also aiming to be persuasive.

"We'll be perfectly fine," I say, "and while I have appreciated being able to stay here, it was never meant to be long term."

"I won't let you go, Jasmine," Alpha Damon says, grabbing my arm before I make it out of the room.

I turn hard, twisting out of his grasp. "You won't let me? Tell me I didn't just hear you say that."