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Halen was the better brother.
In every sense of the word.
I looked around the room one last time once Rusty opened the door to signal it was time. I followed him down the hall and into the dining room. Zane stood up when I entered, and his fierce gaze wrapped me up in emotions I didn’t know I was feeling.
“Are you hurt?” Zane asked me but he didn’t come over to me. I was glad for that.
“I’m fine, Zane.”
I sat down at the opposite end to Halen. He was seated, with an unreadable expression on his face.
“Sit down, Zane.”
Zane’s eyes left mine and darted over to his brother. He did as he was told. Something I’d never seen before. The edge in Halen’s tone wasn’t one I’d heard before.
“You’ve seen her, now what are you going to do about securing her back?”
If I hadn't seen the bowl of pomegranate seeds sitting off to the side of my plate, I would have been annoyed with how he spoke about me as if I weren’t even here.
He took me as leverage to get what he wanted off his brother. I knew that and yet I’d made it anything but easy for him being a captive.
“You want me to call off plans to redevelop the club?” he asked him.
“I want you to steer clear of my side of the fucking city, Zane.”
Zane looked pissed. I’d see this side of him before. He was angry and I knew if I left with him, he’d take that out on me. I was the reason he was having to agree to terms.
Then again, he could have left me here with Halen.
But in order to give up his plans, for me, his mistress, he had to care…right?
Why then did I fear leaving with him and returning to the top side of the city?
Why did I not want him to put his hands on me, to fuck me up against a window for the city to see? Why was I fantasizing about Halen kicking Zane out and taking me on this very table?
Oh shit.
Paisley, you’ve gone and done it now.
Before I realized what I was doing, I reached up into the bowl next to my plate and slid a pomegranate seed into my mouth. Halen noticed it, but his eyes darted back to Zane who was silent.
I slid the seed around my mouth, keeping my eyes on Halen. His demeanor changed instantly and I found myself watching as he stood up. Zane’s head turned to look up at his brother.
“You’re playing me,” he said, his tone incredibly low and dark. “I’ve told you before I won’t tolerate being played with. Zane, get out. When you pull development, I’ll release Paisley.”
I realized he was making the ruse for me to be safe down here with him and not have to leave with Zane. I gasped, crunching down on the seed in my mouth. An explosion of flavor erupted around my tongue and I fought not to moan. I hadn’t noticed but Rusty and Ben were in the room, each of them taking an arm of mine. I pretended to resist, Zane knew I could fight back, as they dragged me out of the room.
As the doors closed, I heard yelling and furniture being tossed. “Go back to help him, I’ll go and hide in a room.”
They weren’t sure what to do but eventually Rusty pushed Ben back to the dining room to help their boss. I ran for the room he’d been keeping me in and hid in a closet in case Zane got away and started to look for me.
My heart was racing a mile a minute. As I stayed in the dark, I prayed Zane would leave and Halen would come and find me. The realization hit me hard as I waited, my breathing heavy, in the dark closet.
What had I just done?
Halen
It had been hours since Zane left, offering me a threat to return with back up to claim what was his. I knew not to think him a fool, he would return with far too many for me to defend my place but I refused to hand her back to him when she didn’t want to leave. I wasn’t heartless like he was.
