He held me tighter, his nose coming close to mine. “Do you see your enemy? Do you see someone who wants to hurt you? You, of all people?”
His words were a fuse that started to light a firecracker. It sank into me, more acid than fire, burrowing low into my belly. Kain talked to me like he knew me, but he didn’t. He couldn’t.
So why was I suddenly listening?
Black clouds swam through the blue sky of his eyes. “You ran out of your house screaming for help. What the fuck was I supposed to do?”
My wrists were numb where he was squeezing. “Take me to the cops.”
The dark storm grew deeper. “No,” he growled. “That’s what we keep telling you. If I turn you over to them, they won’t do a thing to keep you safe! If someone wants you dead, then . . . anywhere but here, anywhere I’m not . . . you’d be—”
“No,” I blurted.
“Yes.” I’d never heard such certainty from anyone. “I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.”
The skin around my eyes tightened. “We’re strangers, don’t care so much.” I was trying to distance myself, but his honest admission was wrapping around my ribs. I couldn’t breathe without tasting him, and my ears were full of his promises.
His fears.
Kain’s mouth made a shape it never should have. Is he going to kiss me? Now, here, after everything?
His voice slid over my lips, stirring my heart. “I don’t know how to not care about you.”
Gravity pressed on the top of my head until every grim thought began to compact and crumble. Down they went, past my eyes, which were trapped by his, through my lungs, which were full of the same air he breathed.
Each bit of hate collapsed until there was nothing left in me but a thread of disbelief. How did Kain do this to me? I’d wanted to hurt him . . . to make him see he was wrong.
I didn’t know what I believed anymore.
But I did know that I wanted to kiss him.
Behind us, a feminine voice squeaked, “What the hell? Kain, don’t make out with your side chicks right out here where everyone can—Sammy?” Francesca was gawking at me, her skin covered in some kind of mint-smelling cream, her long hair piled on her scalp.
Hot shame kicked me in the teeth. Ripping away from Kain, I choked on some sort of explanation for why I was here. Why she’d witnessed me about to kiss her brother.
Francesca rushed at me, her hands tangling in mine. I wasn’t ready for her hug, she was deceptively strong. “Sammy! What are you doing here?”
Holding her at arm’s length, I glanced at Kain. “It’s a long story.”
“I love long stories!”
Scrunching my tongue against the back of my teeth, I thought over what to say. Kain pushed forward, acting like he hadn’t just been pulling back the veil to the vibrant emotion in his soul. “She’s going to be staying with us for a while.”
His sister froze. I watched the gloss in her eyes turn into suspicion. “Something happened. Tell me.”
“Fran—”
“Kain,” she seethed. “Fucking tell me.”
Footsteps marched down the hall, three men rounding the corner. I recognized two of them: Maverick and his intimidating son, Hawthorne. The third was a lean man only a hair taller than all of them, his smooth skin marred by a scar that stretched from right eyebrow to the bridge of his nose.
If anything, the old wound added to his sharp looks. I couldn’t have said if he was more gorgeous now than when he’d gotten the scar. I just knew that few people could have made such a blemish look so bold—so complementary.
He locked his eyes on mine: blue like Maverick’s, lighter than even Kain’s.
Hawthorne pulled up short, studying all of us. “You guys having a party?”
“Daddy!” Francesca shouted, whirling on him. “What’s going on? Why is everyone here?”
“Good to see you, too, Sis,” the stranger said.
She ignored him, her stare was forever frozen on Maverick’s face. I paid attention, though, because I felt like I needed to learn who everyone in this family was if I was going to get out of here.
Another brother, I thought curiously. Was he older or younger than Kain? I needed to start taking notes.
Maverick looked down his nose at his daughter. Whatever kindness was in his voice was rivaled by the severity of his words. “Our family is being threatened. Your brothers are here to help me take precautions.”
“Threatened?” She pushed a hand to her mouth. I caught her wary look in my direction. “Sammy’s in danger, too, isn’t she?”
I tried to smile, but everyone’s somber faces made it a struggle. “Someone attacked me tonight, but I’m fine.”
“Who?” she demanded.
Her question felt like an accusation, but I didn’t know why. “He said his name was Jameson. He was this tall, reedy kind of guy. He spoke to me for barely a minute in the kitchen.” I realized they were all hanging on my words. “Reddish hair, kind of pale.”
I almost added that he’d had a crooked, sweet smile, but the memory of his sneer when he’d stalked me through my home made it impossible to associate anything sweet with him.
Kain put his hand on my shoulder. That was when I noticed I was shaking. Francesca looked me over, from my bare feet to my long, white nightshirt.
I didn’t have a bra on; I hugged myself, suddenly uncomfortable under their stares.
“I’ll need you to look over photos from the wedding,” Maverick said to me.
“Not tonight.” It was Frannie who spoke, her arm circling my shoulders and brushing away her brother’s. His eyes darkened, but she didn’t care. “Sammy needs to rest. Can’t you all see how freaked out the poor girl is?”
I didn’t feel like a poor girl, but Francesca was getting me away from this weird interrogation. I appreciated that, because I was burnt out. I itched for a hot shower and a warm bed.
Blue Eyes spoke, his voice quiet but hard. It was the kind you couldn’t ignore. “Francesca is right.”
She scoffed. “Of course I am, Costello.”
Costello? So that was his name. The longer I looked at him, the more he reminded me of a feral wolf. He watched me from under the heavy fringe of his eyelashes, light skin contrasting against the rich, mahogany, ruffled hair on his head.
A warm, welcoming scent prickled my nose. It was electric: distilled alpha male. Kain had drawn close to me again, his body subtly separating me from the rest of his brothers—especially Costello.
Kain brushed my fingers beside my hip. “Fran is right, everyone back off. We’re not getting anything done tonight. She can look at photos tomorrow when she’s fresh.”
I was so thankful I came close to hugging him.
Maverick shook his head, grunting low in his throat. “Fine. Get her settled in, make sure she has anything she asks for.” His chin swung through the air, aimed at the other two brothers. “Come with me to the den. Kain, join us as quick as you can.”