Page 35 of Fractured Onyx

I'm a bit taken aback at the way he talks to me. He was polite enough to shake my hand first, but completely ignored my existence a moment later, while engaging in an awkward staring contest with Nate, who seems more tense than ever.

"Malia," I say, trying to bring myself to smile.

"A girlfriend, huh?" Raad wonders, arching an eyebrow when he turns back to Nate. "The one you kidnapped? So you weren't kidding on the phone."

Nate frowns at his brother, wrapping his arm around me in a protective manner.

"No, I wasn't."

Raad scoffs. "Cute. Very cute."

He looks at me, still with that condescending shadow cast over his face. He's a handsome man, for sure. But there's something about him that seems wrong, just plain wrong. Comparing the two of them, it's hard to imagine that he's supposed to be the golden son, while Nate is framed as the black sheep of the family.

But that's indeed what happened, I remember. He was framed for a misdeed that his brother brought about, and even though he might be the one who's been involved in petty crime from an early age, his older brother is anything but innocent.

His presence is unnerving, to say the least—and the way he looks at me doesn't go unnoticed by Nate. His grip around me tightens, as if he feels the need to protect me.

And maybe he does.

"Don't worry, she's not my type," Raad says in a dismissive way.

My mouth drops open with indignation. "Excuse me?"

"Don't mind him," Nate says, piercing down his brother through narrow eyes. "His manners with women are... lacking, to say the least."

Raad lets out another sinister scoff, but much to my relief, he takes a step back, gesturing toward the seating area.

"How about we continue this little banter with a drink in hand?" He says, a crooked smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He doesn't wait for a response, but turns his back to us and walks away, confident that we'll follow.

Nate and I exchange a quick look and he shrugs, winking at me, before we join his oddly unsettling brother at the table.

My pulse is racing, chased by a blend of fear and excitement, a toxic mix that has been a loyal companion ever since I first met Nate.

But the taste is sweeter now, familiar and welcoming.

Because I know I am safe, no matter what.

I know I'll always be safe with him.

Epilogue 2

Raad

How adorable.

My estranged brother has tied himself to a cute little puppet of his own.

And he bears the same dumb smile that befalls all of them, once they let themselves be witched by a girl like that.

A silly girl, with silly dreams and silly expectations.

I'm torn between feeling sorry for him and the urge to belittle his decision to bring her here—and wanting to punch his face for vanishing for so long. I never thought I'd see his face again, not after what happened all those years ago. Not after what I did, and what he did in return.

He took the fall for me, and he did it without asking. By the time I found out what happened, stunned by the fact that the police suddenly decided to get off of my back, he was long gone.

It was like he disappeared into thin air, taking all the blame with him.

For months and years, I worked to clear his name, vowing to bring him back into our life once I managed to do so, despite my father's refusal. All he ever cared about was my ascent in the business world, our success, our project, the one thing he's worked for all his life.

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