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"I'm the better twin," he rasps. His breath smells like clean mint, just like Dare's. "You know you want me. I'm the one you came to that night. I'm the one who gave you what you needed."
Revulsion rises in my throat like bile. I shake my head, shrinking away from his scorching touch. "No. I don't want you. I was drunk and confused, and you took advantage—"
I twist away from him, fear slicing through me. He reaches for me again, but I manage to scramble out of his grasp and stumble away. My heart beats wildly as I stare at him, my breath coming in short gasps.
Burn's face is a mask of rage as he stares at me. His jaw clenches and unclenches as if he's fighting to keep himself from lashing out. Finally, he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly before speaking.
"You're mine," he says in a low voice. "No matter what you claim, I know the truth. You feel the same heat for me that I feel for you."
My mouth goes dry at his words, but I refuse to back down. Summoning all my courage, I take a step forward and look him in the eye.
"I will never want you," I say firmly. "I'm in love with Dare. Nothing you say or do will ever change that. My heart belongs to him."
Rage flashes across his face like lightning, twisting his features into an ugly mask of hatred. He grabs my shoulders and shakes me so hard my teeth rattle.
"You're mine!" he roars as his grip tightens painfully around my arms. "You belong to me, and no one will ever take you away!"
Dizzy and breathless with terror, I can only shake my head. Burn's grip tightens until his fingers dig into my flesh, and he leans down, mouth seeking mine in a punishing kiss. I struggle wildly, fighting for air and freedom, but his hold is unbreakable.
Darkness crowds the edges of my vision. A single thought beats in my mind like a drum.
Dare, where are you? I need you. Please find me...
ChapterFive
DARE
The helicopter blades slice through the air above me as I leap from the open door, hitting the sandy ground and rolling forward to lessen the impact. I spring to my feet, eyes scanning the surroundings, heart pounding with adrenaline.
There is no point in trying to hide my presence here now that I just zoomed in on the chopper. But I still wave the pilot away, unable to hear anything but the beat of the blades. The pilot guides the bird up and away. My eyes dart around at the dusty ground, the low scrub brush, the picturesque lake to my right.
So this is the island where my mother is buried. I'm a little surprised at just how large the lake is. From Burn's description, I imagined this place being almost intimate, rather than the wilderness I see before me.
I'm pulled from my thoughts by the sound of a woman's yelp. I'm already running toward the sound as I search for its source.
There, in the distance! Talia's red hair whips in the ocean breeze as she struggles against the vice-like grip my brother Burn has on her arm as he pulls her down toward the lake's edge.
My gut twists. How dare he lay his hands on my wife?
I break into a sprint, my shoes kicking up dust and dirt.
"Burn!" My voice slices through the island's eerie stillness. He twists, eyes narrowing as they meet mine. I cup my hands, slowing. "Let her go. Now. We can end this without a drop of blood shed."
I lie as naturally as I breathe. My twin gives me a knowing nod and backs away, moving toward a dock and a speedboat bobbing at the water's edge.
My hands clench, needing to tear his grasp away. He yanks Talia closer, his sneer dripping with contempt, and shouts to me.
"You don't understand, brother." He spits out the last word. "I'm doing this for you. To save you from her. She's a liar. You don't know all the things she has been covering up all this time."
I halt, sand shifting under my feet. "Maybe not. But I love her. And I'll fight for her, against you or anyone else who tries to take her from me."
My heart thrums with purpose. For Talia, for us.
Burn's lip curls, his grip tightening until Talia cries out. The sound pierces my soul. At this moment, my brother is a stranger to me. My family, my flesh and blood, means nothing if he threatens the woman I cherish above all else.
A grunt leaves my brother's lips. "That's funny. Your little witch said almost the same thing."
I spread my hands wide in a gesture of surrender, my eyes never leaving Talia's trembling form. "She's not a witch. She's my wife."
