Page 57 of Cruel Ice

“He’s innocent,” she snapped back. “Declan did not kill those three men. I know—I’ve been with him the whole time. He’s the victim.”

Soft laughter from Royal. “Victim, huh? That’s a fun word.”

“No, it is not particularly fun.” She didn’t know that she liked this long-lost brother. Not at all. The heat of Declan’s touch warmed her thigh. “Where’s your concern? Where is your ‘I’m-so-glad-my-brother-is-alive’ relief?”

Royal considered her. “She’s interesting.”

Her eyes immediately narrowed.Interestingsounded like an insult to her.

“For the record, I am glad you’re alive, Declan,” Royal said.

She grunted. About time he said those words. Had it killed him to say them? No.

“I’m also pretty damn happy to be alive myself,” Royal continued. “Considering that someone tried to run me down just last week. Seems that you and I have both attracted a sudden enemy.”

She felt the utter stillness of Declan’s body. Stillness and rage. The rage practically vibrated in the air around her.

“What. The. Fuck?” Low. No emotion at all. But Declan’s voice still sent a shiver cascading over her. She’d come to realize that when his voice went low, he was in an extra lethal mood. Not a good sign.

Royal settled back against the lush seat in the limo. “Didn’t quite catch what I said? Then let me repeat…someone tried to run me down last week. The asshole came plowing right for me. I made it out of the way with scratches and bruises that piss me the hell off as I kissed the sidewalk. Figured it was some drunk dick at the time. Then I learned that two attacks have been made on my brother’s life. Got me to being all kinds of suspicious.” He quirked a brow. “So, let’s circle back to the fact that we both may have attracted the same enemy.” He paused. And suddenly, his face looked…darker. Harder.Evil.“Just who the hell is it that wants to kill us both?”

Chapter Thirteen

Royal let out a long,low whistle. “So, yeah, I knew you were rich.” He did a slow spin in the middle of the cavernous foyer. His feet tapped over the gleaming, white marble floor. His head tipped back as he gazed up at the antique chandelier that hung a good twenty feet above his head. “But then there’s rich and there’s…whatever the hell this is.”

Declan slanted him a glance as he kept a hand on the base of Marley’s spine and led her into the den. He didn’t want to stop touching her. Almost felt like she was the one link that allowed him to hold onto his sanity and keep the rage and enveloping darkness away.

She offered me her body, and I swear, I think I touched a bit of her soul.Marley was good. Bright. She saw the best in people. An admirable, noble trait. But she was delusional when it came to him. The woman had called him a hero.

Hero, my ass.He was a monster. No doubt about it. But sometimes, the monster got to keep the fair maiden. Hadn’t that shit happened inBeauty and the Beast?Once upon a time—a lifetime ago to be precise—his mom had read him fairytales before bedtime.Beauty and the Beasthad been a particular favorite of hers.

He’d always roared and pretended to be the beast. While his brother…hell, his two-year-old brother had bounced and clapped and loved every minute of the tale.

Now his brother was all grown. No longer was he called Garrison Flynn. Instead, he was Royal Boudreaux. A new name. A new life. A new family.

And a new pain in the ass.

BecauseRoyalwas whistling and acting like he’d stumbled into some alternate universe because the damn house was big. Declan led Marley to the couch. Waited until she was curled up on the cushions, then he turned back to his brother. “Don’t be a dick.”

Garrison—dammit, Royal—had followed them into the den.

At Declan’s growled words, Royal quirked a brow. “Some things are just a natural talent I possess. I don’t have to try. I just am.”

He just was a dick. Uh, huh. “You’re rich as sin in your own right. You own at least half a dozen clubs. You have piles of cash stashed in plenty of offshore accounts. You don’t need to pretend with me. The house doesn’t impress you. I doubt that anything does.”

“You’d be surprised.” Royal shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. His gaze darted around. Skimmed right over the thick, dark curtains that covered the doors leading to the attached terrace. “But like I said, there’s wealthy, then there is whatever the fuck this is.”

Still being a dick.Maybe it was a family trait. Declan knew he could be a dick without trying, too. “You know half the estate is yours.”

“I know that our father barely had anything by the time he was shoved into the ground.Yourebuilt from the ashes he left behind. You created your own empire with those scary tech skills of yours.” Royal’s eyes—a shade so similar to Declan’s—had returned to lock on Declan. Their father had possessed those same eyes. “The way I see it,” Royal added, his tone flat, “the money is all yours.”

Half of the money was going to his brother, whether he wanted it or not. “My lawyers are working on reallocating things. You’re getting half. You do whatever the fuck you want with the money. Give it to charity. Spend it on a stripper?—”

“My Violet would be very pissed if I did that. She’s the jealous type. Ferociously so. Just wants to keep me all to herself.” A shrug from Royal. “But I understand. After all, I only have eyes for her. Don’t really care about seeing anyone else dance around a pole. But if Violet feels like doing it for me…” A lazy roll of one shoulder. “I’m all in. She is truly an incredible dancer, FYI.”

“Excuse me.” Marley rose from the couch. Dammit, hadn’t he just put her down there? When he reached for her again, Marley glowered. “Do not make me remind you that I don’t break.”

But she could bruise. She could also bleed. And she’d bled a freaking lot in his limo after she’d beenshot.

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