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“No, just letting my friend know she is not walking into the lion’s den, so to speak, all alone.”
“Don’t worry about me, Kyra. I’ve always been able to handle your brother.” While that had always been the case, Brie suspected it was mostly because Colby wouldn’t actually make a move against her.
“Kyra, why don’t you go wait for Annie and Deke to arrive. I’d like a moment to talk to Brie alone.”
Kyra looked between her oldest friend and the older brother she had once adored.
“It’ll be fine, Kyra. I can handle him.”
“Only if you’re sure,” Kyra said.
“Take the SUV back with my men. Brie and I will walk down to the main house, provided that’s all right with her.”
“I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs.”
Kyra looked between them dubiously, but then nodded and joined Colby’s men to head back to the house.
“Thank you for indulging me,” he started.
Brie shrugged. “I figure you’re owed. I’m going to assume you want to talk about Seattle. Let me say for the record, what transpired that night will never happen again.”
“Never say never, Brie. I have to say very little surprises me in this life, but you running out on me caught me up.”
“I didn’t run out on you. I spent the night; we had sex; I left. I don’t recall saying anything to make you think it was more than that or that I was even willing to offer you something more. I’m sorry if you didn’t understand.”
“That is such bullshit, Brie, and you know it.”
“I know nothing of the sort.”
Colby snorted. “You know we are fated mates. You can feel the bonding link between us. I know you can. Why won’t you even discuss it with me?”
“There’s nothing to discuss, Colby. I know what you want from me, but I don’t have it within me to give. You should move on and find another. I thought I’d been clear about that, but I can see now that I wasn’t, and I do apologize for that.”
Colby grabbed her arm, swinging her around. “I don’t want your damn apology, Brie. I want you.”
Brie pulled away and resumed walking toward the manor house. “Well, you can’t have me. If the only reason you wanted me up here was to harangue me about how I’ve done you wrong, please call your pilot back to return me to Seattle. If you don’t feel inclined to help Adriana, let me know, and she can return with me. We will not ask for your assistance again.”
“Damn it, Brie. I didn’t say anything about Adriana. Did I use the situation to get you up here? Yes. Guilty as charged. I thought if we could spend time together without our lives being in imminent danger, we could talk and find a solution that worked for both of us. For God’s sake Brie, I love you. I’ve always loved you. And you love me. I know you do.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Don’t lie to me, Brie. Don’t say anything but don’t insult what we could have or my intelligence by lying. For one thing, you’re not particularly good at it.”
“That isn’t true. I’m an exceptional liar. What I feel… what you feel… it isn’t really the point. My mother tasked me with leading the Shadow Sisters.”
“Your mother was a righteous bitch.”
Brie stopped, looked at him, and then before either of them could think, slapped him across the face.
“How dare you? My mother risked everything to get us away from Thane.”
“Your mother risked very little. She knew how I felt about you. She knew if she called for a champion, I would be honor bound to step up. Granted, the Navy trained me to fight, but your father was a battle-hardened warrior who had size and experience on me.” He shook his head. “I always thought you’d come back. You didn’t have to follow your mother’s path.”
“Can you blame her for taking me and escaping?”
“No. I don’t even blame her for setting me up. I guess I didn’t see the whole ‘joining the Shadow Sisters and indoctrinating her daughter into believing that finding her fated mate was a bad’ thing.”
“Thane was never my mother’s fated mate.”
