I suppress a shudder. I hope no one ever shows me the photos. Knowing that Dane killed to save me is difficult enough, even if I’m not upset that Stephen is dead. I’d rather not see the evidence of his gory demise.
“Dane would do anything to protect me,” I assert. “And I love him for it.”
In this moment, I accept that I’m not responsible for Stephen’s death by proxy; the blame lies with him for drugging and assaulting me. If he hadn’t been a sexual predator, he’d still be alive.
James sighs. “I’m not sure if my brother deserves such loyalty if he’s a murderer.”
“He does,” I declare.
Dane deserves to be loved. Especially because his family has never loved him. He needs someone in his corner, and I resolve that from now on, that person will be me.
“Well, you’ll be relieved to know that everything will be fine,” James says. “My father will make sure that Daniel—Dane—is released without any record of his arrest.”
The fact that he’s actively choosing to use Dane’s preferred name makes me soften toward him. After their conflicts at the family manor, it’s clear that Dane feels nothing but contempt for his younger brother.
But maybe James doesn’t deserve his resentment.
I shake my head. “Dane won’t accept anything from your father. It’s far more likely that he’ll double down on his confession in order to destroy your family’s reputation.”
James curses softly and rakes a hand through his hair. “You really think he’s willing to face prison just to spite us?”
I fix him with a level stare. “You were there when he confronted your parents at the estate. What lengths do you think Dane would go to in order to punish them?”
He curses again. “This will destroy my mother.”
“Maybe she deserves a bit of suffering,” I say coldly.
Dane will strike where it hurts most: her reputation.
James narrows his eyes at me. “I know Dane had the luxury of leaving the family, but I don’t. He made sure of that when he gave up the title and fucked off to America. I’m the heir now, and that means I have to deal with my parents, whether I want to or not. The family name will be my responsibility one day. That’s all I have, Abigail. It’s what I was raised for: to be the Earl of Ripley. Now, my brother is making sure I’ll be Lord of the Ashes. All because he thinks it’s my fault that our parents replaced his twin sister with me.”
The last is bitter with decades of resentment.
Dane might be in too much pain to see that his brother isn’t at fault, but I’m not blinded by years of cruelty at the hands of his parents.
“It’s not your fault that they did that,” I say quietly. “Your parents chose to forget Katie. It’s not right that Dane blames you for their actions. You were just a child yourself. I think he’ll see that one day.”
“One daywill be too late,” James counters. “I’ll be ruined by morning when the news breaks that my brother is a murderer.”
I press my lips together, searching for the right thing to say. Dane’s parents deserve ruin, but James doesn’t. In his own way,he’s suffered as much as Dane, but he was never able to escape. If Dane goes away for Stephen’s murder, James will have to deal with the fallout for the rest of his life.
And I will have to live my life without Dane by my side.
That’s not an option.
An idea sparks.
“What are you thinking?” James asks.
“I think I know how to save Dane, but I’ll need your help.”
54
DANE
“Idon’t want to see you either,” I sneer when my brother appears outside of my holding cell. “There’s nothing you can say that will change my mind.”
Years of resentment are etched into every taut line around his eyes and mouth. “I know. But maybe you’ll listen to her.”
