Jezebel Jenkins was not her real name. She’d once told him it was the name she’d chosen. He had no clue what her birth name actually was. Jez had changed her identity over and over.
People underestimated Jez because she was physically fragile. Just a dancer. How often had she told him those were the words she’d heard? She’s just a charming dancer.
A dancer who had brought down some of the worst criminals in the world.
“Jez will get intel from them. Hell, you already had that little Jacob jerk spouting off constantly. Even if the other one doesn’t break,” Ryan mused, “that one will.” He turned his head and surveyed the woods around them. “We’ve got additional agents out there now. No one will get past them for the rest of the night.”
They were just supposed to stay in the cabin until dawn. After it had already been compromised.
“You should go in and try comforting Delaney.” Ryan’s voice was mild. “I’m sure she’s quite shaken after tonight’s events.”
“You mean after waking up to find two guys who wanted to abduct her?” Nash’s words were gritted from between clenched teeth. “Or from watching me beat the shit out of Jacob because he’d terrified her? Which one of those events do you think left her the most shaken? Oh, and let’s not forget the fun moment when I threw a man out of her window.” Ryan had been right. He definitely hadn’t been sweet or soothing or—dammit. Not charming. So very far from charming. Instead, he’d been deadly and vicious. And he’d seen the fear in Delaney’s eyes when she looked at him.
“Probably all those events did it,” Ryan drawled. “Waking up to find attackers by her bed had to be frightening. Then seeing you in your deadly glory probably sealed the deal. Not like it had to be an either-or situation.”
Hell. He needed to go inside. “She’s afraid of me.”
“No.” A very long and drawn out nooooo. “I’m sure she’s not.”
Bullshit. Ryan was lying. “She’s terrified. I saw it on her face. In her eyes. If I go in there and try to touch her now, she’ll probably flinch away from me.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to do more than just touch her.” Ryan slapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’re gonna have to marry her. So man up and get in there. Unless, of course, you changed your mind and you want me to take on the role of groom.”
“I’m marrying her.”
“Pretend marrying,” Ryan corrected. “You’re pretend marrying.”
Nash didn’t speak.
“Pretend marrying,” Ryan said again.
And, again, Nash did not speak.
“Unless you want a real marriage?” A careful question from Ryan. “Is that what you are trying to tell your big brother?”
Their birthdays were literally a month apart. But Ryan still liked to toss out that big brother bullshit every now and then. It brought him joy.
“Huh.” From Ryan when the silence just kinda stretched.
Hell, yes, I want to really marry her. It is what I’ve always wanted. But you don’t always get what you want in this world. A painful, bitter truth.
“You usually tell me every secret you have.” Ryan’s voice was low. Considering. “You’re my brother, and there is no truth that I haven’t given to you. No matter how painful it is, I’ve always told you everything about myself.”
Nash’s jaw hurt because his teeth were clenched so tightly.
“You never told me why you walked away from Delaney before.”
He hadn’t been able to tell anyone.
“At first, I thought she’d done something to break your heart. So, yeah, I was an asshole to her back in those days.”
“Delaney never did anything wrong.” Gritted words.
“You just stopped loving her?”
Never.
“Uh, huh. Thought so.” Still low. “I hate that I was an ass to her back then. But my loyalty is always to you, without question.”
