Page 7 of The Devil's Pair

“Nuh-uh, Briley.” Dux sounded furious again. “That’s all bullshit and you’d damn well better know it. You took what he was dishing out to keep your friend safe, but that doesn’t mean it was achoice. Why the fuck are you downplaying any of what happened to you?”

“I – I don’t know. I shouldn’t.” She bit her lip. “The truth is that I hate thinking about it, and Inevertalk about it.”

“Wait,” Drake said, catching on more fully to the horror. “Cheryl didn’t know what was going on?”

“No. I told Cheryl a bit while we were in New York, but I never breathed a word of it to her before then.”

“Jesus,” Dux said, running his hands through his dark hair. “So you two were talking about all of this on the phone just now?”

“Kind of. Cheryl said that Gideon wouldn’t have been able to manipulate me if she hadn’t messed up – she feels responsible for what he did to me and she apologized.”

“And that got you thinking about that two years, right?” Drake said. “Got your mind racing off in all kinds of bad directions?”

“Yes,” Briley whispered, tears prickling her eyes again. “Suddenly I was backthereunderhim, totally helpless. All I could do to get throughanyof it was keep counting to ten in my head, over and over again, just counting and counting, trying to get out of my body until it was finally over. Standing here, I could actually feel his breath on my face, feel him inside me, feel him in my mouth. It just – it was like a shadow falling over me and it took my breath away.”

“It scared you,” Dux said. “It’sstillscaring you, right?”

“Yes.” She paused. “Honestly, I think it always will. I think – I’m afraid that the damage might be permanent.”

“Nah,” Dux said gently. “You’re beaten around and bruised, babe, butno wayyou’re out for the count. You’ve got too much to give, too much goodness, too much going for you. You aren’t the type to lie down and die… you’re going tolive. I know it.”

Drake smiled at her then, a soft, sweet smile and it was so different from his usual teasing, flirting grin. It was a smile that supported her and believed in her; it looked past all her self-loathing and guilt and saw her at her best. It was a smileof complete faith and generosity of spirit, and its shining beauty took her breath away all over again.

Took it away in agoodway this time.

The first sob that escaped her throat took her by surprise; the second one made her panic. She didn’t think that she was going to dothisin front of them, but the combination of those honest, heartfelt words and that achingly perfect smile just did her in. In a cloud of confusion and embarrassment, Briley lowered her head and turned away, stumbled towards the bathroom to have a full-on, ugly bawling session in private.

But the men were faster than she was; despite their daunting size, they moved like damn cheetahs.

Dux’s fingers that gently took her shoulders from behind were huge and strong, stopping her dead in her tracks. Before she could take full control of herself, she stiffened in fear. Right away, Drake stepped in front of her and held his hands came up in a ‘I come in peace’ gesture even as he towered over her.

“Whoa, Briley,” he said quietly. “Don’t be afraid. We know that pawing at you after what you just told us isn’t the best idea, but we don’t want you to go running off alone feeling the way that you do. You’ve got to believe that we’re not going to hurt you – not ever.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” she said and realized that shedid, in fact, know that. “I was just startled. It’s been a long time since I was touched by a man who wasn’t… wasn’thim.”

The anger was back now, flashing in Drake’s astonishing blue eyes. She saw him look over her head at his brother and then nod; they’d clearly reached some kind of silent agreement.

“OK, so what do you need?” Dux asked behind her. She heard him move a bit closer and then he was rubbing her back in soothing circles. It felt shockingly good and she wondered why she was so relaxed under his touch. “Tell us, babe, and that’s what we’ll do. Anything at all.”

“I – I don’t –” The words caught in her throat. “I don’t know. I –”

And then, like an absolute blubbering moron, she was crying. She felt stupid and embarrassed and pathetic, but she’d been holding her emotions in for so long and she’d been so alone in what Gideon had been doing to her… and with these two almost-strangers, she felt like she’d just set down a heavy burden. Like they’d taken it from her hands, as quick as a blink and with no warning, and absorbed that weight into their own bodies – all her guilt, shame, fear, rage. She was sure that a large part of her crying was motivated by sheer fuckingrelief.

I feel semi-alive again… It’s over. It’s really really over.

“Aw, hell, darlin’.” Drake stepped forward and so slowly, so carefully, giving her time to see what he was doing, he reached for her and took her in those massive arms. “Come here. Let us hold you.”

Her mind had barely registered the word ‘us’ when she felt Dux behind her again, closer now. His arms snaked around her waist and he pressed his huge frame against her trembling back. He lowered his lips to her shoulder, and she felt his breath on her skin.

And suddenly she was in a dark corner of the restaurant, sandwiched between two muscular, gorgeous men, feeling like she’d always been there. It was odd how comfortably and easily her body just fit with theirs, how this all felt so familiar and somehow absolutelyright.

“Let it go Briley,” Dux murmured; his breath ruffled her hair and she shivered. “Nobody here but us.”

“I’m sorry,” she choked out. “Inevercry, and I meannever. I feel so goddamndumb.”

“Nuh-uh.” Drake’s voice rumbled against her flushed cheek. “Nothing dumb about feeling, darlin’. Nothing at all.”

And that wasit; that was when the floodgates opened. To hell with being strong, and solitary, and scared. Here – in this little cocoon of muscles and breaths and heartbeats – Brileyfinallydid exactly what Dux told her: she let it all go.

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