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There it was. The gauntlet. Her response died in her throat. Kyle was burning his life down—and the lives of those around him. He was also her brother. Those two things didn’t cancel each other out, no matter how much she wished they could.

“There’s good in him. Somewhere deep d—”

“Fuck that. Addy, the world would be better off without him. If you can’t see that, then what the fuck are we doing?”

“Would you turn away from one of your own brothers?”

“In this case? Yes.”

“You’re lying.”

“I know I wouldn’t protect someone who hurts people.”

Why couldn’t he understand? “He’s my baby brother. I raised him.”

“You can’t have it both ways, Addy. You choose him and watch him finally end up killing someone. Or you choose…”

“Choose who?” she prodded when his voice trailed off. “You? I don’t know you. I’ve had eggs in my fridge longer than I’ve known you.”

Oliver leaned close. “Didn’t stop you from coming all over my cock.”

It was a miracle the chair didn’t topple back when she leaped to her feet. “Fuck you, Oliver.”

Grabbing her purse, she escaped through the nearest door, away from the music and the singing and the clinking of glasses, and into the rain.

The unexpected downpour didn’t help. It got into her eyes, made her mascara sting. She had nowhere to go, but she trudged on, until she couldn’t tell whether it was rain or tears that ran down her cheeks and blurred her vision.

Her name, carried over the wind, almost made her stop. Wishful thinking. No one was coming to find her. As always, she was on her own. The rain came down harder, as if to confirm it. Head bowed against the downpour, she walked on.

It wouldn’t be hard to get another hotel. Oliver was still at the pub—plenty of time to grab her things. She couldn’t face him tonight. The reminder of how much he loathed her family was too painful.

How could she have gotten close to yet another man wronged by her brother?

Hadn’t she learned her lesson years ago? Oliver would never be able to forgive her—or trust her. She was damned by association.

“Addy?”

Great, she was hallucinating.

“Addy. Stop.”

The familiar footsteps behind her got closer. When she turned, she found Oliver inches away, looking as waterlogged as she felt, clutching his soaked baseball cap at his side. Little droplets of rain hung on his eyelashes. One slid down his beautiful cheek.

His hands closed over her shoulders, branding her with the heat of him. She wanted to burrow closer, to forget about everything but him. But that was impossible. Oliver hated her. He hated Kyle and Roman and her entire family.

There was no happily ever after for them.

How could he bear to look at her after what her brother had done to him? After Roman had covered it up?

They’d never be able to celebrate holidays or birthdays together.

He’d resent her if she ever made him try.

Oliver pulled her into his chest regardless. The thud of his heartbeat made the tears come harder. She’d miss him—his scent, the rumble of his voice, the way she felt safe in his arms.

“I’m sorry, Addy,” he murmured. “That was out of line.”

She needed to push away, but instead she nestled closer. “We can’t go on like this. I can’t look at you and see the hatred in your eyes.”