His fingers trail down my cheek and I forget how to breathe for a moment. I watch his eyes as he follows the path they take before coming back to me.
“Did someone hurt you, Brie?”
Claws wrap around my heart, stopping it from beating and I have to force a breath out to restart it.
“No.” The lie falls so easily from my mouth. Too easily. I hate myself for it, but the truth can never come out. No one can ever know how weak, how pathetic I was.
“You said—”
“I was angry,” I murmur, my eyes watching his lips. I desperately want to brush mine over his, but I don’t dare move.
His brow cocks. “Why you lying to me?”
“I’m not.”
“Ain’t stupid, Brie. Wasn’t born yesterday. I know the way you’re acting ain’t you, and I know something changed to make you this way. If you won’t tell me, I’ll figure it out myself. Ain’t letting you self-destruct like this. Ain’t watching you throw your future down the toilet because you’ve got hurt so deep ain’t no one who can get it out. I’m going to find out what happened to you, and I’m going to fix it.”
His words carve a path through my heart, shredding what’s left of my tenuous hold on my emotions. One tear slides down my cheek, then another. I don’t reach up to wipe them away, but he does.
“Why do you care so much?”
He hesitates and that hesitation makes my stomach churn. What is running through his head?
Finally, he says, “You’re family.”
Family. It’s a foreign concept to me. My father was an abusive piece of shit, my mother in the wind. The only person I’ve ever been able to rely on is Levi, so lying to him is like a sledgehammer to my heart. I never wanted to lie to my brother, but if he knew the truth, he’d look at me differently, and I can’t bear that.
Daimon’s thumb swipes gently over the apple of my cheek, capturing my tears. “What happened? Please tell me.” His voice is so soft, so soothing, it’s on the tip of my tongue to spill all my secrets, but I lock them down. I can’t do this with him. I can’t do this with anyone. I’ll take this shit to my grave.
I shake my head. “I have to go.”
I duck under his arm and he doesn’t stop me, which I’m grateful for, but I can see the frustration playing across his face.
“Brie?”
I stop, wincing before I smooth my expression out so I can face him. “What?”
“If someone hurt you, I will kill them.”
The vehemence in his voice should scare me, the demons I can see flashing in his eyes, but there’s also another side to him, one he’s starting to show me. He cares. I don’t know why, but he does.
And that scares the holy hell out of me, more so than the monsters lurking behind his gaze.
“Too late,” I whisper before I rush up the corridor and out into the fresh air.
I let the cooler wind wash over me for a moment, my eyes closing as it soothes my pain. Then I start the short walk towards the nearest bar.
7
Daimon
I watch Levi from across the common room later that night, trying to work out if he knows what the fuck his sister is hiding. Something or someone has hurt her. It’s there in her eyes, swirling around, giving her that haunted look I’d seen earlier. If he does know, he hasn’t said shit. My guess is he doesn’t have a clue about the secrets his sister is keeping. That whispered ‘too late’ has been playing on fucking repeat in my head, stopping me from thinking about anything else. The way it fell from her lips, the hitch in her voice that was so soft I had to strain to hear her words. What the hell happened to her? What did we fail to protect her from? The thought makes fire churn in my gut, because I know we’ve fucked up and failed her. She’s property of the Untamed Sons. Nothing should have touched her. The thought someone might have shreds through my stomach like a dagger wound and it fuels my rage. Whoever hurt her is dead. I’ll happily watch the life drain from their eyes.
I shouldn’t be this fucking interested in her. I shouldn’t care, but I do. I tell myself it’s because she’s family, because she’s Levi’s kid sister, but it’s more than that. The feelings I have for her are not familial and to be honest that scares the shit out of me. I’ve never felt any emotion for a woman in my life. The thought I have them for a girl who only just stopped being jail bait leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.
“What’s got you glaring?” Titch asks, sliding onto the stool next to mine.
Kyle moves over to grab him a drink without being asked. Such a good little prospect.
“Ain’t glaring at shit,” I mutter, wrapping my hands around my glass. Irritation itches across my skin.
“Sure you ain’t.”
He takes the pint glass from Kyle as he slides it on the bar top. The prospect then makes himself scarce. We could probably do with taking on another kid, but Ravage doesn’t seem in any hurry to replace Zack. I know Kyle must be feeling the increased workload since Zack was killed at the hands of Sin, but the kid has never once complained. I admire that about him.
I glance over at Levi, who is pounding into Noelle on one of the sofas, his bare arse on display for everyone to see, his jeans pulled down to his thighs. Those two are a fucked-up mess, but it ain’t my place to judge what a brother does. As far as I’m concerned, you fuck bunnies, you don’t love them. It’s clear Levi is starting to fall for her, hard. Noelle seems like a nice enough girl, but she ain’t old lady material. Bitches who spread their legs for any man who walks by ain’t the type of woman a brother wants at his side.
“Something going on with you and Levi?”
I don’t blame this question. I’ve spent most of the night glaring in the brother’s direction, but I don’t need him sticking his fucking nose in where it doesn’t belong.
“That any of your business?” I ask as I take a sip of my drink.
“You and him have beef, then yeah, it’s everyone’s business.”
“Ain’t got beef with the brother,” I assure him, wishing he’d let shit go, but he doesn’t.
“Yeah? You’ve been watching him all night.” His lips twitch. “You jealous of Noelle?”
I roll my eyes. “Ain’t jealous of that snatch. Levi ain’t my type. I like pussy.”
“So, what’s going on?”
“You always so fucking pushy?”
He holds his hands up in surrender. “Just trying to keep the peace, brother. Shit has been a little explosive lately. It’s only just starting to calm down.”
He’s not wrong about that, but we came out the other side stronger. Blackwood’s patch is ours now, one more of our enemies has been defeated and the whole of London knows the consequences of fucking with us. It left a strong message not to fuck with us.
I shouldn’t ask him, but I can’t resist the chance of finding out something more. “What do you know about Briella?”
“Levi’s sister?” I don’t miss the surprise in his voice.
He and Titch are closest in the club, so if anyone is going to know shit I’ll be him.