AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We stand entwined on the beach as the waves slip rhythmically up and down the shoreline. The tumultuous storm within me begins to quiet. I focus only on the feel of Talia in my arms, her body pressed to mine. Safe. Unharmed.
Mine.
ChapterSix
TALIA
“You’re doing the right thing,” I say, trying to keep my tone light.
Dare grimaces as he turns away from Burn, who is resting on the dusty bed in the dingy cabin. Dare flings a bloodied piece of gauze into a small pile of pads he’s used to wipe blood from his brother’s face after I talked him into half-carrying Burn inside.
“You seem so sure about that.”
“I am.”
I pluck an iodine filled swab from the first aid kit from the speedboat and hand it to Dare. He stares at it for a second before shaking his head and accepting it.
“We should have left him,” he grumbles. “Bastard deserves whatever he gets for laying his hands on you.”
The baby kicks me sharply and I make a face, rubbing a hand over my belly.
“I just don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret. Even though I think your brother is a prick and deserves to be punished… I don’t want to be the reason that you lose sleep.”
“Hah!” Dare rumbles. “No one’s losing any sleep over him.”
I watch as Dare leans in to tend to his brother’s wounds, his movements gentle yet efficient. It’s hard to reconcile this side of him with the man who forced me into marriage and who I still don’t fully trust. But seeing him care for his brother, the same brother who had hurt me, makes me see him in a new light. It reminds me that there’s more to him than just the ruthless billionaire who takes what he wants.
Dare’s jaw tightens as Burn stirs. The injured man has a coughing fit, moving his battered hand up to his ribs. I wouldn't be surprised if Dare had broken a few of Burn's ribs during their vicious fight.
Burn'seyes open and he immediately winces.
"Jesus," he breathes. His eyes focus and he looks between Dare and me, confused. "What are you still doing here?"
Dare leans forward, bristling.
"Talia wouldn't let me leave you where you fell. She also wouldn't let me kill you. You can fall to your knees and kiss her feet any fucking time you want."
If Burn blushes or looks ashamed, his puffy eyes and bruised cheeks make it hard to tell. He just grunts, leans over the side of the bed, and spits bloody phlegm to the floor.
Dare apparently feels like an apology is owed, because he grabs Burn by the collar of his dirty shirt and gives him an eyeball-rattling shake.
"You're lucky I didn't kill you," Dare growls. "But don't mistake my mercy for weakness. If you ever lay a hand on Talia or try to hurt our baby again, there won't be a next time."
I watch with a mixture of fear and awe as Dare releases his brother and straightens up. Burn rubs his neck and spits again. He glares at Dare as he spits, but there's a flash of fear in his eyes. That look reminds me that while Dare might be a lot of things, he's not a man to be fucked with.
“I’m sorry,” Burn mumbles, his voice weak and raspy. “I was just trying to save you from yourself, Dare. Maybe I went about it the wrong way...”
He trails off mid-sentence, closing his eyes with a groan.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Dare demands to know. "Who are you even apologizing to?"
Burn's eyes open a crack. He's really beat to hell.
"I just want to protect you," he whispers. "I've always tried to honor our mother's wishes and lift you up whenever I could."
Dare scoffs.
"Protect me? You've done nothing but cause trouble since the moment Talia stepped into our lives."
