Page 54 of Blue Velvet

I can feel his grip around my arm loosening, and my heart sinks. Is he giving me up? Is he surrendering?

“No.”

It’s the first word I’ve spoken since I came up here, and as it escapes my mouth, both men look at me with a similar expression of surprise, and I no longer doubt their relationship.

“You’re his brother,” I say in a shaking voice.

He nods. “Yes, girl, but who are-”

“Loran has told me a lot about you,” I continue. My heart is wrapped in comforting warmth when I say his name for the first time. Loran. An uncommon name for an uncommon man.

“But he didn’t tell me that you were coming to visit today,” I add. “I must say, I’m a little...surprised.”

I free myself of my master’s grip, pointedly trying to cover myself up by crossing arms in front of my chest. Loran lets go of me without resistance. Even without looking at him, I can tell that his eyes are locked on me in confusion.

“This is my brother, Joel,” Loran says. “He has a tendency to show up when he’s not invited.”

His brother glares at him.

“You fucking sick bastard,” he snarls. “What did you do to this girl?”

“Nothing... none of your business,” I utter, trying to appear more confident than I’m actually feeling at this moment.

“Oh yeah?” Joel hisses at me. “What the hell is this then?!”

I gasp when he reaches for the leash and yanks on it so hard that I’m forced to step forward, choked by the collar around my throat.

Loran steps in within a split second, taking hold of the leash and tearing it from his brother’s hand before he deals a blow against his chest, pushing him about two feet away from us.

“Don’t fucking touch her!”

He turns around to me then, his eyes laced with concern. “Are you alright?”

I reach up to my throat, coughing and nodding, while I raise my hand in an appeasing gesture.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

My eyes dart over to Joel, narrowing as I fixate on him. “But I’d like for him to leave.”

Joel gasps with indignation and makes a move to step forward in protest, but Loran holds him back by raising his hand and stepping in front of me.

“You heard what she said,” he hisses at his brother. “You’re neither needed nor welcome here.”

His brother stares coldly at him. I don’t know the whole story, but I’m sure that he doesn’t believe either of us and would have been all too happy to secure me from Loran’s hands, if only to have something to use against his brother.

I’m not going to let that happen. That’s not how I want this to end.

“You’re fucking sick, kiddo,” Joel bellows at me. “Whatever he did to you - you’re fucking sick and wrong for not ratting this asshole out!”

“Get out!” Loran yells at him. “You had no business following me here, and you have no business being here. If you’re not out within ten seconds, I’m going to call the police!”

Jack stares at him in angry disbelief. “You fucking wouldn’t...”

“Yes!” Loran exclaims. “Yes, I fucking would.”

A few moments of unpleasant silence follows their heated exchange, but then Joel finally turns and heads out the door.

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