Violent Ends
“Don’t make any rash decisions though. Take your time.”
“You’re not going to try and talk me out of it?” she asked.
“Of course not, why would I do that? It’s something you want.”
“You don’t look happy about it either.”
She watched as he rubbed his fingers across his forehead, looking really deep in thought.
“I guess, with everything going on, I never considered leaving this life.”
She chuckled. “I’m not asking you to leave, silly. I’m thinking about, you know, going by myself. Being away from it all. Owen and Wyatt, they love being here, you know. It’s their place. Where they feel comfortable being. Me, not so much. I know they’ll try to talk me out of it, and I don’t want that.”
“Not even when your parents were alive?”
“I thought about running away so many times. I mean, my dad was a monster, and he was always looking around for the next big power thing. He was all about wealth and power. Anything he could do to get his hands on it, he wanted it.” She shrugged. “I guess, it was just always a little scary. My mom told me that as a woman in this world, I didn’t have any power of my own. My dad would pick my life for me. I’d have to smile and just take it. That’s what we do. I remember asking her about love. She told me that love is for fools who think it exists.”
“Do you want to believe in love?” he asked.
“I know it exists. I’ve seen it in people’s eyes, you know. That dreamy look that always comes to them when they see a loved one.”
“I know love exists.”
She looked at him and smiled. “Is this about your curse?” She’d heard all about the Denton family legacy or curse. Owen and Wyatt were teasing Gabriel about it. She didn’t see what was such a curse about finding the woman you love.
It certainly made life a lot easier to know the woman that would be yours for the rest of your life.
“You know about the Denton curse?” he asked.
“Why do you call it a curse? That I don’t get.”
“But you know about it?”
“I know that for a Denton the moment they meet their woman there is this instant connection. They know she is meant to be theirs, and it’s a whole big deal. No other woman would do, yadda yadda.”
“How about this—the woman doesn’t have a clue.”
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. She doesn’t have a clue that this guy is literally drooling after her. It’s like she doesn’t even know he exists.”
“That can’t be right. Surely she’d know or have an inkling or something. We’re talking about love here.”
“Yeah, we are, and from what I’ve seen, it’s not that simple.”
She sighed. “So, you guys have to work harder to win her over?”
“Pretty much.”
“I bet you feel so victimized because of it.”
“You’re teasing me right now.”
“Not at all. I’m just finding the entire thing funny.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because it’s always the woman that has to do everything around here. You know. We’re the ones that fall in love, and you guys hate it. It’s cool to know it’s the other way around. So, have you found your woman?”
She liked Gideon. He was an asshole, but he didn’t try to hide that fact. He embraced who he was and to hell with anyone who told him any differently.
Her brothers didn’t exactly like him, but that was fine. He always seemed to appear whenever she needed him, like now.
“When will you tell your family that you’re leaving?” Gideon asked.
“You completely changed the subject there. What are you not telling me?”
“My romantic intentions are not a problem. A possible fallout is.”
“Why would my leaving be cause for a possible fallout?”
“Your brother.”
“What would Owen or Wyatt have to do with anything?”
“I’m not talking about them.”
“What would Gabriel have to do with anything?” she asked. “He’s found his place in the world.”
“You no longer see him as a brother.”
“We’re half brother and sister.”
“You’ve both got the same mother.”
“Look, I’ve got no problem with Gabriel, okay? It’s fine. More than fine. I’m happy for him. He’s always had this missing connection thing going on, and Mom was always scared around him when she was alive. It’s fine. Honestly.” She felt like her oldest brother had found his way and she’d lost hers.
Staring down at the travel books, she felt a new hope, a spark that had long since died. Could she really do it? Leave everything behind that she once knew?
Deep in her heart she knew she could. This was not her life anymore, hadn’t be for some considerable time now.
“Go out with me,” he said, taking her by surprise.
“What?”
“You heard me. Tomorrow night. You and me, nothing else.”
“Is this where you convince me to stick around?” she asked.
“It’s where I try and give you a good time. A lot of stuff went to shit in the past couple of years, and I imagine you’ve been pushed aside while that has happened. I bet you’ve not even had fun in such a long time.”