Page 2 of Code Violation

“The fuck? You told me he’d stopped.”

Somehow, Vesper’s knees draw closer to her chest. This woman isn’t just the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on, but incredibly petite too. To my knowledge, Kane has never laid a finger on her, which is the exact reason why he’s still somewhere in this city, breathing air into his lungs.

Vesper rolls her eyes again, and I want to stop her brush-off with my lips.

We’ve never kissed, not even come close. That hasn’t stopped me from thinking about how fucking good it would be. How fucking amazing my mouth would make her feel.

I’m not here for that though. I’m here because I care, and I always have, ever since the day Kane showed up with her to a Thanksgiving meal at my place just over two years ago and introduced Vesper as his girlfriend.

The fact that I’ve fallen in love with her during that time is inconsequential at this point, especially because she has no idea how I feel.

To Vesper, I’m the meddling older brother of her ex-boyfriend and the captain for the Seattle Rogues hockey team. I should be more interested in hooking up with pretty girls than sitting in awkward silence while she periodically tells me to leave.

Vesper blows a breath into her cheeks, not at all shocked at my visceral reaction. “I blocked his number, so he won’t be able to contact me.”

“Until the next time you unblock him.” I sound incredulous and every bit the pain in the ass she views me as. Trouble is, I’m in too deep to temper my words. Too deep in her life, this situation. In her in general.

She frowns at me, slender legs now crossed beneath her as she sits forward.

“Ever heard of boundaries, Silas? Because you’re well over each one right now.”

I push out a sarcastic laugh, and Vesper’s face contorts.

“You realize how ridiculous that sounds? You have a guy who won’t take a hint, calling you around the clock when you’ve already made it clear that there’s no going back between you two.”

Vesper drops her eyes to the white bedding, and suddenly, I’m not so sure of my last statement or that she was being truthful with me a few seconds ago.

“You blocked his number, right?”

Nothing. Not even a frown this time.

I’m on my feet, pacing her sizable bedroom so I don’t lose my cool completely. Large blue eyes track me the whole time, until I eventually stop in the center of the room.

“Why, Ves? Are you still in love with him?”

She rolls her lips together, and I push a stressed hand through my light-brown hair.

“Why do you care so much?” Vesper asks a genuine question, although the exasperation in her tone is unmistakable.

I slap a palm against my thigh, acutely aware that the truth will do nothing to set me free in this scenario.

The last thing she needs is to hear how I feel, even if the words pick me dance on the edge of my tongue, like the devil taunting me to crash and burn.

When I move toward her, Vesper doesn’t recoil, like I’ve seen her do so many times with Kane. Watching her shrink back into the corner of the couch whenever he sat next to her made my heart hurt in ways it didn’t have any right to.

For me, women have come and gone my whole life. But at thirty-one, I’ve never had one leave a lasting mark like Vesper.

When our mom passed away less than eighteen months ago, she made me promise to look after Kane. He’s always been a fucking loser, destined to wind up unemployed—or worse, behind bars. Keeping my word has been hard, but no way am I going to betray her. Kane has taken full advantage of my loyalty, spending “loans” I lent him on booze, drugs, and probably prostitutes.

I’m no fucking angel, but there isn’t a single cell in Kane’s body deserving of an ounce of Vesper’s attention. And deep down, she knows that. Trouble is, when people are treated badly enough for long enough, they oftentimes start to believe that assholes like my brother are the norm and that they are the problem.

I can’t stand by and watch Vesper go back to this guy. Not anymore.

Tentatively, I lower myself on the edge of her bed. We’re only a few feet away, and I can smell her perfume.

“You know why I care.”

“Yeah, well, you shouldn’t. I can look after myself.”