Page 9 of Band of Brothers - MFMM Menage Romance (Sweet Treats 8)

But June merely shrieks again, her bosom heaving as all the blood drains from her face. Then she kicks off her high heels and bolts from the dais like streak of white lightning. Oh wow, she’s much faster than she looks.

The crowd is stunned, and nothing happens at first. We merely watch, immobile, as she darts for the double doors in the back of the ballroom before flinging them open and disappearing into the hallway of the hotel. What the hell?

Holy shit, we have a case of the Runaway Bride on our hands. Or in this situation, the Runaway Initiate would be more appropriate.

As the curvy girl makes her escape, the room erupts into pandemonium. Men gesture with their hands and a low roar fills my ears. The spotlight goes off for a moment, and we’re cloaked in total darkness. Then the light comes on again, and the truckers glare at each other in confusion. What the hell just happened?

But it’s too late. The curvy June is gone, and we’re left with nothing. The trucker who was supposed to initiate her has also disappeared, but for that, I’m grateful. I was getting jealous of that asshole, as were my brothers at my side. Maybe this ceremony was interrupted, but Forest, Fred and I will get it back on the rails in no time.

6

June

My pulse is racing and the top of my head feels like it’s going to blow off. What the hell? I dart around the hotel hallways, zigzagging right and left. I have no idea where I’m going, but I’m like an animal in a panic. I keep running and running and running, and frankly, I might be doing circles at this point.

But it doesn’t matter. I can’t believe that that just happened. Owen and Alizeh owe me an apology because why didn’t they tell me? Sure, they gave me hints about what was going to happen during the ceremony. There was talk about “becoming a woman,” “exploring your femininity,” and “the club will show you the way.” But no one told me that a man whom I’ve never met was going to claim my innocence! And not only that, but that he was going to do it in front of an audience of huge, hung truckers.

What the hell? I’m flustered, angry, panicked, and lost all at once. My vision is going blurry, and I round another corner, still unable to think. I can’t believe my dad set me up for that! Why didn’t he tell me in detail what was going to happen? I would have been angry, but at least I would have had a choice.

Suddenly, a huge hand grabs my arm and I’m swung around so hard that my head knocks a bit on itself.

“June!” my dad says. “Get yourself together!”

I bobble to a stop, staring at him. Owen’s face is dark, like he’s seen thunderclouds. His mouth is pulled into a grim line, and those blue eyes are practically black with anger.

I don’t even answer. I merely open my mouth and let out a blood-curling scream.

My dad shakes me again.

“Stop with the hysteria!” he orders roughly. “Get yourself together! I didn’t raise you to be a weeping willow who cries at everything.”

I’m just about to open my mouth and scream again, but then my lips snap shut. He’s right. Owen’s always told me to “show them just how tough you are,” and this is my moment.

“What was that about?” my dad demands once more.

I stare at him, disbelieving.

“You didn’t see?”

He snorts.

“I’m your father,” he grinds out. “No father attends his own daughter’s initiation.”

The blood rises to my face, and I can feel rage churning in my breast.

“Oh good because what happened was pretty nasty,” I say in a harsh voice. “You set me up!”

My dad shakes his head.

“I did no such thing.”

“You DID!” I almost scream again, although now there’s an edge of pain to my voice. “You told me that I was going to talk with an older girl about ‘maturing into a woman’ and all that bullshit. You said that you wanted to ‘carry out your parental duties’ and that you’ve been stressed about being both mother and father to me. Is this your idea of doing a good job as a dad?”

Owen stares at me, his gaze flinty.

“Keep it down, June,” he warns in a low voice. “We’re in public.”

I stare right back at him, practically shaking with anger.

“Do you think I care that we’re in public, given just what happened to me?”

My dad snorts heavily and shakes his head impatiently.

“So what happened? I didn’t see what happened because I wasn’t in that room. But why did you come out wailing like a banshee? Did lightning strike?”

I shake my head furiously.

“No, but it might as well have. I was on stage, doing my little dance for all your friends.”