She couldn’t answer. She couldn’t. Until Rory shrugged and tried to go around her.

“I love him!”

Rory stopped, his eyes again focusing on her. Reece and Ricky Lee stepped closer, watching her but saying nothing.

“What did you say, baby sister?”

“I…I said I love him.” Ronnie’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. She suddenly felt like that high school virgin she’d played with Shaw the other day. Sure, she’d told her friends and family she loved them. But she’d never said it about a male before. A male she had regular sex with. And Lord help her, but it was true.

“You sure about that, baby sister?”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

The three brothers passed glances and then pushed her back, advancing on the fighting Shaws. Apparently they didn’t care that she loved him.

“Just remember…not his face!” she called after them in a last-ditch effort to save something.

Rory reached down and grabbed the back of Shaw’s neck, yanking him up, but Shaw had his claws dug into his brother’s shoulders, so Reece grabbed Mitch, pulling him the opposite direction, and Ricky Lee went about pulling claws out of important body parts.

“Y’all need to simmer down now,” Rory warned softly. “A lot of full-humans around and they’re watching.”

Shaw closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Mitch shook his head, trying to get the hair out of his eyes. Unfortunately, he sent some blood flying in the process.

Rory grabbed Shaw by the hair and pulled his head around. He squinted into his face. “You’ll heal.”

“We should clean up this one, though.”

“Yup. Come on.”

The Reed brothers pushed the Shaw brothers ahead of them toward the elevator.

“Where the hell are you going?”

“Don’t you never mind, Ronnie Lee. We’ll send him back in one piece.”

Rory winked at her and ambled off, the rest of the Pack males following behind.

Once the elevator doors closed, Ronnie turned to Sissy Mae. “What the hell was that?”

“That, my friend, was male business.”

“Male business?”

“Yeah. Shit too stupid for a female to ever think about getting in the middle of.”

“Ahh.”

“Come on, darlin’. Let’s get you into some clothes before you freeze to death. And a nice big vat of tequila.”

“Good plan.”

But before either could take a step, Marissa Shaw exited one of the other elevators. Her gold eyes searched the lobby, and when she locked onto Ronnie, she marched right over to her.

Ronnie grimaced. “Aww, shit.” She’d really hoped her night of excitement was over. Apparently not.

“Don’t fret none,darlin’. I got your back.”

“You said that in Budapest. I still have the scars, too.”

“You are such a whiner.”

Marissa Shaw stepped in front of them, her eyes locked on Ronnie.

“Uh…hi, Marissa.”

“After a delightful fight with that idiot baby brother of mine,” she launched with absolutely no preamble, “Brendon’s phone rang. It was Missy Llewellyn.”

Ronnie frowned. “Missy?”

“Yes. Missy. Apparently her sisters had just told her about you and Brendon.” Uh-oh.

Marissa’s arms crossed in front of her chest and she braced her feet apart. The woman was definitely sturdy and powerful. A typical predator.

“Look, Marissa—”

The lioness held her hand up, silencing Ronnie. “When she asked me what was going on, I was forced to tell her about you and Brendon. About how Brendon told me he loved you and how I was almost positive he was going to mark you as his own.”

Sissy Mae opened her mouth, probably to confirm that, but Ronnie slammed her foot into the woman’s instep. Sissy’s mouth opened in a silent scream, but she kept her pain to herself.

“Maybe you should talk to Bren—”

“I had to tell her that a She-wolf would be helping to raise the Llewellyn Pride’s cubs. And that they would have little half-wolf sisters and brothers one day. Plus there was nothing she could do about it because of the contract. I also had to tell her that every Pride on the East Coast would know she lost one of her favored Breeding Males, not to some rich Pack from Boston or Connecticut but to a Smith Pack She-wolf from the backwoods of Tennessee.”

Ronnie would have probably been good and angry if tears hadn’t started to slide down Marissa’s face. Oh good Lord in heaven, she’s sobbing.

“I had to tell her all those things and I have to say that nothing, absolutely nothing, has ever made me happier.”

Ronnie blinked. “What?”

“You, my She-wolf friend, have given me hope when I only saw darkness. You’ve given me joy, when I’ve only known misery. You, Ronnie Lee Reed, have made me happier than I’ve ever been before.”

Then Marissa wrapped her arms around Ronnie and held her in a tight bear hug. Eyes wide, Ronnie looked over at Sissy who, also wide-eyed, stared right back at her.

Wow. And she thought her family was weird.

“That’s…uh…really great, Marissa.” Ronnie awkwardly patted Marissa on the back. “I’m glad I could be of help.”

“Oh, you were. I haven’t had that kind of fun since I stopped stealing cars.”

That’s when Sissy Mae covered her mouth and turned away, her shoulders shaking.