Page 62 of Sunrise Malice

“Thanks. I mean, this is really nice of you.”

“And, Brianne, I just want to say, I’m so sorry about everything. With your brother, your dad, this family, I just—” She falters, her smile fading away, and she looks down at her hands. “It’s not supposed to be like this.”

I don’t know why, but that hits me hard.It’s not supposed to be like this. She’s right—these families, they’re not supposed to break us.

They’re supposed to be support, warmth, even love. But ever since my brother spiraled deeper into the Hayes Group, I’ve experienced nothing but pain, again and again, getting worse and worse as the years went by.

We hug and I leave before I can start crying my eyes out. I find Julien waiting near his car, glaring at the house like he wants to burn it down. His expression softens when I come out and walk up to him, and he holds out a hand toward me. I take it, not sure why, and let him pull me closer to him.

And all at once, that worry and fear I felt inside, the bad memories and the ugly knot of trauma I’m always carrying around in the back of my head, it all fades. It doesn’t go away—I don’t think it ever will—but it lightens enough that I can smile back at him, even though a minute ago I wanted to sob my eyes out.

“Valentina thinks you’re in love with me,” I tell him, trying not to smile.

His mouth opens, but instead of some snarky retort, he says nothing. And I see so much he wants to keep hidden in that very brief moment of hesitation.

But then he’s back to himself. “I’m in love with parts of you,” he says, his palm gripping my ass.

I yelp in surprise and slap his chest. He grins, grabbing harder, until I wriggle free. “Dickhead,” I mumble, getting into the car, cheeks burning.

But if he does that again, I’m not sure I’d move his hand next time.

Chapter 26

Brianne

I’m not confined to our rooms in the mansion, exactly, but Julien makes it clear that I shouldn’t go wandering around. “Remember the rules,” he says, watching me from the doorway as I sprawl on the couch. I’m still achy from the explosion and I swear I hear this high-pitched whine every time I’m in silence. “Stay away from Grandpère and his men.”

“I know, I know, you’ve made it clear.”

He grunts and turns away, but he doesn’t leave. I know he’s only telling me this stuff to protect me, but I’m still going a little stir crazy. “Just check with me before you go anywhere.”

“What about the hospital to visit Kim?”

His shoulders tense and he shakes his head. “That’s a bad idea right now.”

“Come on, it’s the hospital. I’ll be safe there. You really think Dusan would try something?”

“Maybe not while you’re there, but on the way he might. I don’t want to risk it.”

“I’m not going to stop visiting her.” I sit up and stare at him. “Seriously, I’m not going to abandon her.” The idea is monstrous. She was hit by a car because of me, her pelvis is ruined because of me, she may never walk again and might always be in pain, both because of me, and there’s no way I’m going to let her sit around at that hospital alone.

“You’re not abandoning her. You can call and text whenever you want.” He gestures at my phone. “You’re practically in constant communication already.”

“That’s different from actually visiting and you know that. It’s my fault she’s there, Julien.” My voice trembles and I fight back the tears.

“Not because of you,” he murmurs and taps a knuckle against his chin. “I’m sorry, but you just can’t go right now.”

“Unacceptable.” I curl my hands into fists and move toward him. “I’ve gone along with everything you want. We’re living in the mansion, we slept in the same damn bed, I took you to Ronan’s place, and I haven’t complained. I’m not asking you, Julien. I’m telling you. I’m going to visit Kim.”

He doesn’t like that, but I don’t give a damn. I’d love to see him try to stop me. He comes back toward me, all six-foot-two and covered in muscles, looking like rage and sex and death got into a three-way and gave birth to my French husband. The man’s built from muscles and steel, and he could rip me in half if he wanted, and that still won’t stop me from seeing my friend.

His expression is hard, and he seems like he’s teetering on the edge of something, like he’s struggling to keep control.

“I’m not going to risk losing you, Brianne,” he says, his voice firm, but coming out in a harsh whisper. “When that bomb wentoff, all I could think about was what my life would be like if you were suddenly gone, and I couldn’t handle it. Something broke in me during that explosion, and now I’m ready to die before I let you get hurt.”

I stare at him, heart beating fast, afraid of him saying too much. I can sense a yawning chasm in front of me, and one wrong step will send me tumbling.

And the problem is, I want to fall.

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