Page 22 of Their Dark Rose

A thunder roared outside.

Except it wasn’t thunder. As I stirred out of my sleep, thrusted out of my dream and into the real world, I realized someone was banging on the door.

“Fuck her decency. It doesn’t sound like her other nightmares. She’s hurt.” I heard Finn as he shoved the door open. The light from the hallway spilled into my dark bedroom. “Briar, I’m coming in.”

There was an underlying tone of violence in his voice. Warning whoever might be here with me was as good as dead.

Only the bad man who’d forced the pained cries out of me wasn’t in my room. My parents weren’t coming anytime soon.

Conscious of my see-through nightgown, I rushed to pull the covers over my chest.

Then I looked at my savior. Wearing nothing but his gray sweats, Finnley Abbot dominated my bedroom. His intricate thorn tattoos pulsed as his muscles clenched and unclenched, ready to fight.

His hazel eyes were lacking their usual gleam. They were nearly black. Homicidal.

The violent look suited him. Fit him like a glove. Always had, if I believed his stories. And I did.

I even liked the thought of him punching and killing people.

Arousal dampened my panties. My breaths grew heavier.

I liked it a lot.

“Where are they?” Finn ate up the space of my room, yanking on the door to my bathroom.

Heavy footsteps followed him. Mason and Falk were both in sweats and nothing else, too.

The oldest of the brothers smelled of his cedar wood cologne. A bit woodsy, a bit citrusy. The scent made me heady.

“Are you okay, flower?” Mason dropped to his knees beside my four-poster bed, his voice strangely kind.

I noticed how his hair, cut close to his head, wasn’t as messy as the others. Finn’s straight, longer hair fell on his forehead and stood on the sides. Falk’s shorter hair was ruffled. And sexy.

Their presence alone ripped the nightmare out of me. They replaced it with their intensity. With their sudden protectiveness over me in the face of danger.

That night, my attraction to them settled in. Took root in my heart. Forever to stay.

Despite everything we’d been through.

“Was someone here?” Mason demanded, his narrowed eyes searching my face. “You can tell us. Even if it’s someone you know, you have no reason to be afraid. We’ll protect you.”

Mason’s question seemed strange. I had no one other than my family, and these people wanted nothing to do with me. Who would hurt me?

“Yeah, little rose.” Finn appeared next to Mason, his hands balled into fists at his sides. “You can tell us.”

This scene was something right out of one of my dreams. I was stunned. Could hardly handle watching them like that.

I wanted more. An infinite amount of what they had to give me.

And I was about to demand everything they had to give. Then Falk’s intimidating gait had me choking on my words. In a few short steps, he was at my window, pulling roughly on the handle.

The window opened easily. Cold wind drifted into the room.

Though the winter’s wind was nothing compared to Falk’s power. The accusatory look he shot me over his shoulder had me shivering under the covers.

“Dammit, Briar.” He slammed the window shut, twisting the lock. “I told you a million times to lock the fucking window.”

“I’m sorry.”

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