Branded (Savage Men 4)

“You … you’ll pay for this,” I say through gritted teeth. Rage fills my veins. I don’t think I’ve ever been angrier than I am right now. Not even at Brandon.

“You think?” His uncle laughs. “Because if I remember correctly, you’re the one who blew up my goddamn hotel.” He marches toward me and grabs me by the throat, lifting me up from the floor. I close my eyes.

Can’t. Fucking. Breathe.

“LET. HER. GO.”

BANG!

I drop to the floor. I inhale out loud and clutch my throat, glad I’m still alive.

There’s a gunshot wound in his uncle’s shoulder, and Brandon’s gun is smoking.

“Brandon …” Josiah tsks. He doesn’t even seem to feel the pain. “I expected better from you.”

“Don’t fucking touch her,” Brandon responds.

I’ve never seen him this protective over me before. It’s as if he really cares about me and my life.

“Did you forget what she did to us, Brandon?” Josiah replies. “That girl destroyed my fucking casino. She should be hanged and have a fucking stake driven up her goddamn pussy!” he yells, his voice so loud it breaks.

A shiver runs up and down my spine. If that’s what he was planning on doing to me, I’m sure as hell glad Brandon got to me first.

“Did to you, you mean,” Brandon says, carefully coming toward me, one step at a time.

Josiah frowns while he moves away. “Excuse me?”

Both of them still have their guns aimed at each other. “That hotel means nothing to me.”

“How can you say that, Brandon? You know how important it is to me.”

Brandon’s finally reached me, and he towers over me, protecting me while I huddle over my dad. “To you, yeah,” he spits back to his uncle. “And that’s all you care about.”

“What? No, of course not,” Josiah says, laughing. “You’re my fucking nephew. Of course, I care about you.”

“So that’s why you sent your boys after me? Have them fucking shoot at us?” Brandon snaps. “You’re a fucking liar, and you know it.”

“I was only getting back what belongs to me,” Josiah says, eyeing me. “After all, she ruined my hotel, so it’s up to me to punish her. Not you. Now hand her over.”

He beckons Brandon, but Brandon doesn’t even flinch. “Over my dead body.”

A wicked smile forms on Josiah’s lips. “Why do you even care what happens to her? You two hate each other, no?”

Hate is such a strong word. I don’t know what I feel for Brandon right now, but I know for sure I could stab Josiah’s eyes out right now if I had the chance.

“What’s this? You two having feelings for each other now?” He laughs maniacally. “I can’t fucking believe this.”

“Shut up,” Brandon says.

“This is rich.” His uncle can barely keep it together. “You two? After all the shit you pulled?” He cocks his head. “You do know he killed your brothers, right?”

“Don’t you fucking talk about them,” I spit back, tears rolling down my cheeks.

He has no fucking right to even mention them.

Brandon exhales. “We.”

We?

What does he mean?

“I didn’t do anything,” Josiah says.

“Stop lying,” Brandon hisses. “You drove me there with those men I didn’t even know. Those men killed her brothers.”

“You wanted them dead,” his uncle says, snorting.

So it’s true. He was there.

The muscles in Brandon’s face twitch. “I said I wanted them punished! I never intended to kill them. You forced me to be a part of something I didn’t want to do!”

“You’re an ungrateful son of a bitch, you know that?” Josiah spits on the floor. “All this time, I took care of you, helping you when you were at your lowest.” He sighs. “C’mon, Brandon. Just hand the girl over to me. You have nothing to lose.”

I can tell Brandon is having a hard time trusting him, and I can’t blame him. I wouldn’t trust a snake like that either.

“Why didn’t you just bring her to me?” Josiah asks. “All this could’ve been prevented.”

“Because I wanted my own revenge,” Brandon says.

“Revenge? On her? Why?” Josiah asks.

“The Zippo … She found it at the Burrell farm after the fire,” he answers, frowning.

“So?” His uncle raises his shoulders.

“That Zippo was at my papa’s shop when he was murdered. She led her brothers to my papa,” Brandon says.

“That’s not true, I already told you,” I say.

Josiah suddenly bursts out into laughter. Brandon and I look at each other, confused as to what’s going on.

“You honestly believe the Burrells did it?”

Brandon’s eyes widen.

“Boy, you’re so fucking dense you can’t even see what’s going on in front of your own eyes,” his uncle says, snorting. Then the look in his eyes changes so much he looks like the devil himself.

“You’re all a bunch of idiots. All the fucking Burrells, and now you too. Damn, I expected so much more from you, Brandon.” He shakes his head. “Such a fucking shame.”