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His eyes narrowed in anger. “Fender, why won’t you even try?”
I grabbed my glass again and drank every single drop left. “Because I don’t want to take the risk. I’ll never forget how it feels to be powerless, to dig in a garbage can for food, to be at the mercy of someone bigger and stronger than you. I hate what we do to those girls as much as you do. But there is no other way. I care a lot more about my power than their lives. Yes, that means I’ll be damned, but we both know I was damned a long time ago.” I rose to my feet and left the sitting area. “I’m not having this conversation anymore. I made my choice, and you’ve clearly made yours. Come back to the camp, and I’ll do what I have to…and I guess you’ll do what you have to.”
Twenty-Five
Exile
Melanie
I watched his car pull around.
It was a warm summer evening. The sun had just dipped behind the horizon, casting the sky in a beautiful array of colors. Butterflies were visible above the garden. The smooth sounds of the fountain were the background, gentle music to this beautiful and historic place.
But my heart hadn’t felt peace since he’d left.
He’d threatened to kill Magnus, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I couldn’t warn Raven. I just had to have faith that his love was stronger than his fury.
He left the car behind and marched to me.
Livid.
His eyes were dark. His arms swung by his sides. His jaw was tight.
My heart started to race in fear.
Instead of walking up to me, he maneuvered around me, ignoring me just the way he had before he left.
I went after him. “What happened?”
He continued to ignore me.
“Fender.” I grabbed his wrist and stopped him before he moved to the steps. “Don’t ignore me.”
He released a loud sigh before he turned back to me, not a drop of love in his eyes.
“It’s me.” I gently pulled him closer, wanting an embrace after his long absence. I rose on my tiptoes and cupped his face, pressing a kiss to his tight lips.
He was unresponsive.
I kissed the corner of his mouth several times, bringing us close together, enveloping him as an antidote to his rage.
His hands moved to my waist.
His lips moved to mine.
Slowly, he came back to me, surrounding me in his strong embrace, smothering me with the love that I’d missed. His chin rested on my head as he held me in the foyer, his fingers lightly playing with my hair at my spine.
Once the man I loved was back, I pulled away and looked into his face, desperate for the answer I’d asked for.
His eyes were locked on to mine. “I didn’t kill him.”
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until it slowly left my lungs.
“But we aren’t brothers anymore. He’s exiled from the camp—as well as my life.”
He was quiet for the rest of the night.
Our lovemaking wasn’t the same.
He wasn’t present.
It was quick and to the point, getting us both off so he could move on, just like in the mornings.
He lay on his side of the bed, his eyes on the open window, his arm underneath his head.
“You want to talk about it?”
He was still as stone, like he didn’t hear the question. “No.”
I propped myself up on my elbow beside him, my fingers gliding over his chest. I hoped this was the precursor to change, that his brother’s bold move would force him to alter his business practices. There would be resistance, but it would fade.
“Magnus humiliated me in front of my men.” He said he didn’t want to talk, but yet, he spoke.
I was silent, not wanting to impede his momentum.
“He called my bluff. Exiling him was the only option I had to spare my dignity and spare his life.”
My fingers traced his muscles, hoping for more.
Nothing came.
“He’s just trying to do the right thing, Fender. You know that.” It was a stupid thing to say, a perfect way to provoke his rage.
But he remained subdued. As if he knew. He’d always known. “Our bond is more important than the blood of innocent people. I’d assumed he felt the same way. Guess not.”
“No reason you can’t have both.”
His empty eyes remained on the window, looking into the darkness. “He betrayed me. I forgave him. Then he does this…”
“He chose to do the right thing over you. But if you want to preserve your relationship, you need to choose the right thing, too. Then there is no betrayal. There’s nothing more important than family. I know how much you love your brother.”
He remained lifeless.
“You can’t be angry with him for doing what should have been done a long time ago.” It didn’t make sense, and Fender was too intelligent not to understand that. “So, what is the real reason you would cut him out of your life?”
