Page 116 of They Break Beauty

“Then you’re in the right frame of mind to put an end to it.”

“So, this is a peace talk.”

“What else could it be? If we continue in this vein, it’ll end up destroying us all. And for what? Levi won’t accept you pushing me out and I won’t allow you to either, it’ll create a divide between the two of you—possibly even Colton becoming involved in it too—that could prove irreparable.”

“I agree.”

She cocked a skeptical eyebrow. “You do?”

“Yes, you’ve made your case well.” Extremely well, actually. But there was no need to be throwing out further compliments. That made for over-inflated egos and complacency, both hazardous things to indulge.

Her reason couldn’t be denied, though.

It had already become straining commanding Hex while I had my active focus on her and Levi, it had compromised my studies and I was falling behind. Me. Jesus. I also had barely seen either Colt or Lev in the last few days because of it. And extremely worryingly, I was getting off too much on wielding the power of Hex. It was starting to corrupt me and I was honestly just hanging on by a thin sliver of a thread in order to avoid that happening. But if I kept it up at this pace and going it alone without Levi at my side to mitigate my addictive issues when it came to that sort of thing, it wouldn’t be long before I fully succumbed.

In spite of all of that, it had hit me tonight that Brianna could prove useful, if I could balance the detrimental aspect she posed to Levi’s stability with his obsessiveness about her. I’d watched her calm him and even convince him to do something he hadn’t wanted to earlier. It was absolutely unheard of. The only way I’d managed to get him to do something he hadn’t desired to was to use harsh methods. But there she’d been with a gentleness, yet firmness all at once that he’d responded incredibly favorably to.

Before I could speak more to it, Colt swaggered back in, popping a rumball into his mouth, a full packet clutched in his hand. Yeah, he was definitely pissed and agitated about what had transpired tonight. Rumballs were his stress foods, as Cheerios were mine.

He looked between the two of us, then slumped onto the couch over on the farthest cushion, making it clear he didn’t want to be close to me right now. “Figured you guys were done by now.”

“Not really,” I responded.

“Then go right ahead, Mason,” he retorted. “Glad to see you managed to summon some sense and you didn’t hurt her.”

“I don’t hurt women, you know that.”

“Do I? How about that attack you had set on her, that I intervened in before it could actually take place?”

“That’s why you randomly showed up at my side that night and insisted on escorting me home?” Brianna asked.

“Damn straight. I wasn’t gonna let you get hurt. I’ve grown hella fond of you, cutie.”

As she beamed at him, I clarified, “It was a scare tactic. Intimidation. Nothing physical would have transpired.”

Levi’s shadow fell over the door. “Your toy soldiers would’ve suffered big time if it had gone down that way.” He winked at Brianna. “You’ve got skills, don’t you, baby?”

“I can hold my own,” she responded, modestly. Or perhaps she intended to downplay her combat abilities to have me underestimate her in case we couldn’t maintain this peace.

“I’ve summoned more than some sense, Colt,” I told him. “We’re making peace.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “You are?” He swung his head toward Brianna. “He is?”

“That’s right,” she responded brightly, then reached out and gently rubbed his arm. “It’s all okay. Or, it will be.”

“Well, good,” Colt said, brightening too, his antagonism toward me lessening a little as he looked back at me and actually smiled. “Really fucking good.”

“Sorry, cupcake,” Levi said, having taken a quick shower and now changed into a clean pair of gray sweats. He crossed to Brianna and perched on the arm of her chair, then draped his arm over her shoulders. I watched with intrigue as she immediately sank into his touch. “That’s gonna be tested right off the bat.”

Before any of us could get a word out, him and Brianna exchanged a nod of agreement, then Levi sucked in a breath and revealed, “We don’t just know each other from our fathers doing business a few years back.” With his free hand, he grasped her hand for obvious support. “She was there six years ago. I wasn’t alone when I was taken. Brianna was with me.”

“What?” Colt exclaimed, his vehement shock mirroring mine.

“That’s where your obsession with her stems from?” I asked.

“My interest was sparked before then, but what happened during those two weeks… let’s just say that it escalated that interest. Cemented it, really.”

“Fuck me,” I choked. “Lev, this is—”

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