My cheeks must be as red as cherries because they are on fire. I move to stand and shove him off his seat, but my legs give out on me and I fall onto the floor of the boat.
John shouts as he backs us off the beach, “Would you two knock it the fuck off! You’re both being idiots.”
I set myself back onto the seat and stare daggers at Roman. “I won’t be helping youeveragain, don’t worry.”
He gets a smug expression as he lets his eyes dip down to my chest and then back to my face. Goddamn it.I forgot I’m only in my bra.
“Are you sure? I could always use a little help,whore.” He spreads his thighs, and I see the massive boner he has currently tenting his wet pants.
Furious tears prickle in my eyes. I feel so insanely stupid for everything I did last night. I should’ve just left him in the lake and let nature take its course. Rationally, I know no matter how much I hate him, I could never actually do that though.
I remember how weak and vulnerable he looked. The way his shallow breaths made my chest wrench like a broken clock.
“Shut the fuck up, Lieutenant.”
Roman jolts at that name, and shock moves across his features. John curses and shakes his head like he’s pissed at himself.
“Lieutenant?” I repeat with a set frown. “Like a military officer?”
Roman sets his loathing eyes on me, lips twisted like he’s not sure he wants to talk about it. “Sort of.”
If this psychopath is in the military, then I’m a butterfly named Pancakes.
John interrupts. “Briar, look, we’re going to explain everything once we get back to the farm, okay? We need to get out of here while we can, and that will be easier if you two juststoptalking.”
“What makes the farm safe? These guys had weapons, and there were at least three that I could see last night. We should leave Bane Falls while we still can.”
John shakes his head. “No can do. We can’t leave and neither can you. The farm is safe because your uncle wasn’t a simple farmer. Just trust us, okay? We’ll explain everything once we’re there.” His eyes are pleading.
“Trust the guy who calls me a whore,right. Because that’s so easy.” I don’t bother trying to ease the sarcasm from my tone.
“You’re the one who took off your shirt.” Roman has the audacity to keep it going.
“To stop you from bleeding, asshole!”
“Could’ve fooled me,” he fires back, rolling his eyes. Our jaws are flexed and we’re glaring daggers into each other. We look utterly stupid being this agitated with shivering frames, each huddled under our blankets like two grannies arguing over tea.
John lets out a long breath. “No one say another word until we get back to the farm, or I’ll stop this boat and you two can swim until you’re too tired to argue. How does that sound, hmm?”
We stop with the comments, but the tension and loathing that dances between us still couldn’t be severed with a butcher’s knife. Although, once the sun rises and we’re on the road back to Bane Falls, I notice Roman’s reflection in the window glancing over at me more than once.
It could just be that the image of him in the window isn’t as clear, but there’s a soft, almost tortured set to his expression.
13
BRIAR
Even after taking a scalding shower,I can’t stop shivering. Taylor sits down beside me on the sofa and hands me a cup of tea.
“Thanks.” My throat is sore from the labored breathing in the cold last night. The air is much dryer in Montana than it was in Seattle.
Bensen and Gale are standing by the small foyer with their arms crossed, while John is sitting forward with his elbows pressed to his knees. Roman walks in last with a towel over his head and plops down across from me on the other sofa.
They all watch him expectantly. I refuse to meet his gaze, so I stare at his legs instead.
“No one knows what darkness truly looks like until it already has a hold of you,” Roman says cryptically. It sounds like a rehearsed statement. “No one knows how vicious the shadows are until the Dark Forces are upon you.”
My eyes flick up to his, confusion pulling at my brow. The darkwhat?
