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I turned back to her, knowing he’d held her down and done unspeakable things to her. Forced her against her will. Violated her in a way only monsters did.
“He was going to, but I told him there would never be any chance of reconciliation between you two if he went through with it…so he didn’t.”
We sat together under the umbrella in the courtyard. The fountain flowed. Soil was in piles on the stone from the enormous pots that tipped over in the fight. There was still blood stained in places. The power wash removed the darkness of it, but hints were still there.
Camille went upstairs to shower, and that left us alone together to talk.
His staff presented us with drinks and appetizers as if they weren’t just at risk a few days ago.
Neither one of us touched our drinks.
I didn’t know what to say.
Neither did he, apparently.
I felt the heavy stare from an onlooker, so I turned my head to see her green eyes through the window on the third story. Her look lingered before she stepped into the shadow of the bedroom.
“I can’t believe he told you.”
I gave him my full attention.
“No matter what…always the favorite.” With his arms crossed over his chest, he looked across the courtyard. “You came here to kill me, and he still told you.”
“I came here to get Camille. Wouldn’t have killed you unless you made me.”
He gave a slight grin. “We both know I would have made you.”
“He didn’t give up without reason. He wanted something in return.”
He turned to look at me. “Let me guess. A relationship with his eldest. How touching.”
I covered my stare with a drink of wine.
“I don’t mean a damn thing to that prick.”
Enough of my father. “What she said is true?”
Now he covered his stare with a drink. “Unfortunately.”
“You don’t seem like the kind of man who would do something like that in the first place.”
“Shows how little you know me.”
“Or the opposite.”
He set the glass down, picked up the bottle, and refilled it.
“You want to be brothers again?”
He stared as he took a drink.
“Do something for me, and we can.”
The light slowly left his face, like blood draining from his extremities. “That’s just mean, Cauldron.”
“That’s my price.”
“She was mine first.”
“And she’ll be mine last. Let her go, and I’ll give this another chance.”
“I had nothing to do with my mother’s plan—”
“And I don’t believe you. Never have and never will.”
He released a quiet sigh, his features strained with suppressed annoyance.
“That’s my price.”
He rubbed the scruff of his jawline as he stared at his glass.
“There’re a million women out there who would love to suck your dick.”
“But none of them do it as good as she does.” His eyes flicked back up to me. “And none of them have a pussy as pretty as hers.” He set his glass down a little harder than he should, the clink so loud it seemed like the glass might shatter.
“Take it or leave it.”
“You couldn’t care less about her.”
“Then why am I offering this?”
His eyes flicked back and forth between mine. “Mark my words, once enough time passes, you’ll lose all interest. You only want her because I do.”
“Then you can have her at that point, right?” I challenged.
“You just want to win this fucked-up game. You just want to beat me. This is all about your goddamn ego.”
“So what if it is?”
“So what if it is?” he asked coldly. “You’re really going to fuck her over again?”
“My feelings are genuine, and I don’t care what you think, Grave. If you think this is all some sick game, then you can have her when I’m done. There’s no downside for you.”
“I actually do care about her, so there is a downside for me.”
“You were going to force her to fuck you, asshole,” I snapped. “If you care about her, you have a funny way of showing it.”
“I wasn’t forcing her. Just had to get her mind off you first.”
I rolled my eyes. “You really need to get over it.”
Silence stretched. We stared and didn’t talk.
I poked the bear again. “We have a deal or not?”
After what felt like an eternity, he gave a slight nod. “I won’t take her back after this. She can beg and plead, and I won’t blink an eye over it.”
“I don’t think she cares.”
He released a quiet laugh. “We both know she has doubts. She’ll have those doubts until you definitively assuage them. We both know that’s never going to happen.”
“If she’s giving me another chance, I think otherwise.”
“No.” He looked away. “She’s just stupid.”
Birds flew near the ledges at the top of the roof, singing their quiet songs like blood hadn’t been shed in that place. The fountain continued its solemn lullaby. My brother and I sat there together as if we were being forced with an invisible magnet. A new relationship was supposed to begin, but neither one of us knew how to start one.
