Not always, a cynical voice reminded her.
Her stomach twisted. No, these days Dom didn’t give the outlaws a choice. He’d stopped following the code, the one her father had put in place when he’d created the Enforcer unit all those years ago.
But Connor had said his wife had been killed two years ago. Dom had still been… normal back then, hadn’t he?
She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to pinpoint exactly when it was that Dom had started exhibiting the violent, aggressive behavior that had eventually led to her escape. He’d begun to unravel after their father’s death, so… a little over two years ago, she realized with dismay.
It was definitely possible that he had murdered Connor’s group.
But… did he deserve to die for it?
Yes.
The voice in her head was swift and unforgiving, but her heart squeezed so painfully at the thought of seeing her brother dead that her ribs actually hurt. Whether he deserved it or not, he was still her twin brother. He’d been her best friend and her confidant. Her protector. Could she really stand by and let Connor exact his vengeance on Dominik?
“What are you doing out here, sweetheart?”
She jumped at the sound of Connor’s voice. “Oh,” she squeaked. “I… ah… had a bad dream.”
He approached from the neighboring cabin, and her cheeks heated when she realized she was buck-naked. Connor’s gaze lingered on her bare breasts before rising to her eyes. “You okay?” he said gruffly.
She nodded. Then she shook her head, misery sticking to her throat. “Do you…?” She swallowed. “Do you think people can turn evil? Or are they born evil?”
Surprise flickered in his gaze. “Uh. Well, I don’t know. That’s kind of a deep question for this time of night.”
A weak smile lifted her lips. “Yeah. I guess it is.”
He came up beside her, hesitated, then wrapped one arm around her and pulled her close. Hudson rested her head against his shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent, woodsy and masculine, strong and reassuring.
“I think they’re born evil,” he finally said.
Her chest started hurting again. “Yeah?”
“I think good people can do bad things, but that doesn’t make them evil. But evil people… they’re born with poison in their hearts. They might try to hide it, or go years fooling people and pretending to be good, but the darkness is always there, waiting to come out.”
Hudson thought about Dominik when he had been a little boy. His kind eyes and angelic smile. The way he’d adored their mother and idolized their father. He’d been such a sweet kid. He’d been a sweet man too, before he’d changed.
Changed… or simply unleashed the evil that had always lurked in his heart?
No. She didn’t believe that. He wouldn’t have been able to fool her. She knew him, inside and out, and she refused to believe that her own twin had been a monster all along and that somehow she hadn’t picked up on it.
“It’s in their eyes,” Connor mumbled. “You can see the darkness when you look into their eyes.”
She hesitated. “Did you see the darkness when you looked at Dominik?”
He gave a curt nod. “Yeah. I saw it. I felt it.” His hand tightened on her shoulder, trembled with barely restrained violence. “He walked up to that Jeep after killing a dozen people, and he looked so damn smug. No, he looked happy. His eyes were shining. Those dark eyes, black as night, shining brighter than the fucking sun, as if wiping out a camp of innocent people was the greatest gift he’d ever received.”
Something about the embittered speech troubled her, but Connor didn’t give her time to think about it. His grip loosened, his lips tender as he brushed a fleeting kiss on her temple. “It’s late. You should go back to bed.”
She managed a nod, still trying to figure out what had bugged her, but she pushed her thoughts aside and headed for her door. “I’m sorry if I woke you.”
“It’s okay.” He watched as she turned the doorknob, then cleared his throat. “Can I come in?”
Her forehead wrinkled. “I don’t… um… I’m too exhausted to have sex, Con.”
He shifted, looking peculiarly nervous. “Not for sex. I, ah, thought we could… sleep together.”
It was impossible to control the shock that slammed into her. “But you sleep alone,” she reminded him.
Connor’s gaze was so intense it sent a shiver through her. “Maybe I don’t want to do that anymore.”
“Oh.” Her pulse sped up as joy and hope erupted in her chest, but she was too afraid to ask what his change of heart signified. “Come in, then.”
They entered her dark cabin, Connor shutting the door behind him as Hudson slid between the sheets. He stripped, his clothes rustling as they fell to the floor, and a moment later he crawled in next to her, his warm, naked body pressed up against her. A contented sigh slipped out as she snuggled closer, her back settling against his chest as he draped a possessive arm over her.
“Good night,” he said gruffly.