Page 17 of Beautiful Scar

“Does this happen a lot? The panic attacks?”

I shake my head. “Hasn’t happened in years. But I guess my life has been pretty stable for a while now.”

“I knew a girl—” He hesitates, his eyes glancing over my shoulder as if he’s looking for someone. “She had panic attacks too.”

“Do you still see her?”

He shakes his head. “She’s gone now.” He pulls away suddenly, and his smile disappears. That stormy, terrifying glare descends instead. “Time for us to get moving. Damian’s waiting downstairs.”

“Right. Okay. I’ll get my things.”

“Don’t get lost this time.”

He’s not smiling, but was that a joke?

Doesn’t matter. He walks away, and I’m left to drag myself into my room, shove my stuff back into my old duffel bag, and find a way to put one foot in front of the other.

“I’m goingto fucking kill him,” Evan snarls as he paces across my room. “I’m serious, Dash. I’m going to murder him.”

“Stop it,” I say, picking through my t-shirt drawer. “How the hell do I have so many of these?” I mutter, tossing one into the leave pile. “I don’t even go outside.”

“He sprung a goddamnweddingon you. He did it on your birthday!”

“I have a feeling that was on purpose.” The look on Evan’s face makes me think that was a mistake. “It was a good trick; you have to admit it. If it hadn’t been my birthday, I doubt I would’ve agreed to go anywhere.”

“Fuckingbastard,” he snarls and kicks a few pairs of shoes I’d decided to leave behind.

“Don’t take it out on my heels, please. It isn’t their fault.”

“How are you so calm right now? I’d be going ballistic in your place.”

I stop sorting my clothes and look at him. Evan’s always been the emotional one, mostly because he’sallowedto be. It’s safe for a man like him to have big feelings.

He can stomp and storm all he wants. My brother’s six-foot-four and muscular enough to hold his own against nearly anyone. Who’s going to tell him to shut his mouth?

But me? I’m five-foot-nothing. Dad always says I got my mother’s height. If I barked and growled like him, someone would slap me down and make sure I stayed down.

They did it once already, and I don’t need to go through it a second time.

“I’m losing my mind,” I tell him gently. “Last night was the first time I slept outside of the house in twelve years.”

He stops pacing and slumps a bit. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

“Not only did I have to leave my little bubble, but I had to share a room with a stranger. With a random man I’ve never met before. Some guy I’m allegedly married to.” I laugh lightly because it’s crazy. I don’t even have a ring. But I saw the paperwork, and I know this is real.

“I’ll kill him too if he touches you,” Evan says, his expression going hard again.

That’s sweet, but I really doubt it. Evan’s big and strong, but Tigran isterrifying.

That’s like an angry pit bull going up against a raging lion.

They’re both strong, but one’s a born killer, and the other’s just a dog.

“He was fine. We slept in different rooms.”

That deflates him slightly. “Just because you’re married doesn’t mean you have to do anything you don’t want to do. You know that, right?”

I almost laugh in his face. This wholethingis something I don’t want.

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