Page 127 of Branded

The question is loaded. Testing.

“Yes,” I answer honestly. “If they’d hurt you like that, I would have made sure their deaths took hours instead of minutes. I’d burn the world down for you, Lennox.”

She nods slowly, like that confirms something. “Is it sick that I find comfort in your capacity for violence?”

“No. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be protected by someone who can actually do it.” I move closer to the tub. “Lennox, we’re not good people. Not by normal standards, but we’re your people. And we’ll always protect you. That’s worth something.”

She holds my gaze for a long moment, then nods. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay. I can live with that.” She stands, water sluicing off her body. “Help me dry off?”

I wrap her in towels, helping her into sleep clothes. We climb into bed together, and she immediately curls into me.

“Thank you,” she whispers. “For coming for me. For bringing my family. For everything.”

“Always. I’ll always come for you.”

She falls asleep quickly, exhaustion taking over. But I lie awake, listening to her breathe, cataloging every sound in the house. Making sure she’s safe.

Downstairs, I hear Warren moving around; his uneven gait gives him away. He’s checking doors and windows, probably, the habits of a man who’s spent his life protecting his family.

We’re alike in that way. Both of us willing to do terrible things to keep our people safe. Both of us are carrying the weight of those choices. Both of us know we’d do it all again without hesitation.

41

LENNOX

I wake to sunlight and the sound of male voices. For a moment, I don’t remember where I am or what happened. Then it all comes rushing back: the basement, the rescue, the violence, fifteen people dead. I sit up gasping for breath and immediately feel dizzy.

“Easy.” Sebastian’s voice floats through the air. He’s already dressed, sitting in the chair by the window. “You’re okay. You’re home, your family’s downstairs making breakfast.”

“How long have you been awake?”

“A couple hours. Couldn’t sleep.” He moves to the bed carefully and sits beside me. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I lived through something I shouldn’t have.” I run my hands through my tangled hair. “Is my dad making breakfast?”

“He and your brothers. Apparently Cole knows how to make Grace’s pancakes, and your dad’s particular about his bacon.” A slight smile. “They’ve taken over my kitchen.”

“That sounds like them.” I try to smile back, but it feels forced. “I should get dressed. Face the day.”

“Or you could stay in bed. Rest. Let yourself recover.”

“I can’t hide forever.”

“You’re not hiding, you’re recovering. There’s a difference.” He touches my face gently. “Lennox, you’re allowed to take time to process.”

“And what if I don’t want to process? If I just want to… move forward?”

“Then you move forward. But eventually, it’s going to catch up to you. These things always do.”

He’s probably right. But right now, I can’t face processing. Can’t sit with the reality of what happened. So I decide I’ll move forward. Pretend everything is normal. Deal with the breakdown when it comes.

“I’m getting dressed.” I stand, ignoring the way the room sways slightly. “And then I’m going downstairs to have breakfast with my family, like this is a normal visit.”

Sebastian looks like he wants to argue, but doesn’t. Just watches as I pull on jeans and one of his hoodies, brush my hair and try to make myself look presentable.