Forever (Betrothed 7)

He was quiet for a long time, as if he were afraid of the things that would come out of his mouth when he spoke. “How did you get away?”

“Catalina.”

“She talked her way out of that?” he asked incredulously.

“No…she kicked his ass.”

He looked back at me, his eyes more furious than ever before. Seconds passed before he rose to his feet, his body visibly shaking. “So, you put my sister in danger now?”

“No. She slapped him around a few times before pushing him into a table. When he was down, we left. Liam wouldn’t hit a woman. If he was going to, he would have hit me already.”

He dragged his hands down his face again. “So, let me get this straight. You go out to lunch with my sister, get harassed by Liam, and the only reason you got away was because my sister threw a few punches?”

“Uh…I guess. I wouldn’t put it that way—”

“Why didn’t you just listen to me?” He threw his arms down. “What if he’d taken you, Annabella? What if he’d punched my sister and knocked her out cold?”

“He wouldn’t—”

“Stop saying that shit. You said he wouldn’t cheat, and he did. You said he wouldn’t try to kidnap you, and he did. You’re unable to see reality, to see what’s right in front of your face. That’s why you need to listen to me because I’ve got 20/20 vision. I have no idea what the fuck you have.” He turned away and began to pace in front of the fire, walking off his rage. “I don’t get it, Annabella. You could have just had lunch here.”

I couldn’t throw Catalina under the bus because he would scream at her next. It was my fault in the end—because I was the one who’d agreed to leave. “I apologized and said it wouldn’t happen again.”

“And that makes everything okay?” he asked incredulously.

“No…but we should move on.”

“It’s not easy for me to move on, Annabella. Because if things had happened differently, I would have lost you. And I would have lost my mind to the terrors of my imagination.” He stopped pacing and stared at me head on. “So don’t expect me to fucking move on.”

Nine

Damien

I pounded my fist against the door then turned back into the hallway so my face wouldn’t be pressed into the peephole. When there was no activity, I slammed my fist against the wood again—this time harder.

Footsteps were finally audible on the other side, frantic and quick. Her body pressed against the wood as she examined the peephole and stared at me on the other side of the door. Then she opened it. “Jesus, what’s so damn important right now?” She was in a black dress with a gold necklace around her throat. Heels were on her feet, and her brown hair was pulled back from her face.

I moved to go inside her apartment.

She blocked my way. “What are you doing?”

“You aren’t gonna invite your brother inside?”

“Why would I? You have no right just to drop by without letting me know.”

“No right?” I asked. “You literally do that every week.”

“Not this late at night,” she countered. “And I don’t come to see you.”

A man’s voice came from behind the door. “Everything alright?”

My eyes narrowed on her face.

“What?” she asked angrily. “Yes, I have a life.”

“I need to talk to you, so get rid of him.”

“I’m not kicking him out. He’s hot.”

I rolled my eyes. “If he really likes you, he’ll come back.”

She sighed in annoyance as she gripped the door. “If you weren’t my brother…” She turned away and headed farther into her apartment. “Could we do a rain check? My brother needs to talk to me.”

He didn’t make a fuss. “Sure. Call me.” He moved toward the door then stopped when we came face-to-face.

I sized him up, my instincts unstoppable. I wanted to protect a woman who didn’t need to be protected, to make sure this guy was worthy of her when his qualifications were none of my business. I didn’t like my sister seeing men casually, bringing them to her apartment for privacy, but I had to remind myself she was a grown-ass woman. She could do whatever she wanted…and it was none of my business.

“Collin.” He extended his hand to shake mine.

I took it. “Damien.” He was a handsome man, well dressed, seemed like the business type. No red flags. “I apologize for ruining your evening.”

“Family always comes first.” He gave me a polite nod before he walked off.

I actually liked the guy…which made me dislike him.

I stepped inside her apartment, seeing the scowl on her face. A wine bottle was on the table, along with a tray of various cheeses and fruit and a sliced baguette. A single white candle glowed. “Where did you meet him?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “The other day at lunch. I gave him my number.”