Page 120
“How are you doing, Hayes?” Ello asks my brother, looking into the rearview mirror. He glances away, a muscle twitching near his ear. The hold on my hand cuts off circulation.
“Being back here,” he says slowly, “isn’t ideal.”
“You came back before,” I sign, gesturing to the house.
“I did,” he confirms, signing back. “But I wasn’t thinking straight. Roman went after Collins, and all I saw was the Bruno name taking one more thing from me.”
My heart hurts as my bottom lip trembles. Papa took his mother, his innocence, his existence. He was born in secret, trapped in this house—Hayes doesn’t have a birth certificate because of his background. His entire life was stolen by my family.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” He chucks under my chin fondly. “I’m happy to come back and get you out.”
“Me?”
He nods and signs, “Leaving you behind was the hardest decision I ever had to make, Val. I wanted to take you with me. When I came back here, I debated doing it.”
I sit up, shaking my head. “If you had, Roman would’ve killed you. Maybe us both.” I grip him tighter. “I never placed blame on you. You deserved to be free after everything that happened. I never once thought any ill will against you for leaving.”
I never hated him for taking that chance to escape. My only wish was I had done something sooner.
He swallows, looking away. “I should’ve brought you with me. I left you here.” He sneers. “What kind of brother am I?”
“The kind who cared enough to think of me. And you’re here now.” Shrugging, I recline on the seat. “Besides, during those days, he was completely unhinged. The fallout would’ve been horrible.”
“Do you know why?” Hayes looks out the window as we pull around front. “He didn’t seem like the type who wanted to be married.”
“No,” I sign, sighing softly. “He said Papa left us with very little. He wanted Collins’s dowry. Not her, per se.”
Hayes snorts, jerking as we stop.
“He’d be waiting a while. After Sloane married Lex, the clan was cut off from the Board. There was no money waiting for him.”
“Truly?” Ello opens our car door, and he exits first. Holding open a hand for me, he helps me out. “How is Maeve surviving without income?”
My brother grins, pride puffing his chest. When he talks about the O’Brien clan, it’s not the quiet resolve I see in Roman’s soldiers, but genuine warmth—love. “That girl lets nothing get her down. She made her own deals, and we rebounded. We’re not perfect yet, especially after these last few rounds, but we’re getting there.” He elbows me gently. “You’ll fit in with us, Val. You’re as tough as any of those O’Brien sisters. Just softer.”
Softer. I used to think it made me weak. Not anymore. It’s my shield in this world, a piece of my soul that hasn’t been tainted. My softness disarms my enemy until it’s too late for them to react.
I like it.
As we enter, the foyer fills with guards. With guns on their hips and dark suits, they glare at Hayes, then at me, as if I’m an alien. Perhaps I am. I’ve returned home with a fugitive on my arm, wearing a wedding ring.
Apprehension dusts my brow. This wasn’t part of the plan. And Roman rarely deviates from his plan.
What happened?
The men part, and Roman saunters through. His dark shirt is rolled up at the forearms, collar undone. He looks as if he hasn’t slept in days—hair mussed, bags under his eyes, completely out of sorts. He flickers his dark, red-rimmed eyes over Hayes before looking at me.
That gaze snags on my ring. Fury reddens his gaunt cheeks.
“What is that?” he asks, voice shaking. “A wedding ring?”
I hold it out, lifting my chin. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
Hayes barks out a laugh, and Roman looks ready to faint. The strain isn’t good for his heart, but it might solve a lot of problems.
“So, you return home,” he begins, “after days away, healing from a traumatic event, only to return married? And to whom, eh?” He glares at Hayes, not daring to come close enough to touch. “And you come back to this home with him. Bastardo.”
