Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
“So!” he emphasized in a snide tone. “She is your brother’s girl? Now, why was that so hard to say?”
“She’s his little black cat, Brian.”
“Yeah, well, if she’s his pussy, then someone forgot to tell her.”
“What’s your problem?” I shook my head, utterly confused. “What are you trying to start?”
He smiled, enjoying this reaction out of me. “Why are you getting so testy?”
I grinned. “Keep running your mouth and you’re going to find out really quickly.”
“Brian,” the blonde intervened, “I don’t mind being second place.” She leaned into me, getting close to my lips. “You want to hold the silver medal, or do you want to be my hero?”
I rasped an inch away from her mouth, “What am I saving you from?”
She put her hands up in a surrendering gesture. “Maybe you? You love that girls fall at your feet, don’t you?”
“I’d say more like they fall on their knees.” My stare trailed her body. “But yours works too.” Refocusing my gaze to Brian, I informed, “She’ll be with me this weekend. My brother's going to be out of town.”
“Look at you, how chivalrous. You’re going to bring her around here?”
“Yeah, you’ll get to admire her from afar.”
“Already getting possessive?”
“How about you just tell everyone she’s hands-off, alright?”
“Does that mean she’ll be sleeping in your bed this weekend?”
“Yeah,” I spat. “It will be one big slumber party.”
“Are you going to braid each other’s hair too?”
“Why?” I taunted. “You want to watch?”
The blonde added, “I’d love to be part of that invitation.”
Brian hollered, “I guess that makes it a threesome.”
Slightly pushing her back, I disclosed, “I’m not big on sharing.”
Right then and there, I’d been a bystander to my own death and destruction. The pain would eventually burn me alive inside, threatening to spill over into a war where it began with my white flag up.
I surrendered.
Gave up.
Game over.
No do-overs.
No second chances.
And I’d been the one to do it.
My relationship with them would never be the same after this weekend, and all I had to do was look in the mirror to know the person responsible for it. This would be the weekend when our dynamic changed into something unrecognizable. The broken pieces of our hearts shattered into a kaleidoscope of bright, blinding color.
It'd crash to the floor by our feet.
I wanted to continue to respond in anger.
To tell Brian to fuck off.
Go to hell.
Isn’t that what madness does?
The blonde was still in front of me, allowing her expression to speak for itself. I saw a whirlwind of emotions fly through her eyes, making me feel alive and so fucking broken at the same time.
At the end of the day, letting my brother have Isla was the most noble thing I could do.
He was my blood.
My only brother.
The man I was supposed to look up to.
How am I supposed to know I was damning all three of our souls together forever?
I didn’t.
I couldn’t.
I dragged us all to hell, where it started and ended with…
* * *
“We are yours.”
Chapter
Fourteen
Isla
A smile spread across Julius’s face before he grabbed my body and threw me over his shoulder. I laughed as he carried me up the stairs and down the hall, right into his bedroom. He kicked the door shut behind him, then tossed me onto his bed.
Sliding out of his jacket next, he rolled up his sleeves, and I was too mesmerized to do anything but stare at the strength of his forearms and his flexed muscles with each movement of his tall frame.
I sucked in a sharp breath when he was finished. He stalked toward me, his face willing me to stay put while he ran his gaze over me. My mouth trembled with a mixture of lust and curiosity that stirred inside me. He’d just gotten home from work, deciding to carry me up to his room after briefly saying hello.
His green eyes flashed with mischief as he reached for me. I tried to playfully scramble away, but he caught my ankle and dragged me across the mattress until I was on the edge of his bed.
My skin buzzed with anticipation.
My heart hammered in nervousness, but excitement.
“See?” He leaned over until his lips hit my ear. “That wasn’t too hard, now, was it?”
He straightened, and that was it.
Or so I thought.
He went into the bathroom and turned on the water. Seconds later, he was back with a wet washcloth and makeup remover.
What is happening?
He crouched in front of me, ordering, “Close your eyes for me, Mouse.”
I did, and he began rubbing the makeup remover on my face. My shoulders immediately went lax with the rest of my body as he wiped the sadness away from my skin in an act so gentle and endearing. Once he was done, I opened my eyes, and he was staring right at me.
This regard was different.
This was one full of emotion.