AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I take a deep breath, having never seen this side of Oliver. Appallingly, I find myself fascinated by it.
My brother, having adopted the stereotype of the macho male, takes a step forward. “This is a family affair.”
Oliver’s eyes shoot to me. I see the inferno raging behind his glittering eyes, and I suddenly fear for my brother.
“This is Fred, Mr. Thornton. He’s my brother. And he was just leaving.”
However, Fred doesn’t move and neither does Oliver, the men staring each other down. The latter is bigger in size. Although he’s leaner, the menacing aura that surrounds him would subdue a weaker man.
It’s Fred’s voice that makes me blink.
“Come on, Lana!”
It’s a sharp command, one he’s clearly expecting me to obey. Incredulously, I find myself repeating, “Excuse me?”
He turns to glare. “We’re leaving.”
I’m trying to figure out if my brother is just stupid or if he really doesn’t comprehend this job is my livelihood. I can feel Oliver’s gaze on me, so I slowly say, “No, you’re leaving. You and your friend.”
Hysterical laughter bubbles in the back of my throat, and I try to contain it. “I have to fix whatever damage you’ve managed to cause me.”
Fred is suddenly rounding the desk to reach me. Even as I flinch away at the naked fury and humiliation in his eyes, he reaches out to grip my wrist in a painfully tight hold that has me whimpering at the sheer violence of it. “That’s enough, Lana. Pack your stuff.”
For a few agonized seconds, it seems that everything has come to a halt. Fred has never been this harsh with me. Right now, his thick fingers are digging into my wrist so tightly that tears are springing to my eyes. There is an overwhelming shame in having Oliver witness this situation.
And just like that, my eyes shimmering with tears caused by the pain, everything suddenly speeds up as the scene snaps back to life. I watch with dazed disbelief as Oliver suddenly crosses over to me, and, in an eerily fast movement, snakes his hand out to twist Fred’s, forcing my brother to release me with a harsh sound. Before I can register the transition, I’m being shoved behind Oliver as he snarls at my brother. “Do that again, and I’ll have you arrested for assault.”
By now, Matt is frowning at Fred. “Fred, come on, man. This isn’t worth it.”
I can’t see my brother with Oliver’s broad shoulders blocking my view, but I hear him growl, “That’s my sister! What I do with her is none of your business.”
“The hell it isn’t.” I hear the wealth of emotion in Oliver’s voice, which is buried under layers of murderous rage. “Touch her again… and you’ll be leaving this building in a body bag.”
Not knowing what to do, having never been in a situation where I’m being protected and fought over, I go with instinct, curling my fingers into Oliver’s shirt and murmuring his name.
I feel the way his shoulders tense. Matt starts tugging at Fred, dragging him away. Fred’s gaze locks with mine. For the first time in my life, I fear the man who’s wearing my brother’s face.
I’m frozen in place, my hands falling numbly to my sides.
I take a step away, the back of my knees hitting the edge of my chair before I heavily fall into it, cradling my wrist with my other hand.
Eyes closed, I hear footsteps and then the closing of the door. The footsteps return before pausing as Oliver crouches in front of me. Fluttering my eyelids open, I meet his gaze.
I know I should say something—try to do something to repair whatever just happened—but I can’t find the right words.
Oliver reaches out for my wrist, and I let him examine the indentations of the finger marks left there.
“Does it hurt?” His voice is so uncharacteristically gentle I’m overwhelmed with the sudden urge to weep.
I nod, not trusting my voice.
“Lana,” he murmurs. Closing my eyes against the tears I can’t seem to stop, I bury my face in his chest, feeling his voice vibrate through me. “It’s okay. I won’t look if you don’t want me to.”
I cry and I cry, my entire body shaking with the force of my wretched sobs.
Oliver wraps his arms around me, and I can’t stop the cries that are forced from my throat. He’s patient throughout, holding me tighter and tighter until it feels like I’ll be absorbed into him.
The sense of safety that flows through me at this gesture slowly calms me until I’m pressed against him, breathing audibly.
