Page 210 of Under an Endless Moon

Cold laughter rolled out of River, and his face pinched in disbelief. “You think you have something to say to me about being herbrother?”

He emphasized the last, spite dipping into the word, driving the blade in deep.

I started to slip off the side of the table, and Otto held out a hand without looking at me, his voice gruff as he muttered, “Stay back, Raven.”

A hollow sound echoed from River, and he lifted his chin at Otto. “Is that it? You tell her what to do? Manipulate her? Take advantage of her vulnerabilities? Of her trauma? Use her up the way you use the rest of the women you burn through?”

It was the one thing that cut into Otto’s reserve. Rage bubbled out of him, the man vibrating hostility before he suddenly lunged atRiver and tackled him to the ground. They hit the wood floors with a thud, and in an instant, they were a grappling mess in the middle of it.

Punches and grunts and kicks as they fought to outdo the other.

I jumped off the table, rushing up to them as a shout tore up my throat. “Are you kidding me? Just stop it. Stop it! Both of you!”

It didn’t come close to penetrating the tumult that raged between them.

A commotion suddenly burst through the door, and Kane, Theo, Cash, and Trent came barreling through.

Charleigh, Eden, and Sienna hovered at the door behind them, their eyes wide as they took in the scene.

The guys rushed forward to the tussling pile that was River and Otto.

“Enough. Break it up.”

Theo and Kane grabbed ahold of Otto who was currently on top, and Trent and Cash hauled River away.

River tried to break free, sneering at Otto from where he was being dragged across the room. “You’re dead. Fuckin’ dead to me. The one thing I ever asked of you?” Hurt curled through his features before he spat, “Can’t fuckin’ believe you.”

Shame burned through Otto’s expression, his face smeared with blood and guilt flaming in the depths of his blue eyes.

I stumbled out in between them. Sickness churned in my stomach. “What? You think I have no say? That I’m so small and insignificant andvulnerablethat I can’t make my own decisions for myself?” Hot tears streamed down my face as I looked at my brother.

“He fuckin’ promised me, Raven. Promised me he’d never touch you.”

“And what about what I want?”

Pain fractured through his expression. “Then you want the wrong thing.”

My focus swiveled to Otto. Otto who wouldn’t even freaking look at me, let alone stand up and tell my brother he was wrong.

Tell him he loved me.

That he’d stand for me.

That he’d do anything for me.

That he’d been the one who’d comforted me for all those years. When I was tortured by the nightmares. The only one who’d ever made me feel safe.

Hurt cut me in two, and I barely nodded as I fumbled back before I turned and ran for the door because I didn’t want to be around either of them.

Charleigh met me, taking me into her arms the second I was out in the solitude of the hall, hugging me tight as she muttered, “It’ll be fine. They’ll cool down and it’ll be fine.”

But that wasn’t the point.

My brother should support me.

My decisions.

The same as Otto should stand for them.

---