“Exactly.”
Another wave crippled her. Kes was the convenient arsehole who captured her elbow giving her an anchor. “There you go again. You okay?”
She nodded, rubbing her temples. “Sorry. Damn vertigo. Can’t control it.”
Kes smiled, his body curved into hers. “Don’t apologise. We all have flaws, and sometimes they’re not something we have the power to change.”
He’s talking about me again. Fuckwit.
Nila’s lips popped open, her eyes searching his. “You’re nothing like your phone messages.”
My muscles instantly locked.
Her voice was barely a whisper. I wouldn’t have caught it unless my ears weren’t already straining for every nuance in her tone.
She knows.
Kes cocked his head, his eyes blocking all clues and answers. Laughing self-consciously, he quickly pressed a kiss on her cheek and released her. “If that’s a good thing, I’ll take the credit.”
That’s it.
I was fucking done.
Stalking forward, I plucked Nila from the carpet and threw her over my shoulder. Kes’s mouth fell open. “Um...”
“Don’t say another word,brother.” I transmitted everything I couldn’t say with one glare. “Stay out of this. All of it.”
Nila squealed, hitting my back with tiny fists. “Put me down, you arsehole.”
“No chance,” I growled. “I’m not letting you go until I have you exactly where I want you.”
Preferably naked with my cock driving between your legs.
But because I was the perfect son, I would have to save that for another day.
There was a small matter of a debt. A debt that had to be repaid before the day turned into dusk—for no other reason but tradition. We’d run out of time.
Kes stared at me, his eyes waging with an apology and confrontation. If Nila wasn’t here, I had no doubt we’d either pummel each other or have the deepest, longest conversation of our lives. Thisone incident had brought everything we’d avoided to a head.
Kes and I were friends—more than I could say for the rest of the people inside this house—but despite our friendship, there was still a thick rivalry between us. Not just because of primogeniture and the fact I would inherit everything, but because we’d both been hurt by the same incident in our pasts.
We just dealt with it differently.
He’d played a good game where Nila was concerned. A game I’d never been able to master—the art of wielding kindness. My kindness came with too many conditions and more pain than if I remained cruel. But Kes, he was...better than me.
I knew the real him. And despite my agony at him wanting Nila’s attention, he was a good guy.
Silently, he raised a finger, pointing it in my face. Nila couldn’t see him as he mouthed, “I know it’s not working. We need to find other methods.”
Shit, if he could see, Cut wouldn’t be too far behind.
“Dammit, Jethro, put me down.” Nila hammered on my lower back.
Ignoring her, I shifted her higher over my shoulder and nodded once.
Then I put every worry and thought in the vault deep inside me and lashed the chains tight. I had work to do.
Not giving Kes the satisfaction of seeing me ruffled, I spun around and left without a word with my prize slung over my shoulder.
