“Rebel don’t go,” Rachel begged. “Don’t. You need to stay. It’s safe here for you.”

“Stop,” Rebel whispered. Rachel’s words hit her like sharp stones. “I need to leave, I need to leave right now. You heard everything, you should understand.”

Justin put his hand on Rachel’s shoulder. “We’re going back to Carmel. She’ll be fine. I’ll be with her.”

Rachel’s eyes were wet with unshed tears. “Don’t give up on us, Rebel. You’re not just leaving him, you’re leaving us too. And what about—”

“Don’t,” Rebel snapped. Holy shit, not this too. Hadn’t she had enough drama in one day? “Stop it, Rachel. Not another word.”

“What is she talking about?” Krissy asked.

“Nothing!” Oh God, she needed to get the hell out of there before Trevor found out. They were all still standing out on the front lawn. Rebel looked up and noticed that Trevor was walking back toward them. Her heart skipped a beat. Ice-cold fear ran through her veins. She took a step back, trying to get away.

“She’s pregnant, okay? She’s pregnant,” Rachel told Krissy.

“No way,” Krissy breathed.

Rebel’s jaw dropped at Rachel’s proclamation. She saw her already shattered world breaking off into tinier pieces.

“I’m sorry, Rebel, but I have to say something. This is crazy. I know you’re upset right now. But since you’re pregnant, you should really be staying with us. Please don’t make a rash decision while you’re upset.”

“What. Did. She. Say?” Trevor asked. He was standing at the edge of their group. He’d heard everything.

Rebel stiffened. Everyone went quiet.

“What the fuck did she just say, Rebel?” Trevor shouted at her back.

Rebel whipped around and met his gaze, witnessed his flaming rage and lifted her chin. Time to face the music. “I’m pregnant, Trevor. I’m over three months pregnant.”

“Fucking hell!” Justin exploded. “Kinda important information there, Rebel. Think you shoulda told me that one.”

“She was going to tell you, Trevor,” Rachel burst in.

Trevor put a hand up, cutting off Rachel’s words, and stepped closer to Rebel. So close he could whisper in her ear. She trembled but forced herself not to step back.

“We’ve been fucking without a condom,” he said softly, his words meant only for her. “Me thinking I’m planting my seed in you, and you didn’t think you should inform me that you’re already pregnant with some other asshole’s kid?”

Rebel swallowed hard.

Trevor was filled with rage. His body was on fire. He practically saw red. Mad at Rebel for not telling him the truth. Mad at everyone and everything.

Most of all, mad at himself.

He was a match that only needed a rough surface to light on fire.

He was lying. She was lying. It was all a boatload of wrong piled on more wrong. And she’d never told him that she was pregnant?

What. The. Fuck.

He was practically dizzy with the enormity of this information.

How could she not have told him? How?

He stared hard at his woman as she turned away.

“I heard you,” a voice shouted in his ear. He glanced in slow motion to look at Rachel, who was staring at him with eyes lit with rage. “I was standing right here and I heard what you whispered in Rebel’s ear.” Rachel reached out and punched him in the arm. “She was raped, you asshole!” she yelled at him. “Raped when everything went down in LA. Two men beat her and raped her and she’s been afraid to tell you this whole time because she was worried you would reject the baby. I told her you weren’t like that. I vouched for you and it turns out you are like that.”

Trevor took a deep breath, glanced up and noticed Adam jogging in their direction. The three new women were gathered closely around Rebel, covering her as effectively as a burqa, sweeping her off to the house.

“Adam, I—” Rachel started.

He hugged her. “Go inside, babe, with Rebel. It’ll be okay. We’ll talk later. Let me take care of this now.”

Rachel nodded and walked away. The other women were already inside.

“You got this?” Sebastian asked Adam in a low voice.

Trevor glanced at Justin, who was eyeing him with open hostility. Trevor lifted his chin and widened his stance.

“I’m good,” Adam replied. “You can go with them. I’ll take—”

Justin stepped up and swung his fist into Trevor’s jaw. Blinding pain swept across his face.

“Oh shit,” Adam muttered. “Here we go.”

Trevor stumbled back, recovered and plowed his head back into Justin’s midsection. The two of them fell to the ground, wrestling for control.

“Bring it on, motherfucker,” Trevor growled.

“You’re not going to hurt her again,” Justin snarled.

“Break it up!” Adam shouted as he waded in, bent down and shoved them both back with a palm on each of their chests. Sebastian stepped in too, effectively separating the two men.

“You are not going to lay other goddamn hand on her, do you hear me?” Justin spit out. “Let me go. I’m going to kick his ass for hurting her.”

“Justin,” Adam sighed as he pulled him off the ground. “You just recovered from walking pneumonia. You’re weak, man. Trevor will kick your ass. She’s gone, she’s leaving him. Let it go. Okay? The both of you. Let it go.”

Trevor stood up. Blood dripped off his face and onto his hand. “Fuck you all,” he spat, then turned and strode away.

Rebel stood in the RV, not speaking and trying not to cry while her heart throbbed with an actual physical pain, like a knife wound. Her hand was over her wounded heart, rubbing against her chest. Her bags were packed. Tiana, Krissy and Kati were loading their car. She’d said goodbye to everyone she wanted to say goodbye to. She was trying not to think about a certain person, just waiting for Justin to get his stuff together.

“You’re going with them? Are you sure? You could stay, you know, until you’re one hundred percent,” Christian said to Justin. He was there with them, watching as Justin looked through the RV one last time. Justin strode around the cramped interior, his movements jerky, his brow furrowed. He picked items up and shoved them in bags, not looking very closely at what he was taking.

“Someone’s got to watch over those women,” Justin answered. “They’re wild and reckless. I can’t let them leave without back-up, especially now that Rebel’s going with them. I wanted to stay, but now that they’re leaving, I am too. I have to go with them. Someone has to be there to cover their asses when they get into trouble, because they will get into trouble.”

Rebel rolled her eyes, kinda pissed off at what he was saying. “We’re big girls, we can handle ourselves.”

Christian nodded at Justin, agreeing. “I understand. It’s the right thing to do. It’ll make all of us feel better knowing you went with them.”

Rebel blew out a disgusted breath.

A car horn honked from outside. “Justin, move your ass!” a female voice yelled. “We’re outta here.”

“There’s my cue,” Justin groused. “Let’s go,” he said to Rebel. Then he looked back at Christian. “I’ll be back in a couple of days to come and pick up the RV.”

“Okay, I’ll tell the others.” Christian opened the door for them.

Rebel saw Krissy in the driver’s seat of the convertible the women had arrived in four days ago.

“What’s taking so long?” Krissy yelled. “You don’t need anything. Leave it all behind. We’ll pick up new stuff on the way. Come on, hurry the hell up.”

The two women in the backseat joined in the chorus of grousing. Rebel offered a tremulous, apologetic smile.

“Shit,” Justin grumbled from behind.

“Good luck with that,” Christian offered. “They’re going to be a handful.”

“Tell me about it,” Justin muttered. He put out his hand. “Hey, thanks for the help, man. I appreciate it. If it wasn’t for you…”

Christian took the offered hand, shook it briskly and let go. “I did what needed to be done. You would’ve done the same.”

Justin nodded. “Maybe you could come visit us later and—”

The horn honked again. There were whistles and catcalls. Justin shook his head. “Maybe you could come and visit us in Carmel when we get settled again. Adam gave me a new frequency for the radio we can use to keep in touch.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Justin nodded and brushed past Christian as he moved to the car. Rebel followed.

“Hey, girl,” Krissy said. “You come and sit in the front seat next to me. You earned it today.”

Rebel nodded and got in the front seat, because, you know what, she had.

Justin squeezed his large frame into the backseat between Kati and Tiana. The moment his door shut, the car pealed off and they were gone.