Page 77 of Beautiful Dark Temptation

He inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Whether youlike this or not, you were born into all of this. You’re my brotherand Joaquín’s son. Part Brennan and part La Sagrada Sangre throughyour Moya blood. I can’t change any of it.”

“Would you?” I blurted out unable to stayshut. He gave me his familiar WTF look. “Would you change it. Me.If you could.”

“Yes,” he said. “Only because you don’tdeserve this life. You deserve better. You’re too kind, Tomás.”

I shook my head. “I’m really not. I’ve donethings.”

“To protect people you care about. I don’twant you to do something you’ll regret.”

“Like kill somebody?”

“Like kill somebody when there’s anotherway.”

Another way. “Is that why you have EagleCorp? Is giving kids money a way to feel better for ruining theirlives?” Shit. I had to shut up, but Jack had deserved better.Maddox strangled the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.“There was this kid, Jackson Templeton. You killed his fatherGeorge. Do you remember that?”

Maddox answered in a cool tone. “Iremember.”

“Jackson tried to kill me.”

Maddox glared at me and I had to lookaway.

“I left the school grounds with him, and hetook me to his mom’s place where he used to live. She OD’d. Hethought killing me would hurt you. What a joke, right?” I turned tohim hoping he’d say something like, no that’s not a joke. I do carefor you. He didn’t. His nostrils flared and he still had that cold,deadly look as if he wanted to kill someone. Probably me. But Ikept on going. Like a tractor trailer trampling over snow. “Why areyou hiding the fact that I’m your brother from your other brothers?Huh? Why do I have to come to this place and not a regularschool?”

The car inched up. We were two cars awayfrom the main gate.

“Because we might share half our DNA, butwe’re not family. You want to hide me here from everyone importantso that you can stroke your ego!” I clenched my fists, anger apotent, real thing. And his silence made it worse.

We passed through security and Maddoxslammed the brakes near the visitor center. I didn’t get out of thecar right away. I should have but I needed to know one last thing.“Answer me this,” I said, my throat tight. “What would you do if Ikilled your brothers the way you killed mine? Because you stillkilled Miguel, and Daniel and Cruz will always be on the runbecause of you. And you killed my father. And my mother hates mebecause of you. I have every reason to go after the people you loveand …” I didn’t get to finish when he turned and clamped his handaround my throat and squeezed.

“I’d kill you,” he said, with intent behindit. “Slowly,” he added, digging in the blade.

He squeezed tighter. Tears blurred myvision. I couldn’t breathe and I didn’t even fight him. Shock andrealization had me frozen in place. Suddenly, he released me and Iscrambled for air. My chest hurt, tears burned tracks down mycheeks. I clawed at the door needing to get out, needing to get asfar away from him as I possibly could. He didn’t even try to stopme as I stumbled out of the car and ran. I didn’t stop until I wasin sight of Arcas. Dasher stood up from the steps the moment he sawme. I wiped my tears and tried for a smile but it didn’t work. Hisexpression was all I needed to know that we were friends again.That he’d been waiting for me and not Fox. He narrowed the gapbetween us although his leg pained him and hugged me with one arm,using me as his second crutch. I held on to him and cried.

“I hate it here,” I mumbled into his neck.“This is a prison.”

“I know,” he said back. “But we’re not allthat bad.”

I chuckled, wiping my snot on his shoulder.“Sorry,” I said sheepishly.

He made a face. “You’re disgusting.”

****

Kieran didn’t arrive until days later. He’dbeen legitimized. Heir to the Brennan Family throne. Consideringhe’d already taken over the legitimate business, I had to wonderwhat this new addition of power meant for him. For us, it meant I’dbe his secret. For some reason, it hurt less to be Kieran’s secretthan it did to be Maddox’s secret. Maybe because with Kieran Iunderstood why. It had nothing to do with me, but his sexuality. Igot it. And I agreed to give him time.

That weekend I dragged Dasher to thered-light district. As his official BFF, he couldn’t say no. And, Imight have made him feel guilty for ghosting me after the hazingwhich forced me to leave the school and bad shit happenedafterward, though I spared him from the specific bad shitstory.

The first of December brought more snow andfreezing temperatures. “I think they built this stupid school hereto make us suffer even more,” I said.

Dasher chuckled. His breathing heavy fromexertion and pain, although he didn’t admit to the pain part. “Ifwe were smart, we would’ve stayed home and made some hot chocolateand watched some reruns of Teen Wolf.”

I almost rolled my eyes. “Dude, we’re incollege. College people party.”

“They study, too.”

“And smoke weed,” I added.

Dasher snorted. “You are so clueless.”

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